ILR Lawyer In London
Are you looking for an ILR Lawyer in London for yourself or your family? Our UK Immigration Solicitors can help with your Indefinite Leave to Remain application.
In this blog, we explain what makes our Immigration Solicitors the ‘go-to’ ILR Lawyers in London and what you need to do to secure settlement in the UK.
UK Online and London Indefinite Leave to Remain Lawyers
For immigration law advice call London-based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi.
Searching for an ILR Lawyer in London
If you are searching for an ILR Solicitor in London then you are not on your own.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says the UK net migration figures were:
- 906,000 people for the year ending June 2023
- 728,000 people for the year ending June 2024
While not all visa holders or those subject to UK immigration control will go on to apply to settle in the UK many visa holders will be looking to get ILR help.
However, our London ILR Lawyers stress that you should not wait until you meet the ILR eligibility criteria before you take legal advice on settling in the UK.
Why you need an ILR Lawyer in London
Waiting to take specialist legal advice on ILR until you think you meet the eligibility criteria could be a costly mistake because:
- You could be eligible to apply for ILR sooner than you think
- You might be doing things while in the UK on a visa that will scupper your chances of successfully applying for UK settlement
- You need to understand the absence rules and their impact on the timing of when you can apply for ILR
What you need from an ILR Lawyer in London
There are five key things you need from a UK ILR Lawyer:
- Expertise in immigration law
- Knowledge of Home Office procedures, discretionary decision making and timelines
- Experience – you need a solicitor who has come across unusual or difficult ILR applications in the past and can use that experience to help you or a member of your family
- Efficiency so your application is dealt with quickly
- Accessibility – they will answer your calls or emails and make sure you are kept up to date with the progress of your application
There are a couple of other things that help:
- Friendly manner – it helps if your Immigration Solicitor is approachable and friendly. Some of our lawyers have made their own ILR applications and understand the importance of the application to you and your family
- Recommended to you – that may be because they were recommended by family, through being a Legal 500 recommended law firm or great Google or Trust Pilot reviews
ILR application requirements
There are three key ILR application requirements:
- Residence – this is usually five years of continuous and lawful residence but you may qualify for accelerated settlement or only qualify for ILR through long residence (ten years)
- Character – the Home Office must think you are a suitable person to settle in the UK. They will check things like any criminal convictions or your immigration record. If you have breached your visa conditions or if you are considered an ‘overstayer’ you may struggle to meet the character requirement
- Tests - you will need to meet several tests, such as the English language test, Life in the UK test and financial requirement. The exact financial requirement you need to meet depends on your visa category
Best Immigration Lawyer for ILR
The three ILR application requirements seem straightforward. However, there are many potential complexities with a UK settlement application. That’s why you need experienced ILR Lawyers in London.
Here are some of the potential complications that may apply to your ILR application:
- Immigration record – there may be complications if you had any gaps in visa applications or if you switched between different types of visas and if not all your visas counted towards the five-year residence requirement
- Continuous residence – the immigration rules set out maximum absences during the residence requirement period. The rules depend on your visa category. In some situations, we can ask the Home Office to exercise discretion
- Sundry matters – you may think you have a ‘clean record’ but HMRC or the NHS may have a record of your owing monies. Something as simple as this could affect your ILR application
- Family – while you may qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain a family member on a Dependant Visa may struggle to do so
- Complicated immigration rules – the ILR rules can be tricky. For example, if you are applying for accelerated settlement on an Investor Visa there are highly complex rules on the type of investments you must have held during the residence requirement period. For example, if you are applying for ILR using the domestic violence concession after entry on a Spouse Visa there is detailed guidance to follow on the evidence needed to prove domestic abuse
ILR application assistance for families
Our ILR Solicitors in London provide specialist ILR application assistance for main visa holders and their families.
What sets our London Immigration Solicitors apart is our approach to all the people we help. We won’t go the ‘extra mile’ for you. We do that for everyone because we believe in excellent client service for everyone we help.
Here is what a couple of our former clients have said about some of our immigration experts:
- We have received an outstanding service from Nollienne who ensured that my husband’s settlement visa application is expedited to be able to travel to the UK on time for the birth of our baby girl. Many thanks to Nollienne and to the whole OTS Solicitors team
- Hans is incredible - look nowhere else !! My parents' experience has been sensational. They have asked me to leave this review on their behalf. They had a very difficult case and were concerned about their future and Hans assisted them with a positive outcome which we thought could take years to resolve. From start to finish he and his colleagues had a one-to-one Zoom call with us and then provided their advice and next steps. The best thing about Hans is he is always in contact, even in the evenings but this isn’t the only reason why he’s amazing, it is how articulate and how much care and thought they have put into the case that they managed to secure success. Hans you’re an asset to the firm and keep going and changing peoples’ lives. We couldn’t have done it without you. Anyone seeking advice and comfort, this firm, especially Hans has such an incredible reputation and will not let you down. Thank you
To read more reviews have a look here.
UK Online and London Indefinite Leave to Remain Lawyers
For ILR application assistance call our London Settlement Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi.
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