Immigration Attorney on a Budget

Hi Everyone,

I recently received my UK Settlement Marriage visa and am also planning ahead for the FLR(M) visa application once I get married. Could anyone recommend a lawyer based in the UK that can assist with the application? I have called Laura Devine who are also based in NYC where I live but they are a little pricey. Are they any really good immigration lawyers based in the UK that have a good reputation and sound knowledge of the law? Thank you so much you guys for all your help.

Do you have a serious criminal conviction or an overstay?  If not, you really don't need an attorney as it's a tick box visa.  Tick the boxes, get the visa.  Personal choice, of course.

Hi Greensad, congratulations on your visa success!

Did you use a lawyer first time around? If so, was it because of complicated circumstances? If not there is no reason to use one this time.

FLR is very much the same as your fiancee visa so all the same evidence plus marriage certificate, proof of living together at the same address and you're sorted!

If you do need a lawyer, the good ones are pricey unfortunately.

As larrabee mentioned, FLR(M) is almost practically the same as a fiance(e) visa.  Instead of providing evidence of plans to marry, you need to provide evidence that you have married (your marriage certificate).  If you can get proof of living together in the UK, that's something else to add, but if you've just moved over, gotten married, and are switching to FLR(M), even proof of cohabitation isn't really necessary since you will have only been here for a short time.  Everything else is the same - details and evidence of adequate housing, your UK sponsor meeting the financial requirements, etc.

If you were able to get through the initial visa application without any issue, FLR(M) is essentially a repeat of that. 

(you will need proof of cohabitation for the next FLR(M) two years down the line, so start saving those official mail items, and get your name on as many as possible... yes, be evil to those trees and do NOT go paperless)

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the email. I have had a refused entry back in 2011 so I used a level two visa representative for both my visitors visa and the settlement marriage visa I just received. The agency I used are not assisting with immigration matters any more so I would like to use a level 3 representative to make sure everything goes well with the application.

Honestly, a single refused visa isn't usually enough to warrant needing a lawyer, especially as you've since been granted a visitor visa and a fiance visa with no issues... so there's absolutely no reason to believe your FLR(M) will be refused or have any problems.

There are many immigration lawyers out there who claim they know what they are doing, but actually end up giving very incorrect advice that could have resulted in a refusal had that advice been taken, simply because they didn't have enough experience/knowledge of the new visa application rules to give accurate advice.

For this reason, here on the forum we only recommend two lawyers: Laura Devine (NYC and London) and Medivisas (based in London), because we know they know what they are doing... but the down side is that neither of them are cheap.

For the FLR(M) visa, the only thing you need to do differently than the fiance visa application is include updated financial and accommodation documents, plus your marriage certificate and any evidence you have of living together in the UK, as your relationship evidence.

Thank you so very much for your honesty. I think that I will use the advice on the forum and use the money I will save to apply for the FLR(M) in person at the processing center.

Thanks Guys for your feedback.

Thank you so very much for your honesty. I think that I will use the advice on the forum and use the money I will save to apply for the FLR(M) in person at the processing center.

Thanks Guys for your feedback.

I can't say this enough for people thinking of using a lawyer.. DON'T if you don't need to. We did for my fiancé visa merely for the fact that: 1. We hadn't discovered this forum, and 2. I was scared and had no idea how to apply.

The more I read advice and things on this forum, the more I realize I was lucky for my visa to be approved. I submitted way to much evidence (at the advice of this lawyer) and didn't submit other things. He even had him give us bogus advice (told hubby it was ok to go to Sheffield to beg for his passport back as he needed it for travel  as our visa took nearly three months and the lawyer said it would be a couple weeks). Don't waste your money if you have a straightforward application.

The people on this forum are much more knowledgeable and offer free advice because they're good people.