Your first immigration consultation: what to prepare

You do not need to arrive at an immigration consultation knowing which application to make. A useful starting point is a clear account of your circumstances, what you hope to do and any dates that matter.

Preparation helps an adviser spend more of the meeting understanding your situation. It also makes it easier to identify missing information before anyone discusses a course of action. This guide concerns preparing for advice; it does not assess eligibility or recommend an immigration route.

1. Write down your purpose

Use a few sentences to explain the change you are considering. You might want to join family, take a job, continue living in the UK or understand a letter you have received.

Separate your preferred outcome from assumptions about how to achieve it. “I want to join my partner” gives an adviser a starting point. “I know this is the right visa” can hide questions that still need to be explored.

Include the practical context: family members affected, a proposed start date, travel plans or an employer’s timetable. An intended date is useful information, but it should not be treated as an achievable application schedule before advice.

2. Prepare a factual timeline

Create a simple list of relevant events in date order. Include periods in the UK, applications, decisions and significant changes in work or family circumstances. Keep the list factual and mark dates that you need to check.

For each application or decision, note

• What you applied for and when.
• Any reference number you already have.
• The date and type of response received.
• Where the original correspondence is stored.
• Any date or action mentioned in that correspondence.

Include refusals, withdrawals, previous advice and pending matters. If a letter is difficult to understand, bring the complete letter. A summary or cropped screenshot may leave out information the adviser needs.

3. Make a document inventory

Start with a list of what you hold, rather than sending every personal document in an initial enquiry. Depending on the subject, the list might include identity documents, evidence of current status, previous decisions, family records or employment information.

Ask the adviser which documents are needed for the consultation and how to share them securely. Identify anything held by another person or organisation, and any document that may need translation. Do not alter an original document to make it appear more consistent with another record; explain discrepancies openly.

Keep a separate note of material you cannot currently obtain. “Missing” is useful information when it is accompanied by a reason and the steps already taken.

4. Check the provider and the scope

GOV.UK advises checking an immigration adviser’s registration and charges. The IAA also explains that authorisation operates at different levels, with different permitted work.

Fairbourne’s regulated UK immigration service is provided through Skyie Global Immigration Advisors Ltd. Skyie’s published terms describe its Level 1 scope and referral arrangements for work outside that authorisation. The provider should confirm whether it can take on your particular matter.

Ask who will advise you, what the consultation includes, whether any written follow-up is included and how further work would be agreed. Confirm charges before booking rather than assuming that a first meeting is free.

5. Leave with clear questions answered

Bring a short question list. Useful subjects include missing evidence, issues needing further assessment, the scope of any proposed work and the next decision you need to make.

At the end, summarise your understanding back to the adviser. Distinguish confirmed information from points still under review. Record who will do each next action and whether another appointment or specialist referral is needed. If you already face a deadline, state it when enquiring; a booking or enquiry does not change it.

Your next step

Visit our immigration page to understand the service delivered through Skyie, or contact Fairbourne to arrange an introduction. Begin with a brief description and any important dates. Wait for instructions before sending passports, financial records or other sensitive evidence.