Immigration Lawyer/Visa Agency - UK Based

[LisaUK]

Decided to go for fiancee visa but would like to use a lawyer or agency as I'm not confident in preparing the application myself. Can anyone please advise on any lawyers or agencies they've successfully used or know about? I would rather go on recommendations than just pluck one from the internet.

[sars_notd_virus]

Decided to go for fiancee visa but would like to use a lawyer or agency as I'm not confident in preparing the application myself. Can anyone please advise on any lawyers or agencies they've successfully used or know about? I would rather go on recommendations than just pluck one from the internet.

Hi welcome to the forum
I am not a lawyer or in any agencies but if you insist I am in Manila for a couple of days and can help you with your application ...here's the deal you pay me the whole price of what you are suppose to pay agencies and half of my payment will go to this forum.
Btw,
How complicated is your case with your application?

[raynaputi]

Hi welcome to the forum
I am not a lawyer or in any agencies but if you insist I am in Manila for a couple of days and can help you with your application ...here's the deal you pay me the whole price of what you are suppose to pay agencies and half of my payment will go to this forum.
Btw,
How complicated is your case with your application?

Hahahaha...Mari, your comment made me laugh!

[grahamw48]

Hmm..this could cover my airfare.

[Dedworth]

Decided to go for fiancee visa but would like to use a lawyer or agency as I'm not confident in preparing the application myself. Can anyone please advise on any lawyers or agencies they've successfully used or know about? I would rather go on recommendations than just pluck one from the internet.

I'd be very wary about "lawyers" and "agents" lots of rogues and cowboys out there

[LisaUK]

Exactly :/ That's why I really want to go on recommendations. It seems that hardly anyone uses an agency or a lawyer though. Most do it themselves - but there's just so much info required and one wrong move means refusal

[Terpe]

Exactly :/ That's why I really want to go on recommendations. It seems that hardly anyone uses an agency or a lawyer though. Most do it themselves - but there's just so much info required and one wrong move means refusal

It's always a personal choice.
If your circumstances are complex then there's an advantage using professional help as they can use caselaw to support your position.

If your circumstances are straightforward but you find your unable to dedicate the time to put the application together then it just comes down to financial budgets.

Do be aware that in either case, the very best that the professional advisor can do is to only compile the application supporting evidence supplied by yourselves. They will send you a list of required documentary evidence and you will be the ones to gather it together and send it to them.
They cannot answer the application questions without first asking you to answer them.
Don't be fooled into thinking that any guarantee of visa success is secured. There are many horror stories around.
Also don't be fooled by meaningless statistics about success rates.

Take your time. Browse through the vast knowledge resource here within the forum posts and then decide the best course of action for yourselves.
There's always a danger in asking for recommendations since you'll not know if visa success was actually down to the actions of the professional advisor or was in spite of the actions of the professional advisor.

If your decision is to engage a professional, then my only advice would be to use an experienced UK based advisor.

[LisaUK]

Thank you, Terpe. That all makes perfect sense. But I still don't know what to do. I'm looking at Visa Logic at the moment. I've looked at others and written them off for one reason or another. I've just found Visa Bureau now too - anyone know anything about either of those?

[Terpe]

Try Victoria Sharkey at MediVisas

[LisaUK]

Oh really? Do you have personal experience of her or know someone who has?

[LisaUK]

Lol just realised how that sounded

[Arthur Little]

Try Victoria Sharkey at MediVisas

Mmmmmmmmmm ... 's a very appropriate surname for a lawyer!

[sars_notd_virus]

Hahahaha...Mari, your comment made me laugh!

Hi Raynagirl..I am not being funny I am actually not serious but sincere with my words. It seems the original poster chose to ignore my post and doesnt really need help or is very confused

Exactly :/ That's why I really want to go on recommendations. It seems that hardly anyone uses an agency or a lawyer though. Most do it themselves - but there's just so much info required and one wrong move means refusal

[melovesengland]

I have been to one, when I was refused with my first visit visa one of the gay people outside VFS Makati fetch and took me in the next building where agencies for UK visa were based. They were the normal agencies that you will see in their unfirom at VFS doing their job. They asked me to pay them PHP 25k-35k for visit visa and I dread to think what will be the cost for the fiancee visa and that was way back in 2011. I personally asked the lawyer/owner bloke if I get an assurance that my visa will be granted if they handle it and he said clearly "NO". He said they will only prepare the paperwork but it will all depends if the ECO will be convinced.

So, yes even if you go that way it doesnt mean that your application will get approved but your choice anyway. Good luck with the app.

[LisaUK]

Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore - I would feel most comfortable with a UK based agency or lawyer. Thank you though.

[Dedworth]

Mmmmmmmmmm ... 's a very appropriate surname for a lawyer!

formerly employed by Lie, Bluster & Settle

[marksroomspain]

Try Victoria Sharkey at MediVisas

I will second that.....

I asked Victoria a few questions myself and her expertise is second to none and from all the other people she has helped she certainly knows her stuff.

I actually used a company called Global Visas but it has already been said that they just check the documentation and cannot guarantee a visa also at a cost of £1,500... which was a total rip off, as basically it's what I could've done myself if I had not been so terrified of a negative outcome.

Shortly after that I found this forum and I just wish I had found it sooner as the guys on here are amazing and the help and advice I received was tenfold compared to them.

Anyway whatever you decide goodluck but as far as this forum goes you cannot go wrong........Mark.

[LisaUK]

Thanks Mark. That's exactly my problem - terrified of a negative outcome

[marksroomspain]

Thanks Mark. That's exactly my problem - terrified of a negative outcome

No problem Lisa, just stick around here a wealth of expertise from us guys...Love and Peace....

[lordna]

On no account use an agency in the Philippines....particularly one called Olvis in Cebu. If you are going to use an agency at least a UK based agency will be regulated.

Victoria sharkey also runs an immigration forum website that's very useful. You could get all the information you need on this forum and the UK immigration forum. Just ask your questions on here as lots of us have been through the full UK immigration journey from initial visa right through to UK citizenship.

Completing some of the forms etc may seem difficult but really it's not that bad once broken down and with the help you can get on here.

[jasper999]

Maybe you could ask your partner for some help in completing the form?

Personally, I would be very dubious about people attempting to make a profit from members of what is a free forum (funded by voluntary contributions).

[grahamw48]

Maybe you could ask your partner for some help in completing the form?

Personally, I would be very dubious about people attempting to make a profit from members of what is a free forum (funded by voluntary contributions).

Any offers made by members involving personal gain were, I'm sure, tongue in cheek.

[bigmarco]

Victoria Sharkey definitely knows her stuff as I used her for my appeal.
She can be contacted here

http://www.medivisas.com/

[Drewturner]

Hey there Lisa

I'm also under fiancee visa and been here in the UK for almost 6 months, we didn't use agency as all the answers are already here and people in this forum are so helpful. But since you want agency or a professional to do it, Victoria is the one to go for.

Good luck in your application

Lay

[LisaUK]

Thanks everyone - we've gone with Victoria

[Terpe]

Thanks everyone - we've gone with Victoria

Great.