Thoughts from a Paralegal – Why I want to become an Immigration Lawyer

Here at QC Immigration, we pride ourselves on providing the best legal service possible. For us, it is not only just about giving expert legal advice, but it is about truly understanding our clients as well so that we can offer them the best possible chances of success for their cases.

Being part of the team at QC Immigration, I have had the satisfaction of witnessing families become united through Partner Visas, businesses being expanded through Employer Sponsorship and seeing the dreams come true of those who wished to come to the UK to work through Work Visas.

Why become an immigration lawyer?

It is a very worthwhile experience and one of the reasons why I want to qualify and become an Immigration Lawyer. Seeing and hearing the positive impact made on people’s lives because of the work that we do is incredibly rewarding. I have had the opportunity to successfully assist and help those who have had challenging circumstances with their applications, to overcome their obstacles. For example, I have supported our senior Immigration Lawyers to help clients who had failed to meet certain requirements of their visa conditions to those who have had to Appeal their decisions for a variety of reasons. A common example I have recently witnessed is those who have exceeded their permitted absences under the 10-year Indefinite Leave to Remain Long Residence route. It has been fascinating to work creatively with my colleagues in putting forward discretionary applications, helping demonstrate that there were compelling and compassionate circumstances for some of these absences allowing clients to successfully be granted Visas or British Citizenship.

Being in this sector, either as an immigration paralegal or lawyer, it is important to stay up-to-date with changes in the Immigration Rules to support our clients and ensure they do not have to deal with possible afflictions. For instance, the Tier 1 Investor Visa route closed on 17 February 2022 to new applicants hence we have focused on what alternative routes investors can benefit from, to lawfully invest or seek Business Visas in the UK as well as looking ahead to see what the future may bring.

Pro bono work as an immigration lawyer

In light of the current humanitarian crisis with Ukraine, our team has been actively involved in pro-bono work. We have been offering support and guidance to Ukrainian nationals to be granted visas under multiple schemes that the Home Office has been introducing, such as Ukrainian Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and the Ukrainian Visa Extension Scheme.

It was an interesting experience to see the Schemes take shape and to apply them in practice for our clients.

We also build strong relationships with our corporate clients and we often notify them of new changes to ensure their ongoing compliance with hiring and retaining foreign employees.

We recently published an article summarising the steps to help businesses verify an employee’s right to work. You can find the article here.

The QC Immigration team

We understand that staying current with these adjustments can be difficult. Therefore, we confidently ensure we are providing the best possible route for our clients, enabling a successful outcome. This also helps guarantee that there would be no accidental breaches of Visa and Sponsor Licence conditions.

We appreciate the Visa process can be challenging and worrying. Client satisfaction is, therefore, a priority to us, and we are with our clients every step of the way. We endeavour to work towards a successful future for our clients with as few hurdles as possible.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experienced UK Immigration Lawyers if you need advice and assistance with your matter. We can guide both individuals and businesses, either remotely or in person, allowing us to support you wherever you are in the world. Start your case here.

Rakesh Patel

Immigration Paralegal at QC Immigration