UK Visa Services
Moving to the UK is a difficult, time-consuming process. The UK have laws that you must follow to avoid refusal of entry. You should not plan to travel to the UK without a visa unless your trip is a simple holiday. If you intend to live in the UK you must have visa document or the government are legally within their right to deport you. An immigration lawyer is your best defence against deportation. Speak to us from the outset to start protecting your rights.
Process your visa application in 3 easy steps with us:
1. Get in Touch
Contact us and tell us about your immigration case. The initial consultation is always free and with no obligation to engage afterwards. Give as much information as you can. The more info you can provide, the better chance of resolving your issue.
2. Build Your Case
Avoid the stress. Our immigration experts can do all the legal work for you. Gather and provide necessary documents with the advice provided by one of our immigration solicitors.
3. Success
Remove the stress by having our immigration lawyer by your side. Let us do the hard work. We will keep you updated every step of the way resulting in a successful outcome.
Get in touch with one of our immigration experts
Use the online chat on our website
Call us on 020 8578 7778
E-mail us contact@silveroaksolicitors.com
Visit us at our office. We are open Monday-Friday 9am - 5.30pm
When you first contact us, we will ask for some initial details. You can be assured that everything you discuss with us will be completely confidential, and any information stored by us will be in accordance with UK data protection regulations.
Why you need a UK Visa
The visa tells the UK government where you are staying, what work you intend to do, and other important information about you. It will include your name, passport number and date of birth. You will need a visa to live or work in any country outside of the UK if you are a British national.
If you do not fill in the correct paperwork, the Secretary of State for the UK Home Office can bring legal action against you to have you removed. To legally move to the UK, you must complete a visa application. The visa is a document that tells the UK government you are in the country and what you intend to do when you arrive. You cannot legally move to or remain in the UK without a visa if you are a foreign national.
The different types of Visas
Visas are not a one-size-fits-all document. There are different types of visas depending on what activity you intend to do when you reach the UK, who you intend to do it with and why. These are the types of visa in the UK.
Work / Business Visa
If you are seeking a professional career in the UK, you need to apply to the Home Office for a special permission to work. There are different types of visas depending on your skills and the nature of the industry you would like to work in such as Skilled Worker Visa, Health and Care worker Visa, International Sportsperson Visa, Charity Worker Visa or Global Talent Visa. Remember, your employer (or sponsor) and the role you’ve been offered in the UK must be approved by the Home Office.
Spouse Visa
Spouse visas are for those moving to the UK to live with their existing partner. The government define a partner as someone with whom you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK. Other definitions include partnerships where you have lived together for 2+ years, and fiancés, proposed civil partners or those who intend to marry within 6 months of legal UK entry. The rules here get quite complex so our lawyers can help explain it to you.
UK Fiancé Visa
The fiancé visa is for those coming to the UK to marry within 6 months. Your partner must sponsor the visa process. You must both be over eighteen and your partner must be a British citizen. Understanding the difference between spouse visas and other types of partnership visa can be confusing. Speak to us for more information and our immigration expert will help to find the best solution for every case.
Marriage Visit Visa
A marriage visit visa is for those considering marriage but want to live together for a while first. This visa type expects you will enter a civil partnership or marriage within 6 months. Again, marriage, spouse, and fiancé visas are all very similar. Each require an immigration lawyer for different reasons.
Visitor Visa
The visitor visa, or tourist visa, allows you to remain within the UK as a standard visitor for up to 6 months. This UK visa suits those who want to backpack or linger to see the attractions. There is a specified list of foreign nationals who require a visa to stay in the UK.
Student Visa
If you intend to study in the UK, you will need a student visa. These last for the duration of your course. If you break the rules or stop studying, they may deport you. In this case, hiring us can help keep you in the UK.
Family Visitor Visa UK
This visa is for those coming to stay with a family member in the UK for up to 12 months.
UK Ancestry Visa
The UK Ancestry Visa is for those whose grandparents were born in the Commonwealth. If you can prove you have British ancestry, they will allow a visa. We recommend you seek our legal advice on how to prove ancestry before you apply.
British National Overseas Visa
A British National Oversees Visa usually applies to residents of Hong Kong. If your parents are British nationals living in Hong Kong and you wish to return to the UK, you will need to apply for this visa.
Child Dependent Under 18 Visa
If one parent dies in a foreign country and the children need to move in with their British parent, they can use the Child Dependant Visa. This only applies to the under 18s.
Adult Dependent Visa
Not all adults are able to take care of themselves. For those coming to the UK to live with their carer as an adult, the Adult Dependent Visa can guide you. You may get help towards legal support depending on the rules of their care.
How to apply for your visa
You may need a visa from the Home Office if you plan to come to the UK to study, work, visit or join your family. The process requires documentation and supporting evidence which you must gather and provide. The documents change depending on the type of visa applied for. Also, the application form is lengthy and complex. The government may refuse you entry if do not complete the forms correctly or do not provide the required supporting evidence. This is why hiring an immigration lawyer to act on your behalf is a wise choice. Our immigration experts can advise you on what documents you will need and submit the application on your behalf in a timely fashion.
Can the UK Government refuse visa applications?
The British government can refuse entry to the country or deny your visa for several reasons. They can refuse you on criminal grounds if they think you have nowhere to go or sleep, or because you breach customs when you arrive.
How can our immigration solicitor help?
We can guide you through the difficult forms and the masses of paperwork, ensuring you file the correct documents at the right time. We can also provide extra support if your application is successful, but you run into problems with the home office while you are here.
How long does the UK visa application process take?
The average waiting time to process your visa is currently 7 weeks, but the processing time can differ for each visa type. Visa applications with accompanying legal representation are processed much faster than those without.
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Why choose SilverOak Solicitors?
Fixed rates
Our immigration services are based on Fixed Rates. You will know about all costs upfront, so there are no surprises.
Highly Experienced
Our highly experienced solicitors and consultants have secured millions of pounds in compensation.
Excellent Client Care
You’ll have a dedicated file handler and senior solicitor working on your case so you won’t need to speak to lots of different people.
SRA Regulated Law Firm
We are a trustworthy SRA regulated law firm and member of The Law Society.
Our Fees
In most instances, we operate on a Fixed Fee basis for working on your case. This means that we will agree our fees with you before we start the case and they will not change. Please note that our quoted prices are only for our professional services fees. Our prices do not include any payments that need to be made by you to a third party such as the Home Office, Court Service, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKCAS), experts or interpreters if required.
In some circumstances, the fees may be lower or higher than the prices listed below depending on the nature/complexity of the matter, whether the applicant has been refused previously and the anticipated amount of time involved. Should an uplift be needed, that will be agreed before the work is undertaken and the reason/s for it explained.
All professional fees include time for preparation and submission of immigration applications, submissions and appeals. The fees include: remote and in-person client meetings, consideration of documents, the taking of instructions and providing advice on the options available, law & procedure, documentary requirement, likely timescales, corresponding with other parties/experts/the Home Office/courts, keeping you updated and preparing and submitting the application/submissions/appeal as appropriate.
Our fees also cover alerting you to any changes in the law which may have an impact on your circumstances during the course of your matter. Should urgent and/or “out of hours” work need to be undertaken, an uplift may be applied which we would agree with you.
