Immigration status
How to Find Free Immigration Advice in the UK
Where to start with Citizens Advice, Advicenow, law centres, regulated immigration advisers, refugee charities, and specialist support services.
Plain-English summary
Good immigration advice should be accurate, confidential, and properly regulated where legal advice is being given. Start with trusted charities and official adviser registers.
Best for: People with visa, status, asylum, citizenship, work, housing, public funds, or family immigration problems.
What this guide covers
Match the advice to the problem
Immigration problems often overlap with housing, benefits, work, domestic abuse, children, or debt.
- Use Citizens Advice for general signposting.
- Use Advicenow for plain-English legal information.
- Use law centres, regulated advisers, or solicitors for legal advice.
- Use specialist refugee, trafficking, or domestic abuse charities for complex safety issues.
Check regulation
People giving immigration advice in the UK usually need to be regulated unless exempt.
- Check OISC or solicitor regulation where relevant.
- Be cautious with social media advisers.
- Ask for written fees and service details before paying.
Prepare before the appointment
Advice is easier when documents and dates are organised.
- Bring passports, BRPs/eVisa, Home Office letters, refusal letters, court papers, contracts, tenancy letters, and timelines.
- Write down urgent deadlines and questions.
Checklist
Use this as a practical planning list, then confirm official rules for your status and local area.
- 1Define the problem and deadline.
- 2Gather documents and timeline.
- 3Start with trusted advice services.
- 4Check adviser regulation.
- 5Keep copies of all advice and submissions.
Trusted starting points
Use official and established advice sources before relying on social media, forums, or paid services.
Immigration advice
Citizens Advice
Independent guidance on immigration status, eVisas, public funds, asylum, and citizenship.
Immigration and asylum guides
Advicenow
Plain-English legal information and step-by-step guides.
Find an immigration adviser
GOV.UK
Official search for regulated immigration advisers.
Law Centres Network
Law Centres Network
Find local law centres.
Related guides
Immigration status
Status, visas and eVisas
Plain-English guide to common UK immigration routes, online status, share codes, expiry dates, public funds warnings, and free advice routes.
Benefits and support
Public funds and NRPF
Plain-English guide to public funds, NRPF, benefits, housing support, refugee and asylum support, hardship options, the Habitual Residence Test, and charity grants.
Refugees and vulnerable migrants
Refugees and asylum support
Overview of asylum, asylum interview preparation, support after refugee status, family reunion, housing after asylum support, right to work, trauma support, free legal advice, charities, Ukraine support, trafficking and domestic violence immigration issues.