Immigration Legal Services in Harrow, London
People make their way to the UK from all over the world, and for many reasons. Ash Hill Solicitors provides Immigration Legal Services for businesses and individuals from our offices in Harrow, London, to make sure it happens safely and legally.
We will guide you through all the required legal processes, offering professional and balanced legal advice to ensure the right outcomes for all parties involved. You will have direct access to our qualified immigration solicitors who will work meticulously and patiently on your behalf, bringing the highest level of legal expertise tailored to your needs.
Wherever you are based in the world, or whatever situation you find yourself in, if you want to come to the UK we can help.
How can we help?
At Ash Hill Solicitors, our professional immigration services can support you in handling the legal aspects of the following areas:
- Sponsor Licences
- Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visas
- Tier 1 Investor Visas
- Spouse Visas
- Fiancé Visas
- Skilled Worker Visas
- All Other Non-Points Based System Applications
Sponsor Visas for Businesses
If you own or run a business and want to recruit staff from outside the UK then you will usually need a Sponsor Visa for Employers.
A Sponsor Visa for Employers is the authorisation that empowers UK employers with the right to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship for foreign nationals that come to the UK under a work visa. A Certificate of Sponsorship is not only designed to support foreign workers’ visa applications, but also to assure the UK authorities that you will be responsible for the activities of the sponsored employee during their employment in your company.
Our Immigration Solicitors can assist with all aspects of completing the application process for your UK Sponsor Visa, including ensuring that you have provided sufficient documentation to support your case. We can help with things like:
- Checking if your business is eligible
- Checking if the job vacancy (or vacancies) are suitable for sponsorship
- Choosing the type of licence you want to apply for (this will depend on what type of worker you want to sponsor)
- Deciding who will manage sponsorship within your business
- Applying online and paying the fee
The type of licence and supporting documents you need to submit will differ greatly depending on the nature of your business as well as the jobs you are recruiting for. If, for whatever reason, a mistake is made on your application, a six-month cooling off period may be triggered to prevent you from making another application, which may adversely affect your business plans. It therefore makes sense to work with immigration experts like us. You can rely on us to help manage your sponsor licence duties and responsibilities and keep you up to date with any changes in the rules. Your initial 20-minute consultation with us is free so please get in touch.
Innovator Founder Visa
The Innovator Founder route is a UK immigration pathway designed for entrepreneurs who want to set up, or run, an innovative business in the UK. It allows a non-UK citizen to base themselves in the UK if they have a business idea, or an existing business, that they believe is innovative, viable and scalable.
Who is eligible for it?
Entrepreneurs who will play a key role in the day-to-day management of the business.
Applicants with a genuine new or existing business idea which meets the three core criteria of ‘innovation, viability and scalability’.
People who can secure an endorsement from an approved UK endorsing body
The route also allows dependents, such as partners and children, to accompany the main applicant.
Requirements to apply
You must obtain an endorsement letter from an approved endorsing body. That body must be satisfied that the business meets the “innovative, viable and scalable” test.
The endorsement letter should be issued within 3 months of your visa application.
The endorsing body will also look at you personally: that you are an active founder/member of the founding team, and that your business plan is credible.
What do Innovation, Viability and Scalability mean?
Innovation: The business must be original, meet a market need, or create a competitive advantage.
Viability: The business must be realistic: you should have the skills, experience, knowledge, and resources to deliver the business plan.
Scalability: The business should have the potential to grow, create jobs, and expand into national or international markets.
Other Requirements
You must be at least 18 years old.
You must meet the English requirement (at least CEFR B2) if applying.
If you are applying from outside the UK (or have been inside for less than 12 months), you must show you have at least £1,270 in personal savings (for yourself) for 28 consecutive days before applying.
The Home Office will check if you are genuine (i.e., your business plan is real; you intend to work actively in it) and not simply use the route for other purposes.
What does the visa allow you to do?
Initial permission is granted for 3 years under this route.
You can live and work in the UK: you must play a leading role in the business you have endorsed; you may also take on other work provided it’s compatible with the business.
You can bring dependents, such as partners and children under 18, with you.
What happens after the 3 years?
One of the appealing features of this route is the potential to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) (settlement) after 3 years, if you meet the achievement criteria. You will need to meet at least two of the specified criteria, such as:
• A certain level of investment spent in the business
• Creation of full-time jobs for UK resident workers
• Increase in customers
• Significant R&D and/or IP activity
• Gross revenue targets (including exports)
In addition, you must meet residence requirements (have spent not more than 180 days outside the UK in a 12-month period during the 3 years before ILR) and still have an endorsement.
Tier 1 Investor Visas
The Tier 1 Investor Visa is for high-net-worth individuals who are able to make a substantial financial investment in the UK. In order to qualify for a UK Investor Visa you will need to have access to at least £2 million (GBP) and be willing to invest and maintain your funds in actively trading UK companies. Investor Visa holders are permitted to work, study and engage in most business activities while they are in the UK. You can also usually be accompanied or joined by your dependants (subject to criminal record checks) and your children will be able to take advantage of the UK’s education system.
A few points to note about Tier 1 Investor Visas:
- You (the main applicant) must be at least 18 years old
- This type of visa does not allow you to receive public funds, such as benefits and tax credits, on the basis that you have sufficient private funds to be able to live in the UK without them
- The investment amount being relied on for your application must be deposited in an account at a UK regulated bank, and it must be in pounds sterling (GBP)
- You will need to prove the money belongs to either you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner, and that the funds are disposable and available for use in the UK (e.g. not tied up in a trust etc)
- Your money can be in the UK or overseas when you apply but must be deposited with a UK financial institution before you arrive in the UK
- You may not work professionally as a sportsperson or coach or, except in specific cases, train as a doctor or dentist
- You will not need to pass any English language requirements, although this will be a requirement if you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain or British Citizenship later on
Application processing for a Tier 1 Investor Visa is typically faster than other routes and can be completed within as little as 4 weeks. The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances – and strict rules do apply to the proposed investment funds - but our immigration lawyers have handled many successful applications for Investor Visas, and we offer a bespoke service. So please contact us for more information.
Spouse Visas
The UK Spouse Visa allows non-UK nationals to join their spouse in the UK. Anyone who is currently present and settled in the UK can apply for a UK Spouse Visa so long as they are a British citizen or settled person (a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain or permanent residence). It allows you to live together in the UK for up to 30 months which can be extended for another 30 months if you meet certain eligibility conditions.
To make this application, both you and your spouse must be able to prove the following: -
- You have physically met each other
- You are legally married
- That there is an intention to live permanently together in the UK as a couple
- That the sponsor (i.e. the person already living in the UK) meets the financial requirements as described in the immigration rules
As you may gather from the above, to be successful with a Spouse Visa you will be expected to provide documentary evidence to support your application. Most of it will be linked to the relationship and will be used as a way of testing how genuine the relationship is (this is the result of the UK being caught out by so-called “sham marriages” in the past). You will also need to provide identifying information such as passports, as well as documentation relating to your criminal past (if any), your financial situation and, depending on your specific circumstances, for example, your health.
Below is a list of some of the documents you will need to provide for a UK Spouse Visa application:
- Proof of the relationship
- Proof of your full name and date of birth
- Proof of your ability to speak English
- A valid passport
- Proof of financial means
- Proof of accommodation
This is just a preview of the requirements you’ll need to satisfy with a successful Spouse Visa application, Ash Hill Solicitors has a team of professional immigration experts who specialise in assisting clients with Spouse Visa applications and who will be more than
happy to assist you.
Fiancé Visas
If you and your partner wish to settle in the UK together, you can apply for a Fiancé Visa. Fiancé Visas come under the umbrella of the “Family Visa” route, which is a wide array of visas concerning family members coming to the UK. With a Fiancé Visa, individuals can come to the UK with the specific intention of getting married or enter into a civil partnership with their UK-based partner. The applicant’s future spouse must be either a UK citizen or a person with “settled status” in the country (i.e. has no immigration restrictions on the length of their stay).
Unlike some other types of “family” visas, with a Fiancé Visa there is no requirement for the applicant and the sponsor to have lived together before making the application.
A few points to note about Fiancé Visas:
- You and your future spouse must be at least 18 years of age
- You and your future spouse must have met each other
- You and your future spouse must intend to live together on a permanent basis once married
- You must show that any previous relationship that you or your future spouse were involved in has ended (whether it was as a married or an unmarried couple)
- You and your future spouse must have enough funds to support yourselves (and any dependants) without claiming public funds
- Currently, the UK-based partner must be earning a minimum of £18,600 per annum or have savings to be able to sponsor the applicant. The level of this financial requirement will increase if you are also sponsoring children as dependants
- You must have suitable accommodation available for you, your future spouse and any dependants
Fiancé Visas last for 6 months, and they are granted under the assumption that you will marry your partner within the validity period of the visa. Once you are married you can then go on to apply for a Spouse Visa (see above) from within the UK. After five years on a Spouse Visa you might then be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, as long as you’re still married to each other, and you can continue to meet the financial requirements.
There are several requirements that you must satisfy in order to qualify for a Fiancé Visa, but at Ash Hill Solicitors we have the expertise and experience to assist you in making a successful application. Please contact us today.
Skilled Worker Visas
The Skilled Worker Visa scheme is now the primary immigration route for migrants from around the world who wish to come to the UK to work. A Skilled Worker Visa enables immigrants with the necessary skills to be sponsored by a licenced UK employer to work in an eligible role. It also provides a pathway to permanent residency after a qualifying period, and - ultimately - British citizenship.
A few points to note about Skilled Worker Visas:
- You must have been offered a job by a UK employer which holds a Sponsorship Licence (see above) which must have been issued no more than three months before your Skilled Worker Visa application date
- The job offer must be a genuine vacancy and at an appropriate skill level
- You must obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship from the employer, which details information about the job being offered in the UK
- The job must offer a certain minimum salary, which differs depending on the job role
- You must be able to prove that your English language ability is to at least the level of B1 as set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
- You must have enough money to support yourself whilst you are in the UK (you will need to provide documentation to prove this)
- You must provide a criminal record and valid TB certificate (if applicable)
As a minimum you will also need to provide the following documentation:
- A valid passport or other document which shows your identity and nationality
- Your certificate of sponsorship reference number
- Proof of your English language ability (unless exempt)
- Your intended job title, occupation code and salary
- The name of the employer and their sponsorship licence number
In most circumstances, the job role must be skilled to at least RQF level 3, which is roughly equivalent to A-levels. The skill level is determined by the job itself, and you will not need to necessarily hold a formal qualification. Each eligible job for the Skilled Worker route has an occupation code, and your prospective employer must choose an appropriate occupation code for your role.
For skilled workers and their sponsors, with so much at stake, it is important to seek legal advice to understand the immigration options available and confirm that the Skilled Worker Visa is the correct route. At Ash Hill, our team of Skilled Worker immigration solicitors work closely with employers, agencies, and international workers to ensure a successful application outcome. So please
get in touch with us today.
Why Choose Us?
Ash Hill Solicitors in Harrow has in-house expertise in a wide range of legal services, and our advice is tailored to your particular circumstances. From Probate, Wills and Estate Planning to Divorce, Civil and Commercial Mediation and Elderly Client Care, no matter what your legal problem is, we can help you.
Your initial 20-minute consultation is free, so for more information about how we can help, please get in touch.
