Parker Rhodes Hickmotts has an extensive Immigration & Asylum Department with offices in both South and West Yorkshire. Our Immigration Team is continually expanding - so too is our client care and commitment. Our immigration lawyers deal with a wide range of immigration related cases.
Our department is led by Shazia Yousaf.
The team consists of immigration lawyers accredited under the Law Society’s Immigration & Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS). Between them, the team has a vast amount of experience in Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights law.
Our Immigration Services include:
Points Based System Applications
Parker Rhodes Hickmotts offers an all-inclusive service for Points Based System applications.
This service includes:
- A one-to-one relationship with your dedicated immigration caseworker which will guarantee a personal and pleasant service throughout the process.
- The opportunity to use Premium Service Centres across the UK. This service ensures that you receive your visa on the same day, rather than having to wait months for a postal application.
- Consultation - in person, letter, telephone, or email.
- Regular progress updates on your application once it is submitted.
- Easy to understand fixed fees inclusive of VAT.
All enquiries will be dealt with discretely and confidentially.
Tier 1 (General) replaced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) and was closed to new applicants in April 2011.
Those who currently hold a Tier 1 (General) visa remain able to extend their visa for additional periods of two or three years.
If you hold a Tier 1 (General) visa for five years you or an employee will become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (also known as settlement or permanent residence) providing that you meet the other requirements.
Please note: This is one of the most complex areas of Immigration Law and so it is strongly advised that anyone employing workers from outside the European Economic Area obtains advice and assistance from a competent adviser.
Parker Rhodes Hickmotts will be there every step of the process from applying for a Sponsor License so that your business can benefit from employing the best person for the job, to ensuring that you are compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements.
We have an excellent track record in assisting small and medium-size businesses.
We are experienced in submitting Sponsor License applications, becoming the Level One User for existing Sponsor License holders, and issuing Certificates of Sponsorship (whether Restricted or Unrestricted).
We are also able to assist your employees and their dependants with their other immigration needs.
Fines for businesses for non-compliance
The Government has recently proposed legislation to increase the punishment for businesses employing illegal workers. Under this proposed legislation the Government will have the following powers:
- To issue a custodial sentence of up to five years for employers who employ someone they “know or have reasonable cause to believe” is an illegal worker.
- To close a business for up to 48 hours for those that continually fail to comply with the regulations.
- To place businesses under special compliance measures and make them subject to regular inspections.
- To issue custodial sentences of up to six months for those found to be working illegally.
- To issue penalties of up to £20,000 per illegal worker you employ.
- In the first three months of 2015 the total penalties issued to businesses for employing illegal workers amounted to over £8,500,000.
It is now critical that your business understands and complies with the complex regulations regarding illegal working.
The expert team of lawyers at Parker Rhodes Hickmotts can assist you with:
- Understanding the regulations.
- Your requirements under those regulations.
- Ensuring you have appropriate systems in place to check your employees’ ongoing right to work within the UK.
If you have recently been fined by the Home Office for employing illegal workers, we can assist in submitting an objection to the Civil Penalty Compliance Team and, if necessary, lodging an appeal against the civil penalty.
Enterprising and Investing in the UK
The UK Government is pro-actively encouraging this visa and so it is a very good category to enter into.
The required investment is a minimum of £200,000. However, two applicants can pool this amount of money between them.
This visa is initially granted for three years and applicants can then apply for a two year extension if they can evidence that the funds have been invested, and that at least two new jobs have been created from their business activities.
Tier 1 Entrepreneur holders become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years, or three years under the accelerated route.
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) was introduced in April 2012.
This scheme reduces the minimum investment when switching into the Tier 1 Entrepreneur category from £200,000 to £50,000.
An approved UK Higher Education Institution must endorse your application.
This category requires a minimum investment of two million pounds within the UK. Before November 2014 this was one million pounds. It results in Indefinite Leave to Remain in two to five years depending on the amount invested.
For further information please call us on 01709 511100
Partner
Contact
Direct Dial: 01709 388359 shaziayousaf@prhsolicitors.co.uk
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Shazia is a specialist in the following areas:
- Asylum
- Immigration
- Human Rights
- Public Law
Bio:
Shazia has a Law degree from Sheffield Hallam University and embarked on her Legal Practice Course at the University of Sheffield. She undertook her legal training at Parker Rhodes, qualifying as a Solicitor in 2005. Shazia is now a Partner at Parker Rhodes Hickmotts, specialising in complex Asylum and Human Rights cases.
Client Testimonials:
“Very approachable, kind and gave excellent, professional advice at all times.”
“Informative and extremely helpful, also sympathetic at difficult times.”
“Courteous, friendly service.”
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Contact
Direct Dial: 01709 511100 chriscole@prhsolicitors.co.uk
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Christopher is a specialist in the following areas:
- Asylum
- Immigration
- Human Rights
- Public Law
Bio:
Christopher has a degree in Politics & Law from the University of Southampton and a Masters in Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham. He qualified as a Solicitor in 1998 and has specialised in Immigration and Asylum Law ever since.
After working in London for a number of years, Christopher moved to Yorkshire in 2001. He headed the Immigration Team at Parker Rhodes before establishing Cole & Yousaf Solicitors in 2007. Cole & Yousaf then merged with Parker Rhodes Hickmotts in 2012.
Christopher specialises in complex Asylum and Human Rights cases, although he has extensive experience across the whole spectrum of Immigration Law. He is accredited at the highest level of the Law Society’s Immigration & Asylum Accreditation Scheme – Immigration Law Advanced. He has been recognised as a Leading Individual in Immigration Law by the Chambers UK Directory for a number of years, having been praised for his “sharp intellect and inspiring level of knowledge and commitment.”
Christopher is a Law Society Council member and also a member of the Law Society’s Immigration Law Committee. He is co-convenor of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association’s Yorkshire & the North East Sub-committee.
Client Testimonials:
“Professional, friendly and personal service.”
“This has been our best experience with a law firm.”
“Helpful and useful.”
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