Immigration Law
Visas, ILR, citizenship, and deportation defence. Your situation deserves proper attention.
Immigration law is complex, constantly changing, and the consequences of errors are serious: refused entry, removal, family separation. We handle every matter with the individual attention it requires. Rafael Mendez is fluent in four languages and has a particular reputation for deportation defence.
Immigration Law Services
Every matter within immigration law has its own nuances. Our work in this area covers the full range of situations our clients face.
Skilled Worker Visas
Applications for the Skilled Worker route, including sponsor licence applications for employers and switching from other visa categories.
Family Visas
Spouse and partner visas, dependent children, elderly relatives, and fiancé visas. Meeting the financial and English language requirements for entry clearance and leave to remain.
Indefinite Leave to Remain
ILR applications on the basis of long residence, via the Points-Based System, or other qualifying routes. Preparation and submission of complete, well-evidenced applications.
British Citizenship
Naturalisation and registration applications for adults and children. Checking eligibility, good character requirements, and the residency calculation.
Asylum & Refugee Protection
Asylum claims, humanitarian protection, and appeals against refused applications. We present your case with the full supporting evidence it requires.
Deportation Defence
Challenging deportation orders, removal directions, and foreign national offender cases. Appeals, judicial review, and urgent injunctions to prevent removal.
How We Work
We do not believe in vague promises. Every matter follows a clear process from first contact to final resolution and you are kept informed throughout in plain English.
Start with a free callStatus Assessment
We establish your precise immigration history before advising. Past refusals, overstays, and criminal convictions all affect your options. We need the full picture to advise properly.
Route Identification
We identify every available route and its requirements. There is often more than one path to the outcome you need. We map them all and advise on the safest and most appropriate.
Application Preparation
Immigration applications fail on procedural grounds far too often. We prepare complete, well-evidenced applications that pre-empt the questions caseworkers ask.
Appeals & Judicial Review
When applications are refused, we assess the decision for legal error. The Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal can correct decisions that are wrong in law. We pursue this when the decision warrants it.
Results in This Area
Asylum
Asylum granted for a client facing documented persecution following two years of administrative appeals, including a Tribunal hearing and reconsideration by the Secretary of State.
Deportation Cancelled
Deportation order successfully challenged by judicial review on Article 8 grounds. Client had lived in the UK for 22 years with family here. Secretary of State conceded the decision was unlawful.
ILR
Indefinite leave to remain granted following complex long residence application with two previous overstay periods. Careful evidence of continuous residence and compelling circumstances presented.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The Person on Your Case
Rafael Mendez
Senior Associate
Rafael is a dedicated immigration practitioner with a particular reputation for deportation defence and complex asylum cases. Fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, he takes instructions directly from clients across a wide range of backgrounds. He is an ILPA member and approaches every case as the serious, individual matter it deserves, never as a volume application to be processed.
- ◆ LLB, University College London
- ◆ ILPA Member
- ◆ Law Society Immigration Accreditation
Common Questions
Questions we hear regularly. If yours isn't listed here, the first call is free.
My visa application was refused. What can I do?
The options depend on the basis of the refusal. Where there is a right of appeal, we advise on the prospects of success and prepare an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where there is no statutory right of appeal, judicial review may be available to challenge a decision made unlawfully. We also advise on making a fresh application where the grounds for refusal can be addressed.
What is the difference between ILR and British citizenship?
Indefinite Leave to Remain gives you the right to live and work in the UK without time restriction but does not make you a British national. An ILR holder who spends more than two years outside the UK may lose their status. British citizenship is permanent and provides a British passport. Most people apply for ILR first, then naturalise as a citizen after qualifying.
Can I be deported if I have lived in the UK for many years?
Long residence does not automatically prevent deportation, but it is a significant factor. The courts have developed a body of case law on Article 8 (right to private and family life) that gives significant weight to long residence, particularly where a person has established deep roots in the UK. We have succeeded in overturning deportation orders against clients who have lived here for decades.
My partner is a UK citizen. How do I get a visa to live here?
The Spouse/Partner visa requires demonstrating a genuine relationship, meeting an income threshold (currently £29,000 per year), and satisfying an English language requirement. Adequate accommodation must also be shown. The application must be made from abroad unless you are already in the UK in an eligible category. We prepare these applications thoroughly because the refusal rate on incomplete applications is high.
Your Immigration Matter Deserves Proper Attention.
Speak to Rafael Mendez about your situation. He handles every case personally and is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.