Challenges of moving from the South Africa to the UK involve complex immigration laws and visa applications. Just one misstep — delay or even denial of entry could affect your personal and professional plans. Let an expert team of immigration solicitors help you with your relocation. Leave all your worries behind and rest assured regarding having every aspect of your move managed efficiently and in compliance with UK regulations. From securing an appropriate visa to enter the country to understanding the minutiae of residency in the UK, our services help you to move seamlessly.
The Success Story: Read about how A Y & J Solicitors helped this South Africa client relocate to the UK and made the process easy, ensuring timely entry into the UK.
At A Y & J Solicitors in London, we've helped thousands of new and experienced business owners move to the UK from around the world. We understand the typical challenges that come along with your visa application for self-sponsorship UK and know how to mitigate them. We walk you through step by step, showing you how to self-sponsor a work visa in the UK. Instead of going it alone, let our lawyers take the weight off your shoulders, so you can rest easy knowing you'll be able to bring your business (and family) to the UK.
Kate Corey, Founder of 6 Degrees
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the British system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Spouse Visas, nationality and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
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:
"Outstanding Service. Specifically Thanks to Diana And Ikra Ahamed."
"We engaged with AYJ solicitors in summer to apply for Sponsor license followed by application for HSW visa. Our matter was handled by Raj Kaur who was very thorough in explaining us the process, providing us the complete list of requirements and clarifications if required. Whenever she didn’t have confirmed information she spoke to the seniors lawyers at the firm and provided us timely response. In the end, she helped us the prepare the application and CoS which was submitted and the application was granted. Raj also helped our employee submit their application and went beyond her role to support the application process as the applicant was for a family member and had other minor complications. I would highly recommend to use Raj and AYJ’s services."
"I am writing this review with the hope that it may be helpful for anyone else considering enlisting the services of AY&J specifically for a Standard Visitor Visa to the UK. I am British and my partner is not. We both live in his home country, and we enlisted the services of AY&J Solicitors to help us reapply for a Visitor Visa for my partner to visit the UK after one failed application. The original application was denied not for a specific reason but because we did not provide enough evidence and information, and we therefore went to AY&J with the hopes of having guidance in navigating the opaque visa application process. Communication with AY&J was very smooth, everyone was responsive to our emails and the process was clear. However, we were ultimately unsuccessful in obtaining the visa. Although I do not hold AY&J accountable for the visa outcome, on reflection I wish that they had advised us differently and this is the reason for my review. Our visa application made with the support of AY&J was denied due to the fact we did not provide sufficient information in the category related to financial records. We were aware that this may be an issue before making our application, but we were advised to go ahead and make the visa application under the impression that we had provided enough other supporting evidence to mitigate this. The visa was ultimately rejected due to lack of sufficient financial information. Although my partner’s financial situation is sound, systems in his home country (a cash based economy) mean that he didn’t have all the paper evidence of his finances at the time of making the application, and the UK visa application typically requires 6 months of financial records. If we had been advised to delay making our application for 6 months, we would have been able to ensure he had paper trails and provide 6 months of paperwork of his financial records and I believe we may have had our visa accepted (although I can’t say this with certainty). We went ahead and submitted our application, which was denied as we didn’t have 6 months of paper trails of my partner’s savings and income. As a firm specialized in visa applications, I would have expected AY&J to advise us to withhold our application until we had 6 months of financial documents. We were instead under the impression that everything else we provided was sufficient to mitigate this. If we had been advised to delay or postpone our visa application, AY&J would not have collected their fee from us, which is something I am left wondering about. Overall, it was an expensive process, we were denied the visa but also each denial makes obtaining a future visa harder. I am left wishing we had been advised not to submit at the time we did so that we could have made a stronger application, and I question whether we were encouraged to supply without all the necessary paperwork as this ensured AY&J their fee. Therefore my overall review and advice is that although AY&J were supportive and communicative, I feel disappointed that we were advised to go ahead and submit a visa application without sufficient documentation, which we could have easily gathered if we were advised to wait 6 months in order to obtain this. For others considering using AY&J to apply to a Visitor Visa for the UK, I hope this review is helpful."
"I had an amazing experience with AY&J SOLICITORS from the very first consultation, they were professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring about my case. They explained the process in detail, kept me informed at every step, and were always quick to respond to my questions. Their attention to detail and personalized approach made me feel confident throughout. Thanks to their expertise, my application was approved! I highly recommend them to anyone looking for reliable immigration services. My Special Thanks to Diana, Ashu & Puru."
"A big Thank You to Rajvinder Kaur for her assistance and guidance in our extension for spousal visa application. Raj provided us with accurate and timely information making the application to confirmation experience easier. She was always readily accessible and prompt in her actions towards the case. The journey of a visa application can be emotionally and mentally draining...Thanks Raj for helping us sail through. We have used the services of AY & J Solicitors previously for my entry visa application and Thank You Diana for leading us in the right hands. Deepali & Tapan Chavan."
"A Y & J Solicitors made my visa process smooth and hassle-free. They were supportive, detailed, and incredibly quick to respond. Highly recommend their professional and efficient service!"
The UK has been and continues to be an incredibly popular destination for citizens of South Africa for many decades. It is estimated that over 250,000 South Africans call the UK home, with most of them living in England. While South Africa is a beautiful country with much to offer, many South Africans are drawn to the UK for both work and family.
If you are considering emigrating from the UK to South Africa, you will need to consider the immigration routes available to you. You will most likely need a UK visa before you can relocate to the UK from South Africa, and to make a successful application, you will need to meet the requirements of the visa you are applying for.
The UK visa types available and requirements that you need to meet will depend on why you are moving to the UK (i.e. work, study, or join family). The most common UK visas for South African nationals include the following:
The above list of visas is by no means exhaustive. There are a wide range of other visas, including the UK Ancestry visa, Global Talent visa, and the Global Business Mobility visa. If you are unsure which visa is suitable for your needs, it is advisable to speak to an immigration Solicitor who can advise you based on your unique circumstances.
If you are considering moving to the UK from South Africa, you will no doubt have many questions about the immigration process, the cost of living here, how to relocate, and the ease of gaining employment. In this guide will explain all you need to know about immigration to the UK from South Africa, the costs of moving, how the cost of living in the UK and South Africa compare, the visa requirements, and the pros and cons of moving here.
There are many reasons to consider moving to the UK from South Africa. Firstly, there is so much to see and enjoy in the UK, including museums, architecture, history, theatres, pubs, entertainment, stunning villages and towns, lakes, rivers, mountains and national parks. The UK also has an excellent healthcare system (the National Health Service (NHS)), which provides cutting-edge healthcare for all residents. Another plus for the UK is its excellent transport network, which includes motorways, trains, buses, airports, ports, and even canals. This is why it is extremely easy to travel around the UK. From an educational standpoint, the options available are excellent. The UK is home to some of the best schools (state and private), colleges, and universities in the world, including the highly prestigious Russell Group universities.
Of course, there are some negatives to be aware of when moving to the UK from South Africa. It has to be said that the climate in the UK is generally much colder, milder and wetter compared to South Africa. Be prepared for cooler temperatures, especially in the winter months, and frequent rainfall throughout the year. The cost of living here is also much higher than in South Africa, as discussed below.
Before you make the move from South Africa to the UK, it is important to consider the total cost of:
The cost of living in the UK is much higher than in South Africa. One of the main reasons is the relatively high property and rental prices. Rental prices are a whopping 190% higher in the UK than in South Africa. This means that overall consumer prices in the UK are 113.3% higher than in South Africa when rent is factored in. In addition, restaurants are 123% more expensive, and grocery prices are almost double the cost in the UK compared to South Africa. To balance out the high cost of living in the UK, there are many highly paid job vacancies available to skilled workers.
Once you arrive in the UK, you will be able to open a UK bank account. You will need evidence of a permanent address in the UK and your identity in order to open your new bank account. Most UK bank accounts can even be opened online.
The Self-Sponsorship route provides a way for nationals of South Africa to move to and live in the UK without needing to work for an employer but rather by setting up their own company. One of the biggest benefits of the self-sponsorship route is that it provides a direct pathway to permanent settlement in the UK and, ultimately, citizenship. If you need any information on emigrating from South Africa to the UK, including on the self-sponsorship, speak to an immigration Solicitor who can guide you through the process.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with all types of visa applications. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or at contact us today. We’re here to help!
