Edward & Amaury Solicitors · 01228 272395 · info@edwardamaury.co.uk · immigration-advice.com/guides/preparing-for-an-immigration-consultation
A first consultation is most useful when the main facts are to hand. These checklists show the information that usually comes up, grouped by the type of enquiry. Tick off what you have and note what you are unsure about: gaps are normal and are a good thing to discuss.
Print the page or save it as a PDF and bring it with you. Keep your original documents yourself until the firm tells you how to share copies securely.
Published 30 October 2026. This is a preparation aid, not legal advice: it does not assess whether you qualify, calculate any deadline or choose a remedy for you.
For everyone.
- A short summary, in your own words, of what has happened and what you want to achieve.
- Every date that may matter: when your current permission ends, any decision date, any travel or job start date.
- Your immigration history in order: each visa or permission you have held, with start and end dates.
- Any previous refusals, overstaying, or applications withdrawn, in the UK or for any other country.
- The questions you most want answered, in order of importance.
- Whether you need an interpreter or any adjustment to take part in a consultation.
Do not send passports, biometric details, decision letters or other documents through the website enquiry form. You will be told how to share documents securely if you instruct the firm.
Partner, spouse and family enquiries.
The right route depends heavily on the status of the person already in the UK, so start there.
The person in the UK
- Their status: British citizen, settled (indefinite leave or settled status), refugee or protection status, or on a work or student visa.
- How and when they obtained that status.
Your relationship
- When you met, when the relationship began and, if relevant, the date of your marriage or civil partnership.
- Whether and when you have lived together, and where.
- Any children of the relationship or from previous relationships, and where they live.
Finances and English language
- How you expect to show the financial requirement: employment, self-employment, savings, pension or other income, and for how long it has been in place.
- Any English language test, qualification taught in English or nationality that may be relevant.
Where you are now
- The country you are in today and, if you are in the UK, your current visa type and its end date.
- Whether you are planning a first application, an extension or a move towards settlement.
Requirements such as income levels and English language rules change. The partner visa guide gives the current figures with their sources and checked date.
Read more: Partner and spouse visas · Partner visa requirements guide · Extending or switching a family visa · Dependants of workers and students
Employer worksheet: sponsorship and sponsor licences.
Whether you are considering a first sponsor licence or already hold one, these details let an adviser give practical advice in the first meeting.
Your organisation
- Legal name, trading names, company or charity number and the type of organisation.
- Addresses of each site where sponsored workers would be based.
- How long you have been trading in the UK, and any recent or planned change of ownership, merger or restructure.
- Who would be your authorising officer and key contacts for sponsorship, and their current responsibilities.
The roles you want to fill
- Job title, main duties and the hours for each role.
- The salary and any allowances offered.
- Where the role is based and the intended start date.
- Whether you have a candidate in mind, and whether they are in the UK or abroad, and on what visa.
- How you have recruited or plan to recruit for the role.
Your current HR processes
- How you carry out right to work checks today, and how the records are kept.
- How you record staff absences, changes of role or salary, and changes to work locations.
- Who would be responsible for reporting changes to the Home Office.
If you already hold a licence
- Your licence rating and the routes it covers.
- The number of sponsored workers and any upcoming changes affecting them or your organisation.
- Any Home Office letters, compliance visits or concerns, with the dates they were received.
Questions to ask the adviser
- Which roles could be sponsored, and what the main risks are for each.
- Which documents you would need to submit with a licence application.
- What the ongoing reporting and record-keeping duties would mean for your HR team.
- Exactly what support is included in the fee, and what would be charged separately.
Reporting timescales and sponsor duties are set by the Home Office sponsor guidance. The sponsor compliance page lists them with sources.
Read more: Sponsor licences · Sponsor licence guide · Sponsor duties and compliance · Sponsor licence problems
Refusal document checklist.
After a refusal, the decision letter is the most important document. It states the reasons and which options, if any, are open to you, and the deadline for each one, which can be short.
Preserve the decision
- Keep the complete decision letter or email, including every page and any attachments.
- Note the date printed on the decision and the date and way you received it (email, post, online account).
- Keep the envelope or the email itself; do not just save a screenshot.
- Copy down exactly what the letter says about administrative review, appeal or any other option, including any stated deadline.
What you applied for
- A copy of the application form you submitted and its submission date.
- A list of the documents you sent with it.
- Any letters or requests from the Home Office while the application was pending, and your replies.
Your status now
- Your current permission and its end date, or the date it ended.
- Whether you applied before your previous permission expired.
- Any earlier refusals, appeals or reviews and their outcomes.
Not every refusal carries a right of appeal, and deadlines differ between remedies. This checklist does not calculate a deadline. If a date is close, telephone the firm rather than relying on the enquiry form; sending an enquiry does not stop or extend a deadline.
Read more: Visa refused: what next? · Administrative review guide · Refusals and fresh applications · Appeals
When you are ready.
Send a short enquiry with the four basic details, or telephone 01228 272395 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; from outside the UK +44 1228 272395). Bring this checklist to the consultation rather than sending documents in advance. See fees and what’s included.