Immigration lawyers work with those looking to enter, stay, or work in a country and are experts in the fields of immigration and asylum legislation.
If you, or someone you know, is currently going through the process of applying for asylum, looking to submit an appeal, or who requires legal representation having been denied entry into the country, an immigration lawyer may be able to help.
The immigration system can be complicated at the best of times, and attempting to navigate it without advice from someone who has studied and practiced immigration law over many years could lead to costly mistakes.
Let’s examine the role of an immigration lawyer in closer detail, looking at all the ways they help people and organisations to fulfil all their immigration needs.
What tasks do immigration lawyers perform?
Glasgow Immigration lawyers are incredibly busy people, but what exactly is it that they do on a day-to-day basis?
Well, here are just some of the key responsibilities that these highly trained professionals have:
Helping with applications
A large percentage of the work of an immigration lawyer revolves around paperwork, particularly the filing of asylum applications and appeals.
Just a few of the applications that a Glasgow immigration lawyer may be able to assist you with include:
- Visas
- Citizenship
- Asylum
- Permanent residency naturalisation
- And more
Some of the advice they will provide to clients during these processes include how to fill out application forms, which applications forms they should be filling out, and what documentation will be required during the application process.
Whilst this may all just sound like a lot of admin work, mistakes with paperwork are the downfall of thousands of immigration applications every year and the advice of an immigration lawyer at this stage will play a major part in ensuring that your application has the best possible chance of success.
As well as helping you to fill out application forms, an immigration lawyer will explain any complex language that you may not understand and give you all the information and advice required to make an informed decision regarding your next steps.
Providing legal advice
A major part of being a lawyer, no matter what area of law they specialise in, is providing legal advice to clients based on their extensive knowledge of legislation and the legal system.
These are highly qualified people who have devoted many years of their lives to studying legislation and legal cases and will use this expertise to guide clients through complex processes and concepts that would otherwise prove overwhelming.
This role is more important than ever for immigration lawyers who are often dealing with clients who have only been in the country for a short while, and only have a limited knowledge of the legislation and legal system. They will also highlight any differences between the legal systems in different countries to be aware of and advise on what to expect in their new environment.
During the application process itself, immigration lawyers will advise on which documentation needs to be filed and when, and which visa or citizenship application is most suitable.
Assess and submit appeals
If you have been denied entry into the country by the home office, or your application to remain in the country has been rejected, you may decide that you wish to appeal against the decision that has been made.
Immigration lawyers will advise you on whether they believe an appeal has a chance of being successful, help you to submit your appeal, and help formulate strong arguments to support your case.
If your appeal goes to a hearing, they will represent you in court, guiding you through the judicial process and arguing your case on your behalf.
Interview briefing
In many cases, individuals applying for a visa will be required to attend a visa interview with the immigration authorities before a decision is made.
An immigration lawyer will help you to prepare for such an interview, giving you details of what sort of questions you are likely to be asked and the best way to go about answering them to give yourself the greatest chance of a positive outcome.
Whilst immigration lawyers do have a very detailed knowledge of complex legislation and regulations, they will keep any advice they provide to the essentials, ensuring that you are not overwhelmed with information and focus on the most important things during this interview process.
Support businesses with their immigration needs
Immigration lawyers don’t only provide advice and representation for individuals dealing with immigration issues, but also businesses, NGOs, and other groups.
Immigration lawyers will often be utilised by businesses who are looking to bring in individuals from overseas to work in the UK by assisting with Sponsor Licence and Skilled Worker Visa applications.