Immigration and Asylum Appeals: How We Can Help You Get the Outcome You Want

Ronald Fletcher Baker prides itself on providing professional and seamless expert immigration guidance, which is crucial when navigating the court system. We have been ranked in the Legal 500, and trusted by numerous businesses and individuals across the UK and beyond.

We understand that the appeals process can be very daunting and difficult to understand due to the UK’s ever-changing immigration legislation and policy, strict time limits to appeal and lengthy appeals processing times.

If you require appeals advice and assistance, please reach out to our qualified immigration experts for a consultation who will provide you the best possible advice and determine if further action is needed .

About appeals

Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP has been successfully providing immigration services to a wide range of clients for over 75 years. Our specialist immigration team assists both corporate clients from numerous different sectors and private clients from all walks of life. The firm boasts companies working in theatre production, technology, engineering, social media and health and beauty as well as restaurants as many of its leading corporate clients. The firm acts for numerous high net worth private clients, advising them on their visa applications and limited income asylum seekers and appellants.

The immigration team is particularly well-known for, and frequently instructed on, First-tier Tribunal appeal work.

Our services include:

Corporate immigration:

• Sponsor licence applications
• General compliance advice
• Right to work checks and Home Office audits

Private immigration

• Work visa applications
• Family visa applications
• Medical applications
• Citizenship and settlement applications
• Passport issues

Deportation and detention work

• Bail applications
• Asylum applications
• Entry clearance and asylum appeals
• Error of law appeals
• Administrative review
• Judicial review cases

Why choose RFB legal?

With a strong background and training in legal aid appeals, the immigration solicitors at Ronald Fletcher Baker have considerable expertise in appeal work particularly conducting their own advocacy and preparing witness statements, skeleton arguments and appeal bundles. The team also has relationships with Counsel at leading London chambers and with organisations and doctors offering medico legal reports on a private and pro bono basis to relevant clients. 

The team is frequently instructed to advise and assist when things have gone wrong in the hands of other solicitors and unrepresented clients with asylum claims, entry clearance applications and in-country visa applications. The team give expert strategic advice – often initially on a pro bono basis – on when it is appropriate to appeal versus when it is appropriate to make a fresh application, the chances of success at appeal and the types of evidence that are required. The team has a 95% success rate in appeals in the last 3 years and it routinely provides very thorough and tailored assistance on each client’s specific appeal.

Appeals in detail

If you instruct the immigration team at Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP, they will assist you with all aspects of your appeal matter from start to finish, from whether or not you should lodge an appeal and how this needs to be done, depending on your personal circumstances to the outcome of the appeal and ensuring the Home Office implement a positive appeal decision. The team will be able to assist you on a fixed fee basis which is capped irrespective of the complexity of the appeal and if the preparation takes longer than anticipated.

The team will take the following action if you instruct them to handle your immigration or asylum appeal:

• Advise you on the prospects of success prior to lodging an appeal and any alternative remedies i.e. making a new application
• Advise you on the appeals process and the likely timeframes involved
• Lodge the appeal for you, advise you on whether an oral hearing would be required or if the matter can be dealt with on the papers
• Advise you on the contents of the Home Office bundle
• Prepare your bundle thoroughly including by taking the relevant witness statement, drafting a skeleton argument, collating the subjective and objective evidence in your case and the strengths of this evidence, advising you on whether an expert report might be needed
• Advising you on the contents of the Home Office’s review of your bundle and responding to this if appropriate
• Representing you at a hearing and having a conference with you in advance of the hearing so you are familiar with the structure on the day
• Advising you on the outcome of your appeal including any suitable remedies and relevant timeframes
• Advising you on your rights post a grant of immigration status from the Home Office after a successful appeal 

Our services in action

The immigration team were recently instructed by a client who did not live near one of their offices and the client’s level of English was not very good. The client had already spent lots of time and money instructing previous solicitors whom he was unhappy with, and therefore wished to change solicitors. The client’s appeal had been prepared to a basic standard and he contacted us with a few months to go to the final hearing. We offered him a reduced fee as he was instructing late in the appeals process and we assisted him by preparing an addendum bundle which included a new witness for him, a witness statement for his partner, subject evidence, objective evidence and a detailed skeleton argument drafted by Counsel whom we had instructed. We kept in regular contact with the client and advised him throughout the process including just before the appeal hearing on what to expect. There was ample to do in very little time and it was a difficult case where the Home Office disputed the client’s nationality. After a successful hearing where the client was represented by Counsel the appeal was allowed a few weeks later and the client was promptly granted Refugee Status by the Home Office as a result of this successful appeal.

FAQs

Why should I instruct RFB for my appeal?

Appellants with legal representatives are more likely to win an appeal. RFB’s immigration team has the knowledge and experience to be able to help with your appeal no matter how complex it may seem. The team carries out a lot of appeal work of different types and has a track record in winning First-tier Tribunal appeals, often without the assistance of Counsel.  

How do I know if I need a barrister for my appeal?

We will review your case papers thoroughly and take your instructions and advise you on whether we think it would be beneficial to instruct a barrister in your appeal. This will depend on the complexity of the appeal, the relevant time frame and the capacity of the team to attend the hearing.

If I do not win my appeal, will I get my money back?

No, we do not work on a no-win no-fee basis; however, our success is high, and we will be very upfront with you at the point of instruction on the merits of your case.

My spouse visa has been refused and I have a right of appeal. Is it better for me to reapply for a spouse visa or lodge an appeal?

This will depend on the facts of the case and your personal circumstances. The chances are your financial situation and timeframes to achieve your desired outcome will also have a bearing on this. We will be able to advise you on this and provide you with expert advice on the different options available to you and the pros and cons of these options. You will then be able to make an informed decision. However, it is imperative that you contact us as soon as you receive a negative decision so that if you do wish to appeal, you can still take advice and lodge an in-time appeal.

Contact us

If you have a query about an existing appeal or have just received a refusal letter from the Home Office, please contact Beatrice de Burgh by email at b.deburgh@rfblegal.co.uk or by telephone at 02076137124.