The majority of Human Rights Application are based upon article 8 – your right to respect for your private and family life. The Home Office refers to paragraph 276ADE to decide the private life factor of the Article 8 claim and Appendix FM to decide the family life of the Article 8 claim.
At times, Immigration law and human rights law are intertwined. The Human Rights Act 1998 brought the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) into UK law. However, this landmark treaty was drafted back in 1950 by the Council of Europe. One of its main purposes was to ensure that the horrors experienced by European citizens in the Second World War never happened again.
Contrary to popular belief, Britain’s adherence to the ECHR is completely separate from its membership of the EU. This means that the UK’s exit from the EU will have no effect on its duties under the convention.
The experts at A Y & J Solicitors have years of experience working with immigration clients who have human rights claims, both through representation, and through maintaining an informative stance on current rulings and actions.
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The two main articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) which are used to make applications on human rights grounds are Article 3 and Article 8.
Article 3 provides:
Article 3 can be a pivotal part of a Human Rights Application as it prevents the British Government from removing someone from the UK to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing an individual will face a real risk of serious harm. “Serious harm” includes torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment. Examples of this include:
The threshold for Article 3 claims is high; however, it is an absolute right, meaning there is no situation where it can be lawfully breached.
If you choose to make a claim under Article 3, then you will need the assistance of an experienced human rights lawyer to check if your application could pass the extremely high threshold. Luckily, our team will be here to support you through the process, and helping you to protect your safety.
Article 8 provides:
Many applications are made by families wishing to remain in the UK, under Article 8. This is because under the points-based system of immigration there is usually no right of appeal except under human rights grounds.
According to Article 8, individuals have a right to a private and family life that is free from state interference. As such, Article 8 applications may help keep families together, and prevent them from deprivation of private life.
If you are making an application for a Points-Based System visa, we advise that you provide a route for an Article 8 appeal if possible. We can analyse the circumstances and prepare legal representation so that our clients have the right to appeal on human rights grounds wherever possible. This provides the ability to challenge a visa refusal in a more cost-effective way than bringing a judicial review.
To make a human rights appeal on a Points-Based System visa, applicants may need the legal advice and representation of an experienced immigration lawyer. Our team can check that right from the start of your visa application any possibility of a human rights appeal is identified and incorporated in submission of application to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). If your human rights appeal is unsuccessful and a right of appeal is not given, we can work with you to bring a challenge on the refusal via judicial review if the case has merit.
Challenging an immigration refusal by appealing is usually more cost-effective than judicial review. This is because an application for judicial review must be approved by the court before the procedure can begin. The approval process requires a great deal of preparation in itself, which increases the legal costs of a judicial review.
By identifying any human rights claim at the outset, our team can save you money, time and energy by improving the chances of a right of appeal on human rights grounds, should your visa application be refused.
Human rights claims, especially those involving Article 8, are complex. Our qualified lawyers at A Y & J Solicitors have extensive experience in this area, from visa application to appeal. Our client care goes far beyond the technicalities of law – we always offer honest and easy-to-understand advice, and we care deeply about our client’s situations. Therefore, we always provide sensitive, compassionate legal advice and representation; ensuring that you are kept fully informed of any developments regarding your case.
Relationships between spouses and parent and child almost always meet the criteria of ‘family life’, as do siblings who live with each other. In the Court of Appeal case of Pavandeep Singh v Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), New Delhi, Lord Dyson stated, “The existence or non-existence of “family life” for the purposes of Article 8 is essentially a question of fact depending upon the real existence in practice of close personal ties”.
Although there is no complete definition of private life, the European Court of Human Rights in Niemietz v Germany provided “‘The court does not consider it possible or necessary to attempt an exhaustive definition of the notion of “private life”. However, it would be too restrictive to limit the notion to an “inner circle” in which the individual may live his own personal life as he chooses and to exclude them from entirely the outside world not encompassed within that circle. Respect for private life must also comprise to a certain degree the right to establish and develop relationships with other human beings”.
Every parent wants to achieve the best for their children in all areas of their life. Mr. and Mrs. B both wanted the same for their child. Mr. B and Mrs. B’s immigration history was not stable, and they wanted to regularise everyone’s stay in the UK because their child had been in the UK…
We are a specialised UK immigration law firm.
In this video, I will share some tips with you on how to choose a UK immigration lawyer.
There are five very important points you may wish to consider while choosing a UK Immigration Lawyer.
Number 1: UK immigration law is very specific, fast-changing and complex. You should not entrust your future to an individual/company that does not fully comprehend the complexity of UK immigration law. Therefore, our first tip is that you may want to consider choosing a lawyer who specialises in UK immigration law and has a wealth of experience in dealing with UK immigration applications and/or/appeals.
Tip Number 2: You will need a lawyer who will be honest with you. This includes discussions about the success chances of your immigration case, total cost and tentative time frame.
Tip Number 3: A lawyer’s reputation often precedes them – look for a lawyer who is known for honesty. Check out client reviews to see what others have said. When many people rate the same lawyer as honest after their transactions, chances are good that you’ve found an honest lawyer. Check out for independent review platform such as TrustPilot for real and verified reviews from actual clients.
Tip Number 4: How about choosing a lawyer who loves immigration law? One who cannot wait to get started on your case. A passionate lawyer who regularly sees success in immigration matters and tends to deliver great results.
Tip Number 5: Always look for a lawyer who is Authorised and Regulated. In most cases, lawyers in the UK are regulated by the SRA – Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or by the OISC. Professional certification or Awards are also good indications. It might be prominent on their webpage if they have this.
Finally, look for a lawyer who is always improving by staying up to date on the UK immigration rules and regulations, and is constantly upgrading their skills. This is particularly important in the UK immigration sector, where laws are changed frequently, and lawyers must know exactly what is required for each type of application or appeal.
If you look for these qualities in a lawyer, it is likely that you find someone who is going to take good care of your Immigration matter, while respecting you as a valuable, important individual.
If you require legal assistance with your UK Immigration matter, please get in touch with us. Our contact details are at the bottom of this video. We’re happy to help. Thank you.
My experience with A Y & J Solicitors was really good. Very detailed and knowledgeable. All my questions were answered on time. They are very approachable and friendly. I would highly recommend them – it may be very simple query or a very complex case; you can trust them.
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Tarun