Immigration problems can affect your work, family life and plans for the future. You may be applying for permission to come to the UK, trying to extend your current visa, hoping to settle permanently or dealing with a decision from the Home Office that you did not expect.
Our immigration solicitors in Reading provide clear and practical immigration advice to individuals, families and businesses. We can help with visa applications, family visas, work visas, settlement, British citizenship, immigration appeals and more complex cases involving human rights, asylum or deportation.
Our Reading office is on Greyfriars Road in central Reading, close to Reading railway station. We advise clients throughout Reading and Berkshire, including Caversham, Woodley, Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury, Maidenhead and the surrounding areas. You can meet us in person or arrange an appointment remotely.
Immigration Advice for Individuals and Families in Reading
UK immigration law can be complex and difficult to deal with on your own. Different immigration routes have their own requirements and the evidence you need will depend on your circumstances.
Our team is experienced in assisting individuals at different stages of the immigration process. You might be making your first application, changing from one immigration route to another or dealing with a problem after living in the UK for many years.
We can provide legal advice on matters including:
- Family and partner visas
- Skilled Worker and other work visas
- Student and graduate immigration matters
- Indefinite Leave to Remain
- British citizenship and nationality
- Immigration status and documentation
- Asylum and human rights
- Deportation and removal
- Visa refusals
- Immigration appeals
We will explain the requirements that apply to you, the documents you may need and any issues we believe could affect your application.
Help With Visa Applications
Making a visa application is much more complex than completing an online form. The Home Office will expect you to show that you meet the requirements of the immigration route you are applying under. This often means providing documents about your relationship, employment, finances, accommodation or previous immigration history. Our immigration solicitors can help you through the application process from the beginning.
We will assess which route may be suitable, check the relevant requirements and help you prepare your supporting documents. Before the application is submitted, we can identify any areas that may need further explanation or evidence.
This can be particularly important if your circumstances are unusual or you have previously experienced immigration problems.
A visa application can appear straightforward when you first look at the requirements, but the evidence is often just as important as the application itself. We frequently look at whether the documents tell a clear and consistent story. Addressing gaps or inconsistencies before an application is submitted can avoid unnecessary problems later.
Why Choose Reeds Immigration Solicitors in Reading?
When choosing an immigration lawyer in Reading, you need someone who will give you a realistic assessment of your position. We will not simply tell you that an application is likely to succeed without considering the evidence and any potential problems.
Our team will explain the relevant immigration rules in straightforward language and tell you what we believe needs to be done. If there is a weakness in your case, we will discuss it with you rather than allowing you to submit an application without understanding the risk.
Unlike some smaller immigration law firms, Reeds also has specialists working across a range of other legal areas. This can be helpful where an immigration problem overlaps with another legal issue.
Our Immigration department is headed by Nicola Maynard, Partner, Solicitor and Head of Immigration.
Where possible, we offer fixed fees, with costs discussed before work begins.
Our Reading Office
If you are looking for an immigration solicitor in Reading, you can contact our immigration team to discuss your circumstances and arrange an appointment.
Reeds Solicitors
9 Greyfriars Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 1NU
For immigration enquiries:
0333 240 7373 | [email protected]
If your spouse, partner, parent or child is in the UK, you may be looking for an immigration route that allows you to live together. We advise on a range of family visas and applications based on family and private life.
Depending on the application, you may need to provide evidence about your relationship, income, accommodation and immigration status. The exact requirements vary considerably between different routes. We can explain which application may be appropriate and help you understand what evidence you will need.
We can also advise where a family immigration matter is more complicated, including cases involving previous refusals, human rights arguments or difficulties meeting a particular requirement.
Reading and the wider Thames Valley are home to businesses across technology, professional services and other industries, creating opportunities for people coming to the UK to work.
Our immigration team advises individuals on work-related immigration routes, including the Skilled Worker visa, Health and Care Worker visa and Global Talent visa.
If you have been offered a role in the UK, we can advise on whether you meet the requirements and what you will need for your application. We can also provide advice if you are already in the UK and need to extend your visa, change employer or move to another immigration route.
For people planning to remain in the UK in the longer term, we can explain whether their immigration route can lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain.
After living in the UK for a qualifying period, you may be able to apply for permanent immigration status. Indefinite Leave to Remain allows you to live and work in the UK without the time restrictions that apply to most visas. Depending on your circumstances, it may also be an important step towards becoming a British citizen.
Eligibility is not based solely on how long you have lived in the UK. Your immigration route, absences from the country and immigration history can all affect an application. Different settlement routes can also have different requirements.
Our solicitors can review your immigration history and advise on whether you appear to qualify before you apply. We also advise on applications for naturalisation as a British citizen and other nationality matters.
Our immigration solicitors also advise Reading and Berkshire businesses that want to recruit or employ workers from overseas. If your organisation needs to sponsor overseas workers, it will normally need an appropriate sponsor licence from the Home Office.
We can assist businesses with:
- Sponsor licence applications
- Sponsoring overseas employees
- Certificates of Sponsorship
- Right to work checks
- Sponsor record keeping
- Reporting duties
- Home Office compliance visits
- Sponsor licence suspension or revocation
Obtaining a sponsor licence also creates ongoing responsibilities for the employer.
Businesses must continue to follow the sponsor rules after their licence has been granted. Failure to do so can put the licence at risk and may affect the immigration status of sponsored employees.
Practitioner Insight from Nicola Maynard
“Businesses sometimes concentrate on getting the sponsor licence approved without thinking enough about what happens afterwards. The Home Office expects sponsors to maintain appropriate records and report certain changes. Having suitable systems in place from the start can make ongoing compliance much easier to manage.”
A refusal from the Home Office can be upsetting, particularly if the decision affects your ability to work, study or live with your family in the UK. However, receiving a refusal does not necessarily mean there are no further options.
The first step is usually to understand exactly why the application was refused. An immigration solicitor can review the decision, consider the evidence that was submitted and explain what options are available.
Depending on your circumstances, these could include:
- Making a fresh application
- Applying for administrative review
- Appealing the decision
- Challenging a decision through judicial review
The correct approach depends on the type of application and the reason for refusal. Simply submitting the same application again without dealing with the problem identified by the Home Office may lead to another refusal.
There can also be strict time limits for challenging immigration decisions, so it is important to obtain advice quickly.
Some Home Office decisions carry a right of appeal. Immigration appeals are generally heard in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal. Depending on the case, the Tribunal may consider evidence about your immigration history, family circumstances, human rights or protection needs.
Our immigration solicitors can advise on the appeal process, help prepare the case and arrange appropriate representation.
If a First-tier Tribunal decision contains a legal error, it may be possible to seek permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal.
An Upper Tribunal case is not simply another opportunity to argue the same case. It will usually be necessary to identify an error of law in the First-tier Tribunal’s decision.
We can review Tribunal decisions and provide advice on whether there may be grounds for a further challenge.
Some immigration cases involve much more than an application for a visa. We advise people facing deportation or removal from the UK, as well as clients seeking protection through asylum or human rights law.
These cases can involve detailed evidence and have serious consequences for the person concerned and their family.
If you have received correspondence from the Home Office about deportation or removal, or believe you may need to claim asylum, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not normally have to instruct a solicitor. However, obtaining immigration advice can help you understand the requirements, prepare the correct evidence and identify problems before submitting your application.
Yes. We can review the Home Office refusal and advise on what to do next. Depending on your case, this might involve a new application, administrative review or an appeal.
Timescales depend on the type of application and the Home Office service being used. Processing times can also change. We can explain the expected timescale for your application based on the current Home Office guidance.
This depends on your immigration route and circumstances. The qualifying period, residence requirements and other rules vary between different routes. We can review your immigration history and advise on whether you appear to meet the requirements.
Yes. Our Reading office is on Greyfriars Road, close to Reading railway station. Remote appointments are also available where appropriate.
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