What to bring to your first consultation

A first meeting goes further when we can see your documents instead of guessing at them. It lasts forty-five minutes, and most of that time should go on your questions, not on working out dates from memory. You don’t need everything on this list, and nothing needs to be translated yet.

Bring or send ahead

These four things help with almost every case:

• Your passport, and any old passports with visas or stamps in them

• Any visa, permit or decision letter you have received, including refusals

• A rough timeline of where you have lived, worked or studied over the last ten years

• Your questions, written down so none get forgotten

If you can, send scans or clear phone photos a day or two before we meet. Your adviser reads them in advance, so the meeting starts with what matters rather than with paperwork.

If it applies to you

Bring these only if they are part of your plans:

• A job offer, contract, or letter of offer from a school or university

• Marriage, birth or relationship documents for anyone included in the application

• Language test results, even if they are close to expiring

• Recent payslips or bank statements, if funds or salary are part of the rules

What we do with it

At the meeting we go through your history and plans, tell you which options look realistic and which don’t, and explain what each one would involve. You leave with a clear next step, even if that step is to wait. If you decide to go ahead, we send written advice and a fixed quote within three working days.

A note on originals

Please don’t post original documents to us before we ask for them. Meeting us by video? Photos or scans are fine. We’ll ask for certified copies later, and only if an application needs them.