Immigration legal aid in England and Wales
Immigration and asylum legal aid is largely restricted to asylum claims, immigration detention bail, trafficking and modern slavery, and a narrow set of family reunion matters. Most other immigration work (visa applications, settlement, partner and family routes) is not covered by legal aid since the 2013 reforms.
Providers on LawStreet
Offices on LawStreet
Postcode areas covered
Showing 153 of 243 Immigration providers from the LAA's directory. Why?
About this category
What is Immigration legal aid?
Who immigration and asylum legal aid is for
Asylum work is the largest single area of remaining immigration legal aid. If you're claiming asylum (refugee protection) in the UK, you can access legal aid for advice on your claim, representation at Home Office interviews, appeals against negative decisions, and challenges to detention. Both means and merits tests apply.
If you're held in immigration detention, legal aid for bail applications is available without a means test. Solicitors on the Detention Duty Advice (DDA) rota visit immigration removal centres on set days; you can also instruct your own solicitor.
Outside asylum and detention, most immigration matters are no longer in scope. Visa applications, settlement applications, partner-route applications, citizenship, naturalisation, and most other ordinary immigration matters are not covered by legal aid; people pay privately or use free advice services (Citizens Advice, JCWI, Refugee Council, charities specialising in particular communities).
What's covered
Immigration and asylum legal aid is in scope for:
- Asylum claims: initial advice, interview preparation, the substantive interview, decision review, appeals to the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal.
- Immigration detention bail: non-means-tested, available to anyone held in immigration detention.
- Trafficking and modern slavery: covered separately under the Modern Slavery category on this platform.
- Family reunion for confirmed refugees and certain humanitarian protection cases.
- Statelessness applications for people with no nationality.
- Children's matters: where the immigration application is on behalf of an unaccompanied child or relates to a child's best interests.
- Domestic abuse: leave to remain for victims of domestic abuse on spouse visas.
How to apply
If you're claiming asylum, contact an immigration legal aid solicitor as early in your claim as possible. Good early advice substantially improves the chances of a successful asylum outcome. Refugee Action, the Refugee Council, and your local refugee charity can often refer you to a specialist firm.
If you're held in immigration detention, the Detention Duty Advice Scheme will arrange a free advice session with a solicitor at the detention centre. Ask centre staff or the Home Office immigration helpline how to be added to the rota.
For asylum-seekers without specific local connections, the Refugee Legal Centre, Asylum Aid, and other specialist NGOs maintain lists of vetted immigration legal aid providers.
Find a solicitor
Featured Immigration providers
A selection of firms on our platform holding an active Immigration contract. View the full list of Immigration solicitors with legal aid.
Where they are based
Immigration providers by region
Listed Immigration providers grouped by region and postcode area. Counts show distinct providers with at least one office in that area.
East Midlands 15
East of England 16
North East 9
North West 27
South West 9
Wales 7
West Midlands 24
Yorkshire and The Humber 23
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Generally no. Spouse visa applications, partner-route applications, and most other family migration matters were removed from legal aid in 2013. There are limited exceptions (victims of domestic abuse, certain immigration matters for children). You'd need to pay privately or use a free immigration advice service.
If you pass the means test (which most asylum-seekers do because they're not allowed to work), legal aid covers the full asylum claim including the substantive interview, decision review, and appeals. Choose a specialist asylum solicitor early; the quality of early advice has a big impact on the outcome.
The Detention Duty Advice Scheme (DDA) runs at every UK immigration removal centre. Solicitors visit on set days and offer a free 30-minute advice session to detainees. Your friend can ask the centre's welfare staff or healthcare team to be added to the next DDA visit. They can also instruct their own solicitor directly if they know one.
Possibly. Immigration matters for unaccompanied children, and matters where a child's best interests are central, are still in scope. The position depends on the specific circumstances. An immigration legal aid solicitor can advise after an initial assessment.
Both potentially. The Modern Slavery category covers the National Referral Mechanism process and trafficking-related matters. If the trafficking links to an asylum or immigration claim, both contracts may be relevant. Most providers handling trafficking cases hold both contracts.