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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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Sponsorship Licence Guidance for Employers and Educational Providers

Sponsor Licence Guidance for Enterprises & Educational Institutions

Both a business and an educational provider must hold a sponsor licence in order to sponsor migrants and students to work & study in the respective institutions. 

There are different requirements for both enterprises and educational providers must provide in order to apply for a sponsor licence.

The purpose of the sponsor licence is to entrust the organisation to ensure the person being sponsored meets the requirements and has the intention to work or study in the UK. 

Understanding the sponsorship program 

The purpose of the sponsor licence program is to allow an organisation the ability to issue a virtual sponsorship document in order to apply for an immigration program. Where an organisation is allowed by the UK Home Office to issue a sponsorship, they are referred to as approved sponsors. 

As an approved sponsor, you would be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsor (CoS) or a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS). This is then required for the person being sponsored to use as part of their immigration application.

In some instances, a visa application is not required, and a person would need this when entering the UK. 

There are a number of sponsorship routes that are available for enterprises and educational providers which includes but are not limited to worker routes, temporary worker routes and students.

Some other immigration programs require sponsorship to be offered as part of their entry or visa application, which includes business visas. 

Applying for a sponsor licence

The Home Office has now moved to digital platforms and requires an enterprise and an educational provider to apply for the sponsor licence online. 

Whilst the online application remains a straightforward process, the evidence and information required to apply for the licence are important factors when applying for the sponsor licence. 

A representation submission document is advisable when making the application for a sponsor licence. If you use ICS Legal to help apply for your sponsor licence, we will conduct the checks and prepare the representation document. 

Educational and academic sponsor licence

The Home Office allows education providers to permit international students to come and study in the UK. Both the student and child student visa programs allow students to follow a course that is at an appropriate level. 

In doing so, a sponsor licence is required to ensure they are sponsored under the sponsorship program. Some educational organisations are not permitted to apply for a sponsor licence. The educational sponsor licence is broken into 2 parts. 

Enterprise sponsor licence including workers and temporary workers

As a business, you are permitted to apply for a sponsor licence. However depending on the nature of your business, there are requirements to be met prior sponsoring any migrants to come and live in the UK. 

Evidence and documents required for a sponsor licence

As part of an application to become an approved sponsor licence holder, an organisation is required to provide evidences to support the application. 

The nature of the evidences differs between organisations. For an enterprise, they would be required to provide strong financial evidences whereas an educational provider is required to prove they are accredited as an institution. In all cases, as the Home Office continuously updates the specified evidences, therefore it is important to check those prior to lodging your application for a sponsor licence. 

Costs of a sponsor licence application

The sponsor licence costs also depends on the type of organisation and require fees relevant based on the type of application you would be applying for. 

Decision-making periods of a sponsor licence application

It's ever important for organisations to make sure all the correct information and evidence are provided at the date of application. This will ensure that the decisions are not delayed and are made on time.

In most cases, a sponsor licence application is decided within 8 weeks of lodging your application and sending the evidence required.

There is also a priority service available at the date of application as this would fast-tracked the decision making. 

Challenging refusal or revocation of a sponsor licence

The Home Office may refuse or revoke a sponsor licence. There are occasions where an organisation can also surrender their sponsor licence. In doing so, there are procedures that you are required to follow.

When a sponsor licence is refused, there are limited rights to challenge against a decision. As an organisation, you may be part of a cooling-off period that you need to adhere to prior to making a subsequent application. In some instances, the cooling-off period is not applicable. 

Learning more about your responsibility as an approved sponsor licence holder

As an organisation, applying for and holding a sponsor licence, comes with guiding principles that are set out by the Home Office. 

You must comply with directions and ensure there is a robust HR system in place to manage and monitor all migrants and non-migrants within your organisation.

Whether you are an enterprise or an educational provider, you would be required to adhere to applicable laws in the UK. This is not limited to UK employment laws or preventing illegal working. 

The Home Office expects all sponsors to be responsible and ensure they are compliant to all the requirements of holding a sponsor licence. 

Sponsor management system (SMS)

Once a sponsor licence is approved, an enterprise and an educational provider will be given access to the licenced platform to issue both the CoS and CAS. 

The sponsor management system also referred to as the SMS, permits individuals to issue the documents and allows migrants to use those to make appropriate visa applications. 

Getting ICS Legal to help on the sponsor licence application

We can help and support your organisation to apply for a sponsor licence. Please contact our team on 020 7237 3388 or email us at info@icslegal.comFind more information of how we can help and our services by clicking here.

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