Hiring an immigration lawyer is important if you are going to apply for any sort of visa, or if you want to appeal a visa decision. Do you want to appeal a visa refusal that you believe is unfair? Do you need to apply for a student visa so you can head to a certain country to study for a six-month period? Maybe you want a family visa because you want to move you and your children abroad?
Perhaps your visa has expired and you need to make a claim for discretionary leave to remain? You can read this post on indefinite leave to remain explained if you’re not sure what it means or whether it is right for you.
No matter what applies, you are probably interested in the services provided by immigration solicitors. Below, we will explain a little bit more about what you can expect.
Making a visa application with the aid of an immigration solicitor
In most cases, immigration solicitors are hired for assistance with making an application for a visa. This can be daunting for those who have no experience with visas in the country in question.
However, your solicitor will give you all of the help you need. They will make sure you are applying for the correct visa, and that you are filling out your application form correctly.
They will also ensure that the right supporting documents are included while providing you with a realistic picture regarding the likelihood of your application being a success.
A lot of people underestimate the importance of using a solicitor for visa applications. However, you only need to look at recent statistics to see why this is so important. Over the past few years, visa refusals have increased by approximately 18 percent.
Making an appeal against a visa refusal that you feel is unfair
Besides this, immigration solicitors also help people that have had their visa application denied. If this applies to you, your solicitor will talk you through your options and the best route to go down, i.e. whether to appeal or if you will need to opt for an administrative review.
They will ensure that everything is handled correctly. After all, if your visa has been denied, you really cannot afford to take risks with the appeal.
Extending your stay within a country
Aside from the services that we have spoken about so far, you may also be able to use the services of a solicitor if you want to extend your stay within the country you are in. Therefore, if you already have a visa but it is about to run out, using the services of a lawyer with expertise in immigration is a must.
So there you have it: an insight into hiring an immigration lawyer and the sort of services that they provide. While they primarily help with visa applications, they do offer a whole host of other services again, from visa decision appeals to visa extensions.