Up and down the UK, more immigration lawyers than ever before are offering solid cold advice and assistance for those looking to make a temporary or permanent move to the UK from a foreign nation. With every alteration the UK government makes to its immigration policy, the importance of trained immigration professionals increases even further. According to Hudson McKenzie for example, now more than ever it comes down to the strength of your legal representation and the advice given to determine the outcome of a visa application as it does that you meet the actual criteria laid out.
Unfortunately, while those taking on the assistance of the best in the business are having their application process fairly and quickly sorted out, others are facing much less desirable realities. The reason being that alongside the UK’s contingency of trained and qualified immigration lawyers, there’s a growing group of individuals and businesses that are passing themselves off as immigration law professionals when they’re nothing of the sort. They have the websites, they talk the talk and they claim to be able to help you with your application, but when push comes to shove, they fall short of the mark.
Which begs the obvious question – how can a visa applicant give these shady operators a wide berth and make sure they only ever confide in a genuinely qualified immigration lawyer?
1 – Choice of Words
Well, the first thing to look out for is something of a clear, obvious and yet wholly misleading choice of words used to describe the services on offer. For example, when and where there is a bona-fide immigration lawyer practicing in London, this is precisely what they will call themselves. And if there’s a real law firm, they’ll call it a law firm and nothing else. By contrast, from time to time you’ll come across a group calling itself an immigration application advisory ‘agency’ or an individual claiming to be an immigration ‘professional’ – in both cases no mention of legal qualifications being made. If it’s a lawyer you want and a lawyer you need, make sure you pick a party that actually uses the word ‘lawyer’ in their pitch.
2 – Lack of Credentials
One of the best things about looking for an immigration lawyer online is the way in which it enables you to immediately and comprehensively look into the qualifications and credentials of each and every prospect across the board. If they have a high standard of education and all manner of certificates and qualifications, chances are they won’t be in the habit of keeping this quiet. And if they’re members of respected boards and are in any way affiliated with third parties of an influential nature, they’ll make this more than clear. By contrast, if there’s no evidence at all of qualifications and general credentials present, it could be that there are none to speak of.
3 – Unusually Low Prices
There’s a standard rate you can expect to pay for legal counsel on the subject of immigration which will fluctuate slightly in accordance with the quality and prowess of the lawyer you choose. As such, if and when you come across a representative that seems to be offering a fully-comprehensive service package for a good 75% less than the rest of the market, there’s a pretty strong chance something isn’t quite right. To say you get what you pay for can be misleading, but while there’s nothing to say that paying a high price guarantees success, paying pennies for immigration advice rarely breeds an amicable result.
4 – ‘Buy it Now’ Deals
In order for any genuine legal representative to facilitate the outcome you’re looking for, they’ll need to consider every element of your case right down to its finest detail. And when this is done, only then will they be able to determine both a plan of action and a fee for the service package. As such, when you come across a service provider who offers something of a one-size-fits-all deal with an ultra-low ‘Buy it Now’ price, how can they possibly know what kind of assistance and representation you’ll need when you haven’t even spoken to them yet? There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all service package when it comes to legal help with immigration applications…at least not if you’d prefer to be successful.
5 – No Feedback or Success Stories
Last but not least, the only weapons in a lawyer’s arsenal when it comes to proving their abilities and potential are those of client feedback and success stories, which are of course intrinsically intertwined. As such, they should be more than happy to share these with you if they are indeed all they claim to be…absence on either account being a strong sign of a dealer you really don’t want to be dealing with.
