Categories
Immigration

Getting Immigration Advice

Make sure you Know Your Rights

If you need immigration advice so that you can live in the UK, you must use a trained adviser who is registered with OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner).

The government regulates immigration advisers to make sure they meet certain standards and are qualified to give you advice.

Find a regulated immigration adviser

Go to the above website and put in your postcode.
You can use this webpage to find advisers in Bradford and check what level they are qualified to.
You should also check if they charge a fee.

Immigration advisers should only give you advice on things they are qualified to help you with.
They must be qualified either to Level 1,2 or 3.

  • Level 1 (advice and assistance): entry clearance, leave to remain, citizenship
  • Level 2 (casework): asylum claims, problems with visas
  • Level 3 (advocacy and representation): immigration tribunals

Remember, by law, any immigration adviser or solicitor must be registered with OISC, so always check this.

You can find out more about immigration advice.

Support for Certain Groups – see below

1 People seeking asylum / refugees / refused asylum seekers

2 People from EEA countries applying for settled status (EUSS)

3 People needing immigration advice for other reasons + from other  countries

1 Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Refused Asylum Seekers

If you are an asylum seeker in the UK, you may be eligible for Legal Aid (free legal help).
This may be possible if you have no income (e.g. if you are receiving Home Office support).

It is very important to seek legal advice about your case as soon as possible.

There are some Legal Advisers in Bradford, who can offer free legal help.

You need to make an appointment:

Ibsa Legal
Bradford Citizens Advice
Hallmark Legal

The above Bradford solicitors may be able to help with free advice:

  • if you have claimed asylum and now you need to prepare your case
  • or – before you claim asylum

Here are some other Legal Advisers near Bradford, who may be able to offer you free legal help.

Parker Rhodes Hickmotts (Rotherham)
Kirklees Citizens Advice and Law Centre (Huddersfield + Dewsbury)
Fisherstone (Halifax)  Phone: 01422 291 060
Bankfield Heath (Leeds)
IAS (Immigration Advice Service – Leeds )

If you need help to get a solicitor, you can go to:

Refugee Action
Red Cross

If you are a refused asylum seeker and want help with a fresh claim:

Mackenzie Friends
Refugee Action

If you are a refugee and want immigration help:

Refugee Action
St Vincents
Red Cross Refugee Family Reunion

Get more information here:

Right to Remain Toolkit

If you need to claim asylum:

Claim Asylum

2 If you are an EU/EEA Citizen, you need to apply for Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status.

The Deadline to Apply is 30 June 2021

For a list of recommended places where you can get immigration advice, go to:

Legal Help

As well as getting advice from a trained immigration adviser, there are also places where EU/EEA citizens and their families can go to get support on Brexit and the Settlement Scheme, in community languages. Support is not the same as immigration advice. Remember – always ask the person helping you – are you a registered adviser with OISC? What level ?  If the answer is ‘no’ – then ask them to help you find an OISC trained adviser.

Access Support

Girlington Community Centre

UK Butterflies

CHAS@St Vincents

Connecting Roma CIC

3 If you need immigration advice for other reasons, the best place to start is:

Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale and Bradford Law Centre

You can also use the list on the Bradford Council Legal Help website.

Related Information