Home » Quick guides » Casework: How can I assist with immigration cases?

Immigration cases form a large component of my casework and my staff in Wycombe administer the cases from my constituency office. There are a number of stages that we work through when you present a case to us.

  • Initial Meeting
  • Possible Assistance
  • Visa Applications
  • How we contact the UKVI and Keeping in Touch
  • Immigration and the Role of the MP
  • UKVI Complaints Process

Initial Meeting

My constituent staff will be in touch with you to arrange an initial meeting. Please do not feel you need to employ the services of a community advocate to attend with you although a friend or family member is more than welcome to come with you for support. If the application has been made in the UK, we expect the person who made the application to come to the office. We are unable to process the paperwork without an initial meeting being held.

Please bring relevant documents to the meeting containing

  • The full name and date of birth of the applicants.
  • Relevant Home Office reference numbers.
  • Entry Refusal Notices.
  • Other official papers which we might need.

Possible Assistance

My staff and I will always try our best to offer appropriate advice and support but there are limitations to our assistance.

My staff and I can assist you in the event that:

  • You have not heard from the UKVI for four months about the progress of a visa application (including further submissions.)
  • You believe that documents have been mislaid by the UKVI.
  • You have not heard from the Immigration and Tribunal Service after three months of submitting an appeal.
  • There have been delays in the Immigration and Tribunal Service providing refunds.
  • You are confused or concerned about particular wording in departmental correspondence.

My staff and I cannot assist you in the event that:

  • You have made travel arrangements in advance of receiving a visa. The application process in delayed and you are seeking the recovery of travel costs
  • You require immigration advice.
  • You require legal advice or assistance with paperwork in advance of submitting an appeal or in preparing a tribunal hearing.
  • You wish to appeal an application refusal for which you do not have appeal rights.
  • Less than a month has passed since you received a response from the MP or the MP’s Office.
  • You need to contact the office if you wish us to seek an update on your case.
  • You require supportive letters in advance of an application.
  • You request a meeting with the Home Secretary to discuss an application refusal.

Visa Applications

Neither my staff nor I advise on or submit visa applications for constituents. If you wish to submit a visa application, I would recommend the following courses of action.

  • In preparing the visa application, you should seek independent immigration advice. The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner may be a good place to start. Visit Gov.uk for further information. The OISC website holds a list of accredited immigration advisers (some who charge a fee for their service and some who do not.)
  • If you wish to submit an appeal for a visa application for which you have appeal rights, you need to seek independent legal advice. A reputable legal professional may be able to give advice on your options. The Law Society website (independent not government site) may be a good place to start.

We also strongly advise that you do not make any travel arrangements until you have physically received all your documents including any biometric residency permits. We cannot get your travel costs back for you.

How we contact the UKVI and Keeping in Touch

Depending on the nature of the case, our representations to the UKVi will take the form of email, telephone, or in certain cases, a formal letter. We will forward the UKVI’s response when it is received but it is up to you to keep us updated with developments and whether you believe that further MP representations are necessary.

Immigration and the Role of the MP

I continue to raise wider immigration policy matters with Home Office Ministers. My responsibility as a Member of Parliament is to make law. It is for lawyers and the judiciary to argue, interpret and rule on it. I cannot override the decisions of Entry Clearance Officers at the UKVI or Tribunal Judges.

If you believe that there needs to be national immigration policy change, please set out your policy proposals in written form and I will make appropriate representations to the Minister.

UKVI Complaints Process

Please be mindful that there is a UKVI complaints process that you should engage with depending on the nature of your case. For further information visit this Gov.UK webpage.

In the event that you remain dissatisfied with the response and you have gone through the formal complaint procedure, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman may be able to assist you.

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