Newcastle Immigration Lawyers

Looking for Immigration Lawyers in Newcastle?

We have a thorough grasp of immigration law and many years of experience in this specific sector of the law. Servicing both private and business clients from within and outside the UK, we pride ourselves on an excellent customer experience, as can be seen by our many reviews.

The IAS Newcastle office is headed up by prominent North East immigration expert, Alex Givenson. Alex has worked in the field of immigration and asylum law for several years and has represented clients from all over the world at all stages of their cases: initial asylum claims, PBS applications, family reunion applications and human rights cases.  He is also familiar with advising skilled workers and high net worth individuals who wish to establish businesses and/or invest in the UK.

Immigration Advice Service (Newcastle)

Collingwood Buildings
38 Collingwood Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1JF

Phone: 028 4379 8374

Do I Need to Hire an Immigration Solicitor in Newcastle?

If you need immigration legal advice or immigration application assistance, we highly recommend hiring a Newcastle solicitor to offer you the support and help you need.

Immigration solicitors can offer invaluable guidance and advice to help you achieve the outcome you are looking for. Reputable immigration solicitors understand the complexities of UK immigration law and with their expertise, you will be in the best position to avoid mistakes and common pitfalls.

If you are applying for a visa, in the long-run, you can save yourself a lot of time and money through hiring an immigration legal professional as they can help you to secure your visa with your first visa application. Unfortunately, if your visa application is rejected, you will not receive any refund on your application, and you will have to resubmit your application in full, costing time and money.

If you are looking for an immigration lawyer in Newcastle, the Immigration Advice Service is here for you. We have developed an outstanding reputation after many years of service in the industry, and we take pride in the exceptional service we offer to the people of Newcastle.

If you are looking for expert immigration legal advice, why not take a look at our advice package? With this service, you can discuss your case with one of our immigration lawyers, who will advise you on the steps you need to take to reach your desired outcome.

What Services Do Your Newcastle Immigration Lawyers Offer?

The IAS provides expert immigration legal advice and application assistance in all areas of immigration law. Whatever your query might be, the IAS is here for you.

As well as our aforementioned advice package, we also offer the following specialist services:

• Application package: This is our most popular service. One of our immigration caseworkers will work with you to formulate your visa/immigration application to the highest standard (more below).
• Fast track application package: This service is for those who need their immigration application completing as quickly as possible.
• Document checking service: One of our immigration lawyers will take a professional look at your application.
• Appeal package: We offer full support to those who wish to challenge a Home Office decision.
• Immigration advice for UK businesses: If you wish to hire overseas nationals, you will need to fulfil a number of requirements and duties. The IAS provides expert guidance and assistance
• Emergency support: If you are an asylum seeker or you have been detained, we offer emergency support.

For more information on any of the services we offer, please get in contact with our friendly team now on 0191 640 4661.

What is the IAS’ Application Package?

Our application package is our most popular service. It is an industry-leading package which is for those who would like their visa/immigration application completed to the very highest standard.

You will be assigned to an immigration caseworker who is experienced in the area of law which your situation relates to. They will take the time to understand the specificities of your case in a special consultation.

Your Newcastle lawyer will advise you on the documents which you will need to include in your portfolio of evidence. The assistance with your portfolio of evidence is absolutely invaluable. The main reason for visa applications being rejected is an insufficient portfolio of evidence. Your immigration lawyer will ensure that your portfolio of evidence is complete and worthy of approval.

Once your portfolio of evidence has been fully compiled, we will complete your application form/s, ensuring it adheres to all necessary standards. Also, we will write a letter of representation to highlight the merits of your case.

We will liaise with immigration officials throughout the processing stage and will keep you informed on the progress of your application.

We are confident in saying that should you choose our application package, you will maximise your chances of achieving the outcome you are looking for.

I Want to Study in Newcastle. What do I Need to Know?

Newcastle is a very popular city for international students, home to the Russell Group university, Newcastle University, and the University of Northumbria. In the academic year of 2018-19, over 27,000 international students were studying in Newcastle.

If are a non-EEA national and you wish to study in Newcastle, you will need to apply for the Student Visa. To be eligible, you must intend to study a full-time degree in Newcastle and must have been offered an unconditional place on a course.

Also, you will need to be able to demonstrate that your English language ability is at the level of at least B2 in speaking, writing, listening and reading as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Currently, it costs £348 to apply for a Student Visa. Also, if you have any dependents you will need to pay an extra £348 per dependent. You may need to pay a fee for the immigration health surcharge too. In your Student Visa application, you will need to demonstrate that you have enough money to support yourself and any dependents whilst you are in the UK, without the need to rely on public funds.

If your Student Visa application is accepted, you will need to provide your biometric information (photo and fingerprints) at a visa application centre. You will need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit within ten days of arriving in the UK.

You can extend your Student Visa before it is due to expire as long as your circumstances haven’t changed significantly.

Can I Work in Newcastle as a Non-EEA National?

If you want to work in Newcastle, whether in tech, within the offshore and marine industries, or any other sector, you will need to apply for a work visa.

There are two forms of work visas: skilled workers and temporary. The Temporary Work Visa is for those who are entering into short-term employment, whereas skilled workers visas are for longer-term work, typically more than twelve months.

One of the key requirements for a UK work visa is a job offer from a UK employer who holds a sponsorship licence. Your prospective employer will provide you with a unique certificate of sponsorship number, which you need to include in your work visa application.

There are four visas within the skilled worker visa category:

• Skilled Worker Visa: Sometimes known as the Skilled Workers Visa, this visa is for skilled professionals such as nurses, doctors, engineers and IT professionals.
• Senior or Specialist Worker Visa: This is for those who have been offered a position in the UK branch of a multinational company.
• Minister of Religion Visa: This visa is for individuals who have been offered a position in a faith-based community.
• Sportsperson Visa: For internationally recognised professional sportspeople

Our Newcastle immigration lawyers are here to provide expert assistance with UK work visa applications. Whatever position you are looking to work in, we can help you get there with our application package. Let us help you to secure your job in Newcastle and being a new adventure in the North East.

I Want to Visit Newcastle. Do I Need to Apply for a Visa?

You will need to apply for a visa to visit the United Kingdom if you are a non-EEA national, even if you only plan to stay in the UK for a short period of time.

There are many exciting places to explore in the Newcastle Upon Tyne and North East area such as the Victoria Tunnel, The Discovery Museum and of course, the famous home of Newcastle United, St James’ Park, and that is not even to mention the open air museum of Beamish, or the Angel of the North.

Whatever you reason for travelling to Newcastle, you will need to apply for a visa. If you plan to stay in the United Kingdom for no more than six months, the Standard Visitor Visa is the ideal option.

The UK Visitor Visa is an immigration permission enabling you to stay in the UK for up to six months, and you can travel throughout the United Kingdom on the visa as a tourist and to visit family and friends.

To be eligible for this visa, you must meet these fundamental conditions:

• Able to prove that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit.
• Prove that you can financially support yourself (and any dependents) for the duration of your trip.
• Able to show that you can pay for your onward journey/return if you haven’t already bought a ticket.

Bear in mind that in almost all cases, you will not be able to extend your Standard Visitor Visa.

If you want to stay in the UK for longer than six months, you will need to apply for a different immigration permission and go through the whole application process for that permission.

I Want to Hire an Overseas National. What do I Need to Know?

As mentioned above, our Newcastle immigration lawyers  offer a specialist service to UK businesses who wish to hire an overseas national. The process of hiring an overseas national can be a long one. Through hiring our services, we can take some of the stress away from you.

The first thing which you will need to do is apply for a sponsorship licence – this is an absolute legal requirement for any company who wishes to hire an overseas national. As part of the sponsorship application process, you will need to nominate certain individuals within your company to manage the Sponsorship Management System (SMS), including:

• An authorising officer, who will be responsible for the actions of all the members of staff and representatives who use the SMS.
• Key contact, who will be the main point of contact for UKVI
• Level 1 user, who is responsible for the daily management of the licence through SMS.

Once you have got your sponsor licence, you can begin to assign certificates of sponsorship to your prospective employees. They will need their unique certificate of sponsorship number to apply for a UK work visa.

You will also need to fulfil a number of duties as an employer of overseas nationals, including:

• Keeping copies of your workers’ professional accreditations
• Ensuring that your international employees have the necessary skills and qualifications to do the job.
• Informing the UKVI of any change of circumstances
• Informing the UKVI if your sponsored workers are not abiding by the conditions of their visa.

If you would like more information on how the Immigration Advice Service can help you as an employer of overseas nationals, please contact us now on 0191 640 4661.

When Can I Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain?

Typically, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after you have spent five years lawfully living in the UK. This includes if you have been living in the UK under a Spouse Visa, Unmarried Partner Visa, a work visa and an Ancestry Visa.

In certain circumstances, you could be eligible for ILR sooner. For instance, if you have been living in the UK under the Investor Visa or Innovator Visa, you could be eligible after just three years of UK residency, or even two, depending on your business activity.

In rare circumstances, you may need to have lived in the UK for longer than five years to be eligible for ILR.

The fundamental requirements for Indefinite Leave to Remain are as follows:

• Must have lived in the UK for the relevant period of time pertaining to your visa/individual circumstances.
• During the residency qualifying period, you must not have spent more than 90 days outside the UK in a 12-month period.
• You must not have broken any immigration law/condition or any other laws.
• You need to achieve a pass on the Life in the UK test. This test is a series of multiple-choice questions based on the history, customs and culture of the UK.
• Must be able to demonstrate that your English language ability is a level of B1 in reading, writing, speaking and listening as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is a form of permanent residence, which means you can stay in the UK without any restrictions if your ILR application is successful.

After you have spent 12 months living in the UK under ILR, you will be eligible for British citizenship, provided your circumstances haven’t changed significantly in those twelve months.

What are the Requirements for a Spouse Visa?

The Spouse Visa is perhaps the most popular UK visa of all and is a highly sought-after immigration permission.

If you are married to/in a civil partnership with a UK citizen or person with settled status, you could be eligible for a Spouse Visa.

The Spouse Visa is valid for 30 months if applied for from inside the UK, and 33 months if applied for from outside the UK. You can also apply for a Spouse Visa extension before your original visa expires.

However, there are a number of requirements which you must fulfil, and you will need to provide substantial evidence to prove your eligibility.

The main requirements for the Spouse Visa are as follows:

• Must be at least 18-years-old
• Must be in a marriage/civil partnership which is recognised in UK law. (You will need to provide a valid certificate)
• Must have lived with your partner for at least two years
• Must meet the ‘genuine relationship’ requirement
• Must have a combined annual income of at least £18,600. If you have any dependents, the minimum income threshold increases by £3,800 and a further £2,400 per dependent for every other dependent
• You will need to prove that you have suitable accommodation to live in in the UK
• Must be able to demonstrate that you can understand and communicate in English to a certain level

As mentioned, you will need to provide detailed evidence to prove your eligibility, particularly with the genuine relationship requirement. This is why it’s crucial that your portfolio of evidence is up to standard.

We can help you to prepare your portfolio of evidence and your full application. To find out more about our Spouse Visa application package, call us now on 0191 640 4661.

My Visa Application was Refused. Can Your Immigration Lawyers in Newcastle Help Me?

We understand that receiving a visa rejection can be stressful and devastating news. The Immigration Advice Service is here to provide support.

The first step is to understand why your application was rejected. The reason for the rejection will be highlighted on the rejection letter. If there was an obvious mistake made, the best course of action is to submit a new application with the mistakes rectified.

However, if you believe your application was unfairly rejected, you could choose to challenge the Home Office’s decision, and we can support you every step of the way with our appeal package.

If you think an obvious mistake was made when your application was considered, such as a key piece of evidence not being taken into account, you could opt for the administrative review. With an administrative review, your application will be reconsidered by a different immigration official.

In some circumstances, you might be able to lodge a full legal appeal against the Home Office decision. Your refusal letter will indicate whether a legal appeal is available to you. You might be eligible for an appeal if:

• Your protection claim, such as humanitarian protection, has been rejected
• Your human rights claim has been rejected
• Your protection status has been revoked
• You face being deported or have been refused a residence document
• You face having your British citizenship revoked
• Your status has been rejected or revoked or your length of stay has been changed under the EU Settlement Scheme
• You have been refused or revoked a travel permit or family permit under the EU Settlement Scheme

We will provide full legal representation in these circumstances in front of the upper tribunal.

You can get in touch with our London, Manchester, or Birmingham immigration lawyers, or use the office finder to find the closest branch to you. To find out more about the support we can offer you, please do not hesitate to contact our Newcastle immigration lawyers on 0191 640 4661.