From first meeting to decision, step by step
The same five steps for every pathway. At each one you’ll know what we’re working on, which documents are yours to gather, and what comes next.
The five steps
Your adviser stays with your file from the first step to the last. A case officer helps with the paperwork in between.
1
A first conversation
Forty-five minutes in person or by video. We listen, ask questions and tell you which options look realistic.
You receive: an honest first view, and answers to your questions.
2
Written advice and a quote
Within three working days you get a short written summary and a fixed quote, with government charges listed separately.
You receive: your options in writing, and a quote you can take away and think about.
3
Your document plan
A checklist made for your case: what to gather, who provides it and when it’s due. We check each document as it arrives.
You receive: a shared checklist, and a reminder before anything is due.
4
Lodging the application
We prepare the application, go through it with you page by page, and lodge it once you’ve signed off.
You receive: a full copy of what was lodged, and the date it went in.
5
The decision, and after
We keep in touch while you wait, answer any requests for more information, and explain the decision and your next steps.
You receive: a plain explanation of the decision, whatever it is.
What you can hold us to
What no adviser can promise you
Decisions are made by the government, not by advisers. Be wary of anyone who says otherwise. What we can promise is careful work, honest advice and a complete, consistent application.
We can’t guarantee a result, and we won’t pretend to
We can’t make a government office decide faster
We can’t know about rule changes before they are announced
On timing: the government sets processing times, and they change often. We give you the current published range at your first meeting and tell you if it moves.
The first step is a conversation.
Forty-five minutes, in person, by video or by phone.