Welcome to Worldwide Solicitors.

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Immigration

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Provide expert legal advice on all matters

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Offer a very broad range of immigration services

Worldwide Solicitors provide expert legal advice on all matters related to immigration law. We understand how stressful it can be if you or your loved ones face an irregular immigration status, or are at risk of exclusion from the UK. We aim to help you through these hard times in the following ways:-

Firstly, we take a flexible approach towards the payment of our fees. You do not have to pay all of the fees for our services up front - we are more than willing to negotiate payments through deposits and installments for your ease and satisfaction. We normally negotiate fixed fees, so you will know exactly the amount payable.

Secondly, we are able to offer a very broad range of immigration services. We have dealt with almost every category of leave to enter or remain in the UK.

However, we most commonly encounter Student and Business Migrants applying under Points-Based System; Family Migration (usually spouses or children); and Human Rights applications for long term residents without status. Individual members of the team have an interest in Asylum & Humanitarian Protection claims; EEA and Ankara Agreement Free Movement; and Compliance advice for businesses hiring immigrant workers. This list is not proposed to be exhaustive.

Thirdly, our assistance is available for each and every single aspect of the case. Often, this involves assistance with the preparation of your application for leave to remain, or for a family member’s leave to remain, if you’re applying for a relative. One thing that many don’t emphasise is the fact that having legal advice at a good time - usually the application stage - will often save one from serious and expensive complications down the line.

We are registered with the Home Office, UKBA, Public Enquiry Office (PEO) for Same Day Visa Service / Home Office Premium Service and our immigration solicitors can prepare and submit your application to the Home Office, PEO by hand and get an instant decision on your application. Our in-house team regularly provide advocacy services at the Immigration Tribunal for appeals. It is only rarely that we will need to instruct external counsel, meaning that you will be able to save money and be represented at your appeal by someone you know and trust.

If the worst should happen, we have substantial experience of (and success in) applying for Immigration Bail.

We are able to offer Judicial Review services at competitive rates.

Click on the boxes in the menu below for more information on the type of work we do which is specific to your case.

Appeal In The Tribunal

Visa Refusals & Immigration Appeals

Not every application will succeed at first attempt. An unavoidable percentage of applications will be refused by the Home Office.

Most refusals attract a right of appeal to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First Tier Tribunal. If this is unsuccessful, there may exist further opportunities in certain circumstances to appeal to the Upper Tribunal or the higher courts. Most but not all of these appeals allow you to stay in the UK while your case is being considered.

Appeals are a mainstay of our work, and we have a wealth of experience in drafting and advocacy before the Tribunal. It is important to have your case fully assessed and to make sure that any appeal is brought within prescribed time limits. We can help with this.

Worldwide Solicitors can assist with the following:

– Advice on the merits of your appeal;
– Drafting grounds of appeal and filing the required paperwork;
– Assistance with supporting evidence and witness statements;
– Correspondence with the Tribunal and the Home Office;
– Advice on conducting yourself at the hearing;
– Representation at the hearing;
– Assistance in dealing with the outcome of the appeal.
– Bear in mind that if there is no right of appeal, there may be alternatives. This may include Judicial Review proceedings, or internal administrative review.

Naturalisation as a British Citizen

Certain migrants may be able to naturalise as a British Citizen. It is recommended that most migrants seek naturalisation if at all possible, as once complete, you will be able to exercise the same rights and privileges in the UK as if you had been born here.

In particular, you will no longer be subject to immigration control, and cannot be deported or removed from the UK. It is likely to greatly assist the immigration status of your family members. You will find it easier to visit most countries around the world. You will also be an EEA national with the right of free movement and work throughout Europe. Your children will normally inherit British Citizenship.

Naturalisation is not easy, however. There are complex requirements concerning your connections to and residence in the UK. There is no one set of requirements which apply to every applicant, but in general it is only available to migrants with Indefinite Leave to Remain and who have been in the UK for more than 5 years. You should also check the effect of naturalisation on your existing nationality.

We would not recommend making an application without legal representation, and Worldwide are able to help you through the process at every stage.

Business Visa

We are able to help self-employed entrepreneurial individuals who wish to enter or remain in the UK in order to invest money or establish businesses here. The main categories are as follows: –

An Investor visa is available to high net worth individuals with access to £1,000,000.00 available for investment in the UK. This category confers a very high degree of personal freedom while in the UK and an accelerated route to settlement.

An Entrepreneur visa is available to migrants, depending on the circumstances, with access to £200,000.00 or £50,000.00 available for investment in the UK. This confers less benefit than the Investor category but still allows you to live and work in the UK.

These applications are not exhaustive and other options may well be available to you. We will be able to advise in particular cases.

Needless to say, these applications can be extremely complex. The documentary requirements are extremely specific and detailed, change constantly, and are ruthlessly enforced. Omitting minor pieces of information can be fatal to an application with harsh consequences.

Worse, the Home Office treats all such applications extremely cynically. Almost all applicants are at risk of being dismissed as not genuinely intending to invest money in the UK. We can assist you to create a more favourable impression with the Home Office before applying.

It is not recommended to research these requirements online. The Home Office’s own internal guidance to such applications is not a reliable source of information in our opinion. It is in many ways highly misleading, and is often inadequate. We strongly recommend obtaining legal advice before applying.

Student Visas

Probably a majority of all migrants enter the UK for the first time as a Tier 4 (General) Student to study a professional course at a UK college or university. Many of our clients are, or have been students in the UK at some point.

Getting an application for leave to remain as a Tier 4 (General) Student right is absolutely vital. Mistakes- even minor mistakes- can have serious consequences and complicate your career and studies permanently. Having legal advice in advance can avoid many of these problems.

We can advise on all aspects of making a Student application, including: –

  • Guidance on the documents required;
  • Advice on the English language requirements;
  • Advice on maintenance;
  • Advice on relevant time limits

Sadly, many overseas students will find the rug pulled from underneath them when their course provider encounters problems with the authorities. It is very important not to panic if this happens to you. There are almost always options to remedy the situation if you act quickly enough. We can help with this.

If you represent a college or university, we may be able to help you avoid such problems in the first place. Members of our team have an interest in immigration compliance, and taking their advice early and often can save administrative and financial headaches down the line.

Indefinite Leave To Remain

Long term migrants will eventually want to be free of time limits on their visas altogether. After years of residency, it will be possible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

The time limit varies greatly from case to case; and you will require expert advice. However, the general rules are as follows:-

  • Indefinite leave to enter is sometimes available; usually to elderly parents or grandparents, or children.
  • After having resided in the UK for over five years, indefinite leave to remain will be available to migrants with Business Visas or Work Permits. It will also be available to EEA Nationals, EEA Family Members, and Spouses who meet certain criteria.
  • After seven years lawful and/or unlawful residence, migrant children will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
  • Applicants who have remained in the UK lawfully for ten years in any category will normally be able to apply.
  • After twenty years lawful and/or unlawful residence, and in certain other limited scenarios, you will be able to apply for settlement.

Making your application for settlement is a very important moment. We can help you through the process and avoid complications which might otherwise arise.

Human Rights

The UK is a party to the Council of Europe, meaning that it is a party to the 1951 European Convention on Human Rights. The provisions of this convention were incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998.

Article 8 of the European Convention requires the UK to respect (to a limited degree) family and private life. It is often raised in Immigration cases and may well become relevant in a number of scenarios.

This is most likely if: –

  • You have spouse, partner, or children in the UK, especially British Citizens;
  • You are a child of a parent settled in the UK;
  • You have been in the UK (lawfully or unlawfully) for a long time; or,
  • You are at risk of deportation.

Assylum Claim

Under the terms of the 1951 Geneva Convention, every member state of the United Nations is obliged to admit foreign nationals who have a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, and who are unable or justifiably unwilling to rely on the protection of their home authorities, and who are unable to move to a safe location within their country of origin.

We deal with many asylum claims and are able to assist with all stages of what is often a traumatic experience. We can help in preparing the initial application, attending interviews, and organising appeals in the event of refusal.

Work Permits

European Economic Area and Swiss Nationals may generally speaking enter the UK in order to work here (although see our article on EEA Nationals for details).

People from outside the EEA can only come to the UK to work in very limited situations. The term “work permit” is no longer a part of ordinary immigration law. Most commonly, you will have to be sponsored by a UK company under the points based system. Only certain companies can undertake such sponsorship. If you are not currently outside the UK, there is an annual limit of 20,700 on the number of such applications that can be granted.

In certain circumstances, Turkish Nationals may have a right under the European Community Association Agreement (“the Ankara Agreement”) to work or to establish themselves in business in the UK.

Citizens of a Commonwealth Country with at least one born British Parent or Grandparent may apply for permission to enter or remain in the UK. If successful, you may work here.

Certain categories of visa may carry a limited right of work, particularly certain students and business visitors. You must be cautious to avoid breaching these limits as the consequences may be very serious.

Bail And Detention

You may be subject to immigration detention for a number of reasons, but in our experience the most common reasons are as follows: –

  • If you remain in the UK after your visa has expired;
  • If you work in the UK when you are not permitted to;
  • If you commit a criminal offence while in the UK, you may be detained at the end of your sentence.

Being taken into detention has very serious implications for your immigration status and you are likely to be at immediate risk of removal. If this happens to you, you must immediately contact a lawyer to represent you. It may be that friends and family will be able to help you to contact us.

If you are taken into detention, you may be able to apply for bail. This will normally be to the Home Office, but after a certain period of detention you may apply to the Tribunal. We can assist you in preparing an application for bail.

It is important to recognise that obtaining bail does not resolve your existing problems. You can still be removed from the UK even if you are released. We will discuss your whole immigration status with you and attempt to resolve your difficulties.

Judicial Review

Judicial Review refers to the right of individuals to sue public officials who make legal decisions which they argue are irrational, unreasonable, or unlawful. As the Home Office are public officials, they are susceptible to this remedy.

Most migrants are likely to consider Judicial Review in situations where there is no right of appeal against a decision to refuse leave to enter or remain, or to remove. This most commonly applies where: –

  • You are an overstayer;
  • You have been working unlawfully and are at risk of removal;
  • Certain entry clearance applications are refused (e.g., Students);

Judicial review is a complex remedy and is an option of last resort. We have an experienced and successful Judicial Review Team who can help you through this difficult procedure.

EEA Nationals

Nationals of the following countries may take advantage of European Economic Area law to move to the UK and work here:

France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Malta, Cyprus, Croatia, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Switzerland.

Certain transitional restrictions exist in respect of Croatians.

What is not so well known is that family members of such European Citizens may accompany or join them to the UK, irrespective of whether or not they are themselves EEA Nationals.

This will ordinarily apply to Spouses, Children, and Dependant Adult Relatives, but may in certain circumstances apply to other relatives in a range of situations.

We are able to advise both European Citizens on their treaty rights and in particular non-EEA family members on their ability to access European Law.