Applying for a settlement visa refusal appeal can be a complex yet challenging process for individuals who want to settle in the United Kingdom. The UK Home Office will refuse ILR on the basis of not fulfilling the relevant requirements and eligibility criteria for UK visas and immigration. One wrong move and your application for a settlement visa/ ILR can be denied with disastrous consequences for your future endeavours. Going through the refusal appeal on your own is a risky gamble, and proving you are eligible can be tougher than you think. Our team has ample experience assisting you and your families in securing your settlement process in the UK.
At A Y & J Solicitors, we have helped thousands of ILR applicants to obtain an ILR. We know how to spot and resolve application issues before they become the reason for refusal. If you have already received an ILR/Settlement refusal, A Y & J Solicitors can assist with your appeal or Judicial Review. We can advise you on the appropriate paperwork, prepare a strategy, and represent you before the tribunals or court. Our highly qualified team has a strong record of successfully challenging UKVI refusals. Our immigration experts work tirelessly and diligently to ensure every case we manage achieves the best results possible. We offer our excellent service to every client and have a transparent fee structure with no hidden charges or extra costs.
I lack words to show how happy I am to have met A Y & J Solicitors. You've proven beyond doubt that you're the best. You've been supportive from the first day to the last, not minding my shortcomings, and you have patiently assisted us down to this day. Our visa applications were all approved, none were denied, courtesy of your relentless efforts. I'll recommend you over and over again.
"Jane Onyekachi
Bad advice can lead to delays and refusals you can’t afford to risk. That’s why we assign a subject matter expert - a UK immigration associate - to manage your case throughout.
It’s frustrating when you don’t know what’s going on with your case. We guarantee a reply to all messages/emails within 24 working hours or we refund 20% of your fees.
4.9
A Y & J Solicitors has more than 1,200 positive client reviews across Google and Trustpilot and is listed in The Legal top 500 best UK law firms, so you can rest assured your immigration challenges are in safe hands when you take these three simple steps:
As a multi-award-winning law firm recommended by The Legal 500 with over a decade of specialised immigration experience, we create the gold standard and benchmark in expertise, authority, and credibility to get the desired results. Moreover, this result driven approach has created an overall record of 5,000+ successful immigration and visa applications, enabling the companies and individuals to be confident that their visa process is in experienced hands committed to their success.
Our commitment to excellence is backed by the best.
We take pride in being featured and officially accredited by top business, immigration, and legal platforms. Our work continuously meets the highest criteria of trust, credibility, and results, earning us major accolades and high-level media attention. These accolades are more than just badges; they serve as evidence that clients are in capable, safe hands when they choose us.
"When I started the processes with Ikra, I remembered the tortoise and hare story by Aesop, so slowly they are progressing my application. Despite my request to speed up the processes, my application still does not accelerate. After two weeks of documentation and drafting the application, they submitted it to HMRC for decision. Ikra's much appreciated work has resulted in a decision from HMRC being made in less than 24 hours. Though the hare ran fast, the winner was the tortoise. Ikra is the winner on my application, just like the tortoise. I am grateful for your excellent and helpful assistance."
"Many thanks for your excellent work on my behalf. You were so thorough, persistent, and transparent. God Bless you"
"I would recommend and work with A Y & J again, my team, Ashu, Surabhi and Diana was very professional, informative and kind. They are always available and approachable. Thank you for the assistance on my complicated visa matter, which were dealt with again; professionalism and kindness. And all the challenges were dealt swiftly as well. Highly recommend and thank you so much!"
"I am very happy with the service of AY & J solicitors, thank you especially to Nagina Hanif for being patient with us and for for being fast responsive, I felt the visa I applied was quiet complicated but Nagina guided me through every step, and this has made it possible and finally the visa is granted.Thank you to the entire team of Ay & J solicitors."
"Ikra Ahmed helped me with Skilled worker visa. She is faster than light!! Much Appreciated!!! Thanks Ikra!!!!"
"AY&J offered such a professional, personalized, and adequate service from the consultation service till receiving my son’s naturalization certificate. Ikra “an Immigration Consultant at AY&J” was precise, attentive, knowledgeable, professional and delivered everything in a timely manner. She did not hesitate to address any question during the process and got back to our emails or phone calls immediately."
Since 2020, A Y & J Solicitors has handled over hundreds of successful ILR applications, making it a renowned leader in UK immigration law. Each case that we take is handled with meticulous professionalism by our experienced team, meeting every requirement and providing the highest possible likelihood of approval.
Usually five years on a qualifying work or family visa. Some routes such as long residence or Ancestry may require a different length of stay.
ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) and PR (Permanent Residence) both give you settled status.
PR generally refers to EEA nationals under freedom of movement, while ILR applies to other visa routes, but both allow long-term residency.
You can live, work and study in the UK without renewing your visa. You also qualify for most public services and can apply for British citizenship when you meet the residency criteria.
It doesn’t expire. Once granted, you can stay indefinitely unless you leave the UK for too long and lose the status.
ILR stands for Indefinite Leave to Remain. It grants you the right to live and work in the UK without any time restriction.
An ILR application may be refused for many reasons (e.g. missing evidence, residency gaps). If refused, you can:
Request an Administrative Review (for “case-working errors”) within 14 days (inside UK) or 28 days (outside) of refusal.
Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal if your route carries appeal rights:
10-year (long residence) route: full statutory appeal on long-residence grounds
Family-route ILR (spouse/partner, private/family life): appeal limited to Article 8 (human-rights) grounds
Skilled Worker (PBS) ILR: no general appeal; only appeal on human-rights (Article 8) grounds
Apply for Judicial Review of the decision-making process if no appeal is available or after appeal fails.
Being refused Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) can result in shattered dreams for many migrants. After going through the Points-Based-System (PBS) visa application process and ensuring they meet all the requirements over the life of their visa, a refusal of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or having ILR status revoked can make the difference between families staying together or being separated indefinitely.
At A Y & J Solicitors, our team have extensive experience of appealing ILR refusals and bringing Judicial Review claims. We provide continuous service and support to our clients, from the first point of contact until the matter has concluded. You will never be left waiting for a response to an enquiry for days; we understand how every hour can be critical in these situations. Our experienced team can quickly prepare appeals or Judicial Review applications in the face of rapidly approaching deadlines.
We can accommodate our clients in a variety of ways, including in-house consultations at our central London office, or arranging online / telephone meetings. Our staff and lawyers are fluent in a number of foreign languages, including Indian (incl. Hindi & Gujarati), Romanian, Albanian, Italian, French, and our entire team provides friendly, approachable advice and representation.
There are several reasons ILR applications are refused. They include:
This is not an exhaustive list. You can view more reasons for General Grounds of refusal here.
There are several options available to you if your ILR application has been refused. We will consider each one carefully and advise you on the method that is most likely to be successful.
The options (wherever available) are:
Resubmitting your ILR application
If your application was submitted incorrectly or certain documents were not included, it may be quicker and more cost-effective to simply submit a fresh Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application. We help you prepare thorough application at this time, so you will not have to go through the process again.
Administrative Review
If you believe the immigration official made an error when reviewing your application, you can apply for an Administrative Review. This must be done within 14 days of receiving your refusal.
Appeal
If you have applied for ILR after being in the UK on a PBS visa, there is no right of appeal on a refusal unless it is made on human rights grounds. The most common route is making a claim under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Article 8 provides protection from interference in family and private life. Appeals of this type require expert knowledge and representation, which our lawyers can provide to you.
Applications under the 10-year long residence route have a full statutory right of appeal on the basis of continuous lawful residence, not only Article 8 grounds.
Judicial Review
If you do not have grounds for appeal or your appeal fails, you may apply for Judicial Review of the decision. Judicial Review is whereby the courts examine the legality of a decision made by UKVI. All other avenues must be exhausted before an application for Judicial Review can be made. Our lawyers are experts in bringing Judicial Review claims and take care in ensuring the Pre-Action Protocol is followed, which can result in UKVI choosing to review the refusal and grant ILR.
Whenever the UKVI agency decides to reject an application, they send a rejection letter to the applicant with the contact information they have provided, either via mail or email. The matter of how you receive the decision letter depends on the details provided in the application. If a postal address has been provided, UKVI reposts a handwritten version of the refusal letter through the mail. If the applicant has applied online, the UKVI may forward the refusal note through email since it would have reached the applicant faster.
The exact reasons for the decision are available in the letter. If an application was rejected, you can also find the reasons for it in the letter. The letter gives details on any conditions the applicant has for further appeals or administrative review if the situation applies, steering the applicant on what to do next.
Yes, you can again apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after refusal, but it is advisable to appoint an experienced immigration lawyer to handle the case and prepare the documentation accurately as per the immigration guidelines. If your ILR application is refused, you can re-apply with a new form by resolving all the reasons mentioned in the first refusal letter.
However, if you believe there is an error in the Home Office, you can go with an administrative review.
To prevent this scenario, it is important to correct any mistakes or provide the documentation needed for the ILR standards. Also, depending on the refusal letter, it is possible to pursue the matter to the appeal process if allowed by law.
If you have already received an ILR/Settlement refusal, A Y & J Solicitors can assist with your appeal or Judicial Review. We can advise you on the appropriate paperwork, prepare a strategy, and represent you before the tribunals or court.
Our highly qualified team has a strong record of successfully challenging UKVI refusals. Our immigration experts work tirelessly and diligently to ensure every case we manage achieves the best results possible. We offer our excellent service to every client and have a transparent fee structure with no hidden charges or extra costs.
With more than 5,000+ successful immigration cases behind us, A Y & J Solicitors is known for its reliable service and real results. For over ten years, we’ve supported individuals and companies through sponsor licence applications, visas, and settlement routes with care and attention to detail. While recognition from The Legal 500 matters, our real achievement is the trust our clients place in us. When you use us, you receive clear guidance, practical advice, and a team of lawyers who actually have your back.
Managing Director
The driving force behind the company, Yash has years of legal experience and an uncompromising focus on client success. His leadership is the catalyst for integrity, innovation, and results.
Head of Operations
With a keen eye for process excellence and attention to detail, Diana makes every client experience seamless, efficient, and treated with care—from initial contact to final resolution.
Chief Operating Officer
Anik combines strategic mind with operational acumen to drive scale of impact and efficiency in service delivery. His systems philosophy runs the engine smoothly.
Sales Manager
Amin heads the frontlines of client interaction. He is driven by a consultative mind and profound knowledge of immigration options, matching clients with solutions that best meet their objectives.
