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Frequently asked questions

Why choose ICS Legal?

We specialise in Immigration Law, Human Rights Law, British Nationality Law & European Law. Our lawyers provide honest, exceptional service to our clients. We believe that our service starts when we submit your application and we want our client to know we will keep them informed, answer there questions and your case worker will be just a phone call away.

What is the benefit of using our legal services when you want to come to the UK or extend or switch?

Our speciality lies in the field of Immigration, Nationality and EU Law, so it means we always are dealing with this side of the law. We are able to support you in making a correct decision, avoid delays on your case, save money and time, not forgetting the stress of any doubts with your application.

There are many routes available to come to the UK, extend or switch, some of them do not allow extension or even switching. Knowing what is right can be a difficult task and this is why we are here. Simple task of not using the prescribed forms can mean your application is invalid, which means if you have no valid stay, you would have to return back and there is no appeal rights.

Our initial consultations are a chargeable service. We initially discuss the requirements of the application to ensure you meet the requirements and have the documentation required at hand for the submission. It gives you an opportunity to meet us and ask questions.

Each case will be checked thoroughly, everything will be cross referenced so guidelines are met and we will also add our legal document which would outline the Immigration Rules and how the client has satisfied the rules. We use documents that are used by Home Office case workers, so we know exactly what they would look for in your case.

The most important fact is that law constantly changes, policy guidelines and requirements are always changing, so it is best that you always use specialised services to support you. We never compromise our services, our fees remain very competitive but our expertise is at the very highest standard.

How can I trust your service?

We are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). OISC is the government regulated body and it is a criminal offence if someone is providing Immigration advice without being regulated by the OISC. We are also members of Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI). JCWI is an independent national voluntary organisation, campaigning for justice and combating racism in immigration and asylum law and policy.

What happens in the initial consultation?

Your case worker would take some background information regarding yourself. Relevant questions would be asked to ascertain whether your case can be handled by our team. You will also be able to ask questions, understand what is required to meet the Immigration Rules, Nationality Law and EU Law where relevant. Should we be able to provide assistance, your case worker will give you a customer care letter whereby it would outline the service agreement and the cost associated.

What happens after the consultation?

After each consultation we aim to provide a consultation report which would outline what was discussed, the action plan and what to do next.

When I meet the caseworker and I disclose personal information, would this be disclosed to anyone else?

We have a procedure in place for ensuring client confidentiality. We keep the affairs of our clients and all information relating to our clients confidential, except where we are compelled to disclose information by reason of a legal or regulatory obligation.

What is a customer care letter?

A customer care letter from us will ensure that we outline the service we would be providing, it would also provide a break down of the costs associated so you can rest assure that there are no hidden charges and that fees do not go up unless changes are made (i.e. Home Office fees etc).

Once I sign the customer care letter and my case would possibly fail, do I still have to pay your fees?

We place our clients first, so when you sign the customer care letter and we go through your case file, and we believe that the case would not be successful, we will terminate the agreement and return your documents. We will also provide alternative solutions with no added costs. We also have a cancellation period should you feel you want to withdraw your file.

 

Please note that all cases cannot be guaranteed as circumstances depends and whether you met guidelines, however the Home Office caseworker can still refuse cases on the balance of probabilities and other factors. Our job would be to prepare your case in the best possible way.

Do you provide one day Premium Services?

Yes, we have a special provision with the Home Office and majority case decisions are made on the same day.

Do you do “No Win No Fee”?

As a private legal firm, we want to ensure we can provide the service you want. Our fees are very competitive and that is why we do not provide a No Win No Fee service as we do not feel the need to over charge our clients with such schemes.

How is the fees paid and are there any surprises?

With us, you will know exactly what we would be charging. The fees are to be paid through cheque, cash or bank transfer. Home Office fees can be paid to us and we can make the payment on behalf of you. If there is any changes in Home Office fees, we will let you know immediately.

How often would I get updated once my case have been submitted?

Our commitment to our clients is that we will update you every time we get an update from the Home Office. The waiting period can be a very daunting time as decisions can be life changing however the Home Office do set some guidelines on waiting times, but we intend to keep you updated throughout the process.

Can you guarantee an application?

No, and this is the same even if you use a no win no fee service, it would be impossible for anyone to guarantee a successful application. The likelihood of an application being successful can be given based on previous cases or success rates, however we do not operate such a policy of selling our services based on previous applications.

What is your aftercare service?

We aim to ensure that this service is not used by any of our clients, but there are times where even with the best possible applications are unsuccessful. As we take our clients cases personally, we would like to provide a helping hand. We have designed an aftercare service whereby if your case fails, then your case worker would be able to help you look at other formalities of staying in the UK should you have valid leave still remaining or help you make an out country application. Please note should you require appealing on your matter, we can only deal with the initial appeal and your application will be straight away referred to an advisor who deals with representations.

Can I give you feedback on your service?

It is vital that all our clients can provide honest feedback, we would encourage this and this helps us to become better on our service delivery.

Can you help me find a UK Employer to sponsor a work permit or find me work?

No, we are a law firm which provides support in UK Immigration, Nationality and EU Free Movement Rights. However we have a subsidiary company which is jobslibrary.co.uk whereby you can look for work, apply and discuss with potential employers. We cannot influence any decisions and finding work is not something our team deals with.

How we deliver service

1) You contact us through e-mail or phone.

2) We take some basic information, we ask some relevant questions to understand the type of query and what type of support is required.

3) Your case then gets passed to a case worker.

4) Case Worker would contact you to set up an initial meeting.

5) You attend a consultation, an action plan is drawn up and we find out whether ICS Legal can support your case. A report would be sent where there is a requirement to outline what was discussed and what to do next.

6) You authorise us to be your legal representative by signing our customer care letter.

7) We will then start to request documents and information about your case this will build up your case pack.

8) We will then write our legal report and use Home Office caseworker’s documents to ensure everything has been checked and all requirement have been met.

9) Where possible we will go through every aspect of your case before case submission.

10) We will continue to update you throughout the case life cycle .

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Compliance | Corporate Immigration | Your Business | ICS Legal

Immigration Compliance is an essential part of the sponsor management licence. It allows the Home Office to make checks with your business or your educational institution, to ensure the integrity of the point based system. 

Our business team has a wealth of experience in all areas of business immigration law including the points-based system (PBS) and keep abreast of the latest developments so that they can guide clients through both the immigration compliance as well as the immigration applications for migrants you wish to employ or to extend their leave in the UK. 

Whilst immigration supports the enhancement of a business competitive edge, its compliance is a key importance as non-compliance, in reality, can be catastrophic not only for monetary penalties but on your brand. Those involved in global mobility which includes both employers and their foreign national employees are subject to immigration compliance and must contend with an intensive and aggressive immigration enforcement environment. 

ICS Legal can complete an audit on your current system, contact us today on 0207 237 3388 or e-mail us on info@icslegal.com.

ICS Legal makes certain that our clients apply for the appropriate immigration visa and work permit, and that the requisite government-issued entry documents are accurate and correct. Applications that are completed from the UK are carefully managed by our client support team. Importantly all cases are then closely monitored by our client support team through the use of our sophisticated case management system, with advanced reminders issued for all critical expiration dates in order to ensure proper maintenance of status. All clients are able to access our online tracker to see the progression of all cases managed by us. 

ICS Legal partners with our clients’ in-house counsel and human resources departments to provide strategic guidance, training and support through comprehensive and centralised compliance initiatives. Should a government enquiry arise, we provide our clients with confidential internal investigations and audits to assist in responding. We also provide representation in connection with immigration-related matters to law enforcement agencies including the UK Home Office and the First Tier Tribunal & Upper Tribunal.

What is Immigration Compliance

As an employer in the UK, it is vital that you are aware of your responsibilities towards the prevention of illegal migrant working. Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (the Act) contains legislation regarding the employment of overseas workers. According to Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, there are three key factors that you should take into account when recruiting foreign workers from outside the UK. It is a criminal offence for you to employ someone who has no right to work in the United Kingdom, or no right to do the work you are offering.

By checking and copying certain original documents belonging to your employer, you can establish a statutory defence against conviction for employing an illegal worker. You are obliged to ensure that your recruitment practices do not discriminate against individuals on racial grounds.

Immigration Compliance Audit Service

For employers, immigration compliance is an essential component of recruiting overseas nationals. Failure to carry out the necessary checks and to follow the stringent processes designed to prevent illegal working can result in civil or criminal penalties and restrictions on being able to sponsor overseas nationals to work in the UK in the future. 

If you are a UK based employer and you recruit overseas nationals, you must remain immigration compliant at all times. ICS Legal compliance audit service is designed specifically for UK based employers and will help ensure that your organisation avoids costly penalties and damage your professional reputation. 

How we deliver our service to you

We have expertise in relation to applying and managing sponsor licence and manage a number of our client's immigration programs. A list of the client's, we manage can be found by clicking here

This is to give you 100% confidence that ICS Legal will protect you and your brand from non-compliance. On top of that, we have a wealth of experience in advising clients on applying for sponsor licences and issuing certificates of sponsorship (under Tier 2 of PBS, which includes the general skilled category and the intra-company transfer category). We have a 100% success rate for our clients’ sponsor licence applications and know how to expedite matters when required.

As part of our audit, the following processes will be followed to ensure we deliver the correct service you require:

  1. An on-site meeting with key personnel on your processes and procedures designed to satisfy UK Home Office requirements.

  2. A thorough review of your HR systems, processes, document checking and record keeping in order to identify immigration-related practices that put your compliance status at risk.

  3. Examination and audit reports for a sample of migrant files to confirm that processes and policies are being implemented.

  4. Identification of missing migrant documentation and recommendations for rectifying.

  5. A detailed audit report containing tailored guidance and specific recommendations and action points for improving your compliance processes.

When should you consider getting an immigration compliance audit?

A compliance audit is particularly relevant if any of the following circumstances apply to you or your organisation:

  1. You are applying for a sponsor licence for the first time.

  2. You are applying to renew your sponsor licence.

  3. The Home Office has contacted you to arrange a visit to your premises.

  4. Your sponsor licence has been downgraded to a level B licence.

  5. You do not currently have immigration compliance systems or processes in place.

  6. You have not reviewed your immigration compliance systems or processes in the past two years. 

  7. You have concerns that some of your employees might not have the right to work in the UK, and you are not sure what to do about it.

How much does immigration compliance audit cost?

Like all of our services, the audit is conducted on a fixed fee basis which we will agree with you in advance. We tailor our audit service to meet your needs and budget and we are happy to provide a quote following an initial no-obligation discussion of your objectives.

To learn more or take the first steps to ensuring your organisation is immigration compliant, contact us today on 0207 237 3388.

Getting advice on your compliance visits

Our Business Lawyers are here to help. Our commitment to you is:

  1. Provide clear, straightforward legal advice in a language you understand.

  2. A highly professional personal service.

  3. A friendly, caring and approachable team of UK Immigration Lawyers. 

  4. Transparent costs with no hidden surprises.

It’s not that we think differently. It’s that we are different given our time in this industry. Reassuringly so. You can speak to one of our UK Immigration Lawyers on 0207 237 3388 or you can email us at info@icslegal.com

 

We will soon launch our app to use our services online.