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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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Judicial Review | Specialist Immigration Experts| Advocacy Representation

Judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a Judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by the UK Home Office. Judicial review is the process whereby the Judges of the Administrative Court, and the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) (UT), exercise jurisdiction over the lawfulness of acts or omissions of public bodies and a supervisory jurisdiction over inferior Courts and Tribunals.

Following the changes implemented by the Immigration Act 2014 in respect to the limitations set out for right to appeal following an immigration decision, judicial review becomes a way in which a decision can be legally challenged. This does not necessarily mean that all matters must be reviewed through a judicial review process; however we are able to advise and explain whether there are any legal merits to bring upon a judicial review application against the UK Home Office.

Our highly qualified immigration advisors are accredited by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), and have a wealth of experience in successfully arguing points of procedure and law before the First Tier and Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

Here at ICS Legal, we can offer you:

  1. Direct access to an Immigration Lawyer. Click here to book a consultation with one of our immigration lawyers. 

  2. A detailed assessment of the merits of your judicial review application.

  3. Legal advice & prospects of success confirmed in writing.

  4. Preparing & lodging of your pre-action letter.

  5. Representation at a hearing before the Immigration & Asylum Tribunal including the High Court.

  6. Full discretion & client confidentiality.

  7. Expert legal advice at a price you can afford.

Time limits

The time limits for bringing a judicial review are strict. For example, if your immigration application has been refused without a right of appeal or your "administrative review" was refused, you can challenge the decision via judicial review but you must make the application within three months of receiving the letter of refusal.

Matters before a judicial review application

At ICS Legal, if we decide to proceed on a judicial review application, we will draft and submit the “Pre Action Protocol Letter” to the UK Home Office, in order for them to review the decision. In some cases, depending on the legal merits, where we set out the matter with relevant legal authorities and UKVI policies, the UK Home Office sometimes reconsiders the matter in our favour and avoids an expensive legal challenge through the relevant Courts and Tribunals.

Grounds for judicial review

In some cases, ICS Legal will advise you following the outcome of a decision from the UK Home Office, whether or not we should proceed on to a judicial review application.  Judicial review is a two-step process and at first, we must submit an application to the court for permission to apply for judicial review, as the right is not granted automatically.

Only if permission is given will the second step which is review of the actual decision occurs. Acts or omissions will be unlawful and open to review by the Administrative Court or the UT if they fall under one of the available grounds of JR:

  1. Illegality whereby there was an error of law in the making of the decision. This can be for an example where the decision maker did not have the power to make the decision or unlawful delegation.

  2. Irrationality (in the Wednesbury sense) or unreasonableness. 

  3. Procedural impropriety and unfairness. 

  4. The decision was in breach of the human rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) which usually involving an assessment of proportionality, and the decision breaches EU law.

Refusal of permission for judicial review

To obtain permission from the court to bring a challenge via judicial review you must prove to the court that your claim is arguable. This decision is generally made on the papers only, without an oral hearing. To obtain permission, a claimant has to establish that it has an ‘arguable’ case that merits a full investigation at a full hearing. If the court refuses permission on the papers, an applicant usually has an automatic right to renew that permission application at an oral hearing.

The right legal advice

Getting the correct "immigration advice" is essential whether you decide to proceed on a judicial review application or not. The quality of our legal services is self-evident from the reviews of our clients on an independent business website which you can view by clicking here. Before embarking on a judicial review, speak to ICS Legal Lawyers on 0207 237 3388 or you can complete our contact form by clicking here.

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