Immigration advice
Last updated on: 22 February 2024
Do I need immigration advice?
It is very important to make sure you have a valid immigration status. If you are unable to prove your immigration status, you may risk being prevented from access to some essential rights and services such as employment, renting, and some healthcare.
However, it is not always clear how to secure or maintain immigration status. Immigration laws and procedures are very complicated, and they change frequently. Making sense of these alone can be challenging.
Whether you need immigration advice or a lawyer depends on your specific situation. If you are unsure about any of your immigration matters or your situation is complicated, then advice may be very beneficial. If your case is straightforward and you are confident about what to do, then advice may not be necessary.
How can immigration advice help me?
An immigration advisor may help with the following things:
- Expertise and up-to-date knowledge: They can guide you through complex and evolving immigration laws and procedures which are very difficult to understand without support.
- Advice and representation: They can also provide advice tailored to your specific situation and they help you understand your rights and options. If you're facing an immigration hearing or court proceedings, a lawyer can represent you and argue your case.
- Efficiency: An immigration lawyer can also help you fill out forms correctly and prepare a strong application. This could save you time and reduce the risk of your application being delayed or rejected.
- Complex cases: A lawyer's assistance can be especially valuable if your immigration situation is complex. This could be the case if you are facing deportation, dealing with human rights issues, or you have a criminal record.
Whether you need or want immigration advice will depend on your specific situation. Consulting an advisor could be beneficial if you are unsure about any aspect of your case, or your situation is complicated. However, advice may not always be necessary if your situation is straightforward, and you are confident about what to do.
It is important to be aware that quality of service can vary. You should do your research and choose a reputable lawyer. A poor lawyer may cause you more problems than working without one.
Further guidance around choosing a lawyer is available in our finding an immigration lawyer section.
Do I need to pay for immigration advice?
Some immigration advice is free, and some requires payment. This depends on your situation.
Government funding (called ‘legal aid’) is available to support people to access free legal advice if they cannot afford legal fees. Legal aid is only available for asylum cases and certain immigration applications. A list of what is covered by legal aid can be found on the NRPF Network’s website.
To qualify for legal aid, you will usually need to show that you cannot afford to pay for advice and representation. You may need to provide evidence of your income and your spending. There are some exceptional cases in which evidence is not required, such as domestic violence.
You can check if you are eligible for legal aid on the government's website.
If you are not eligible for legal aid, then there are some other limited scenarios in which you will not be required to pay. For example, if your human rights would be breached because of a lack of legal aid, you may be eligible for Exceptional Case Funding. Some limited immigration applications also allow for people to apply for a fee waiver in certain situations.
Some organisations also provide free immigration advice, although their services and specialism may vary. You can search for details of free migrant support services using our interactive map.
If you are not eligible for legal aid and you do not meet the criteria for other free legal support, then you may need to pay for advice and representation.