What do immigration solicitors in Glasgow help with?
Immigration, asylum, visas, nationality and citizenship are reserved to the UK Parliament. The rules are
made at UK level and applications are decided by the Home Office, so a Glasgow resident applies under
the same Immigration Rules as anyone else in the UK. A Glasgow immigration solicitor will typically
advise on:
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Visas. The main categories are work, study and family routes, including partner and
dependant applications.
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Settlement. Indefinite leave to remain, also called settlement, lets you live, work
and study in the UK for as long as you like. Work routes usually need 5 years in the UK, and the long
residence route needs 10 years or more.
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British citizenship. Most adults who hold indefinite leave to remain must usually
have lived in the UK for 12 months after getting it before applying to naturalise. The spouse or civil
partner of a British citizen can apply after 3 years in the UK once they hold indefinite leave to
remain or settled status.
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Asylum and human rights claims. To be eligible for asylum you must have left your
country and be unable to return because you fear persecution. The Home Office advises claiming when
you arrive in the UK.
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Employer compliance. Employers usually need a sponsor licence to employ someone from
outside the UK, and must check a job applicant's right to work before employing them. Overlapping
issues often involve
employment solicitors in Glasgow.
Settlement rules are changing
The Home Office has begun what it calls Earned Settlement reforms. A higher English language standard
for most settlement applicants was announced on 5 March 2026 and takes effect in March 2027. The
Government has also proposed doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement to 10 years for most
migrants, with shorter periods for some groups, but this is a proposal and not yet in force. Anyone
planning a settlement application should take advice on the rules in force at the time they apply.
How does the immigration appeal system work in Scotland?
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Application and decision. You apply to the Home Office, and the decision letter will
explain whether you have a right of appeal.
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Appeal or administrative review. You can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal
(Immigration and Asylum Chamber) against certain decisions, including refusal of a protection claim,
refusal of a human rights claim and certain EU Settlement Scheme decisions. If you have no right of
appeal, you may be able to ask the Home Office for an administrative review.
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The hearing. The tribunal is administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service, not the
Home Office. In Scotland it hears cases at the Glasgow Tribunals Centre, 20 York Street, which also
deals with immigration bail applications.
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Onward appeal. If the tribunal made a legal error, you must first ask the First-tier
Tribunal for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). The deadline
is 14 days from the date on the written reasons if you are in the UK, or 28 days if you are outside
it. If permission is refused, you can apply to the Upper Tribunal directly.
Appeal deadlines are short, so contact a solicitor as soon as you receive a refusal.
Who is allowed to give immigration advice in Scotland?
It is a criminal offence to provide immigration advice or services unless you are a qualified person
under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Qualified people include advisers registered with the
Immigration Advice Authority, which was known as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
until it rebranded on 16 January 2025, and members of designated professional bodies. Solicitors are
regulated by their own professional bodies; in Scotland that means the Law Society of Scotland, which
sets standards for solicitors doing immigration, nationality and asylum work and for the staff they
supervise. The Immigration Advice Authority also has a role in overseeing the regulation of immigration
advice given by solicitors and barristers in Scotland. You can search for a solicitor through the Law
Society of Scotland, and for an advocate through the Faculty of Advocates.
How do I choose an immigration solicitor in Glasgow?
Check that the person advising you is a solicitor with a current practising certificate, or a properly
regulated adviser, and that they regularly handle your type of application. Our guide to
choosing a solicitor in Scotland explains how to check
regulation and complain if something goes wrong. Questions worth asking at a first meeting include:
- Which route or rule applies to my situation, and what evidence will I need?
- Is there any deadline I need to meet now?
- Do I have a right of appeal or administrative review if I am refused?
- Do you offer legal aid, and if not, how will you charge?
- Who will handle my case day to day, and how are they supervised?
- How do you keep me informed about Home Office correspondence?
What does an immigration solicitor cost, and is legal aid available in Scotland?
Legal aid in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, and Scottish legal aid is not
restricted by nationality or residence status. Funding routes include:
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Advice and assistance. This pays for advice from a solicitor on the Scots law aspects
of UK-wide matters such as immigration, subject to financial eligibility.
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Assistance by way of representation (ABWOR). This can cover proceedings in the
Immigration and Asylum Chambers of the First-tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal.
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Civil legal aid. This covers immigration, nationality and asylum matters in the
courts. The Board looks at your finances, whether there is a legal basis for the case, whether it is
reasonable to use public money, and whether help is available elsewhere. You may have to pay a
contribution.
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Private fees. Some firms offer fixed fees for defined applications. Ask for the basis
of charging in writing before work starts.
Businesses cannot receive legal aid, so employers seeking sponsorship or compliance advice pay
privately. Never pay anyone to give immigration advice without first checking that they are regulated.
How should I read the immigration solicitor rankings on this page?
Our rankings reflect the published evidence we have assessed about each firm, such as the immigration
work it describes and any independent recognition it holds. They are not a guarantee of service or of
the outcome of any application. Always check a firm's details directly, and read
how we rank for our method. If a refusal leads to wider litigation, our page
on dispute resolution solicitors in Glasgow may
also help.