AW Solicitors

AW Solicitors Leeds-based immigration law specialists with 34+ years of experience. Book now: awsolicitors.co.uk
Call: 0113 2441911 Well how did we get where we are today?

We help individuals and businesses with visas, citizenship, settlement, and sponsor license compliance. Our story is one of perseverance and old fashioned hard work! It began in 2005 when an opportunity arose for our founding member Andrew Williams to set up and manage his own niche immigration practice, serving clients in and around West Yorkshire. In 2005 when we entered the immigration advisers

market we were registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioners. At that time there were very few firms in the private Immigration sector so we did not know what to expect. Within 12 months we had successfully represented over 150 clients and we were becoming recognised within the West Yorkshire area as a reputable and reliable immigration practice that fought for its clients. As a result of our determined approach to our clients’ applications and appeals we were soon inundated with more and more clients.

‘With success comes haters’, we ignored the hatersand our business went from strength to strength. From 2005 to 2011 we maintained our focus and continued to serve our clients. In April 2011 our business became a Solicitors practice regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Between 2011 and 2017 our popularity grew and we were instructed by more clients each year. As a result we expanded our business, took on more staff and achieved better results for our clients. No hidden costs means no nasty surprises
SO why should we represent you? If you haven’t already worked it out we are specialists in both private and business immigration matters. So why should you use us? There are many other immigration law firms or organisations all over the UK that are regulated by SRA or the OISC that will help you with your immigration matter, but the difference between them and us is that we have a proven track record of achieving results time and time again for our clients. Our key focus has always been on the quality of our work and not necessarily the money. We also have a proven track record of helping clients where they have previously been advised by other lawyers and advisers that there was no hope for their case and that they should just return home. If you are still not convinced we are the right firm for you, then book either a one to one meeting or a telephone consultation and we will prove that we are the best Solicitors for you. Please note that there is a small consultation fee of £50 to be paid for any appointments. Upfront Fees

When it comes to the legal costs involved in your case, we know that clients hate to receive an unexpected bill with lots of hidden costs they were never made aware of that is why we normally operate on a fixed fee basis. Even if we do undertake the work for you on a hourly basis we always provide an accurate estimate of how long the matter will take and you can then work out what it will cost. Either way you will always know what your financial liabilities are throughout the whole process.

Most fee waivers get refused for one reason: weak evidence. The Home Office rejects applications every day because of av...
29/05/2026

Most fee waivers get refused for one reason: weak evidence. The Home Office rejects applications every day because of avoidable mistakes.

Here's why:

❌ Incomplete or unclear bank statements and benefit letters
❌ No clear narrative showing how paying the fee would cause serious hardship
❌ Handwritten notes or screenshots instead of official documents
❌ Ignoring dependents or failing to disclose informal support
❌ Inconsistent information between forms and evidence
❌ Rushed applications with missing documents

The good news is that most refusals can be fixed with proper preparation and the right evidence.

📞 Let Andrew Williams Solicitors help you get it right. Book a consultation. Contact details in bio and pinned comments.

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29/05/2026

How We Helped a Single Mother Qualify for a Fee Waiver

When you're a single mother struggling to make ends meet, finding over £3,900 for a visa application feels impossible.

That was the reality for one of our clients. She was a single parent living on Universal Credit with no savings and no family support. Her visa was about to expire, and she had no way to pay the Home Office fee or the Immigration Health Surcharge for herself and her child.

She came to us terrified she would become an overstayer and lose everything.

We stepped in immediately. Andrew Williams Solicitors prepared a detailed fee waiver application, gathering bank statements, benefit letters, rent receipts and evidence of her essential living costs. We built a powerful case showing that paying the fees would leave her unable to feed her child or pay for heating.

The Home Office approved her fee waiver in full.

She and her child received a unique code to submit their visa applications without paying a penny. The total saved for this family was over £3,908 – including the application fee and both IHS charges.

Most single parents don't know that fee waivers exist, or assume they won't qualify. But if you receive benefits, have a low income, or paying the fee would harm your child's wellbeing, you may have a much stronger case than you think.

At Andrew Williams Solicitors, we fight for families who are locked out of the system by financial barriers. We know exactly what evidence the Home Office demands and how to present your circumstances for approval.

📞 Book a consultation today. Find our contact details in the bio above or pinned in the comments.

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27/05/2026

How we saved this family of 4 over £12,000 on their UK visa fees.

Paying for a family visa can cost thousands. Many families think they have no choice but to save for months or years before they can apply. But for one family of 4, the story was very different.

They came to us with a strong human rights case but no money to pay the visa fees. Their only route to regularising their status was a fee waiver application. So we stepped in, meticulously prepared their financial case and submitted a watertight application proving genuine hardship with bank statements, household bills and a powerful personal statement that left the Home Office with no room for doubt.

The result? A full fee waiver approved within our service standards. The Home Office waived their entire application fees and Immigration Health Surcharge. Total saving for this family: over £12,000.

Most people don't realise fee waivers exist — or assume they won't qualify. But if you receive benefits, earn below the income threshold, or have no savings, you may have a much stronger case than you think.

At Andrew Williams Solicitors, we fight for families who would otherwise be locked out of the system by financial barriers. We prepare evidence that the Home Office actually accepts, craft legal arguments that make your case impossible to ignore, and handle the entire process from start to finish.

📞 Book a consultation today. Contact details in the bio above or pinned in the comments.

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Most solicitors will reject your case on slide 3. Here's why you shouldn't give up.Many firms turn away good clinical ne...
20/05/2026

Most solicitors will reject your case on slide 3. Here's why you shouldn't give up.

Many firms turn away good clinical negligence claims every day. Low estimated value. Causation complexity. Three‑year deadline pressure. None of these mean you have no case.

A 2026 court case proved that even when a hospital admitted negligence, the family's claim collapsed without expert help. But the NHS paid out £3.1 billion last year, and 83% of claims settled without court.

If another solicitor said no, get a second opinion. Andrew Williams Solicitors reviews cases others miss.

📞 Book a consultation. Contact details in bio and pinned comments.

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20/05/2026

If you answer YES to this one question, call a solicitor before Monday.

Three simple questions decide your clinical negligence claim. Did a medical professional owe you a duty of care? Did they breach that duty? Did that breach cause your injury?

A 2026 court case proved that even when a hospital admits negligence, claims can still collapse without expert help.

You have only three years to act. After that, your right to compensation expires forever.

83% of claims settle without court. The NHS paid out £3.1 billion last year. The money is there.

📞 Book a consultation with Andrew Williams Solicitors. Contact details in bio and pinned comments.

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Your visa has expired. You are now an overstayer. One wrong move and you'll face a 12‑month ban or worse.Here are 5 imme...
19/05/2026

Your visa has expired. You are now an overstayer. One wrong move and you'll face a 12‑month ban or worse.

Here are 5 immediate steps to protect yourself, including the 14‑day window under Part Suitability SUI 13.1, the re‑entry bans, and why leaving the UK without advice is a risk.

⚠️ For the first time in 2026, family visa applicants face these same mandatory bans.

Overstaying stays on your immigration record permanently and affects future visa applications to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

📞 Do not guess. Book a consultation with Andrew Williams Solicitors today. Find our contact details in the bio above or pinned in the comments.

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19/05/2026

The UK Skilled Worker visa rules changed in 2026. Salaries are now checked every pay period. Afghan nationals can no longer apply from overseas. English language requirement is now B2. The Immigration Salary List expires 31 December 2026.

One mistake could cost you your visa.

📞 Book a consultation with Andrew Williams Solicitors. Contact details in bio and pinned comments.

Follow for weekly updates.

STOP. Don't apply for a UK spouse visa until you check slide 4.Choosing the wrong income category is the #1 reason for ...
14/05/2026

STOP. Don't apply for a UK spouse visa until you check slide 4.

Choosing the wrong income category is the #1 reason for financial refusals, and the Home Office is stricter than ever in 2026.

While the standard rule requires your UK sponsor to show a gross annual income of £29,000, that's not the whole picture. Andrew Williams Solicitors wants you to know there are 4 legal alternative routes many couples don't realise they qualify for:

💰 Cash Savings (Category D) – Savings above £16,000 can fill the income gap using a simple Home Office formula.

👔 Self-Employment (Categories F & G) – Sole traders, freelancers and directors can qualify, but the paperwork is heavier.

🏠 Non-Employment Income (Category C) – Rental income, dividends, investment returns and even maintenance payments count.

🛡️ Adequate Maintenance – If your sponsor receives PIP, DLA or Carer's Allowance, you may be exempt from the £29,000 requirement entirely.

Plus: If your first partner visa application was made BEFORE 11 April 2024, transitional protection may still allow you to use the old £18,600 threshold for extensions and settlement.

The financial requirement is the single biggest hurdle for spouse visa applications. One wrong category. One missing document. That's all it takes for the Home Office to say NO.

📞 Don't guess. Book a confidential consultation with Andrew Williams Solicitors today. Find our phone number, email and office address in the bio above or pinned in the comments. We help families get home.

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14/05/2026

Is the UK 14-day overstay grace period your lifeline or a hidden trap? The truth is less forgiving than you think.

If your visa expires and you are still in the UK, you become an overstayer from the very next day. This triggers the loss of your right to work and rent, and it remains on your immigration record.

Under the new Part Suitability rules (which replaced Part 9 in November 2025), the former paragraph 39E exception is now found in SUI 13.1. Here is what you need to know:

Strict 14-Day Window: You have only 14 calendar days from your visa’s expiry to submit a new application.

The "Good Reason" Requirement: A late application will only be disregarded if you can provide a "good reason beyond your control," supported by solid evidence (e.g., hospitalisation or a family bereavement). Forgetting the deadline does not qualify.

Re-entry Bans: If you leave the UK voluntarily after overstaying for more than 30 days, you risk a 1-year to 5-year re-entry ban. Forced removal leads to a 10-year ban.

🚨 Critical Rule Change: For the first time in 2026, family route applicants (including spouse visas) are now subject to these same mandatory re-entry bans, leading to forced family separation.

If you have overstayed or are close to your visa expiry, do not wait and risk a devastating ban.

📞 Book your confidential consultation with Andrew Williams Solicitors today. Our contact number and email are in our bio and pinned in the comments. Let our 24+ years of immigration law experience get your status back on track.

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12/05/2026

🚨 UK SPOUSE VISA 2026: The rules have changed, and most solicitors won't tell you the full story.

Think you need £38,700? ❌
Think the old £18,600 still applies to everyone? ❌

Here's what Andrew Williams Solicitors has uncovered about the real 2026 spouse visa landscape:

✅ £29,000 is the CURRENT minimum income requirement for most NEW applicants. The planned hike to £38,700 is PAUSED.

✅ BUT if your visa route started BEFORE 11 April 2024, you may still qualify under the £18,600 transitional threshold for extensions and ILR.

✅ Sponsors on PIP, DLA or certain carers' benefits can use the Adequate Maintenance test instead. There is no fixed income minimum.

⚠️ CRITICAL: Suspended sentences of 12+ months now trigger automatic refusal, even if you're already years into your visa. Re-entry bans now apply to family routes for past immigration breaches.

⚠️ The Home Office is demanding stronger relationship evidence, including organised timelines, shared finances, and clear communication records. Photos alone won't save you.

Why does this matter?
Because applying with outdated or incomplete information risks separating you from the person you love.

At Andrew Williams Solicitors, we help couples avoid these hidden pitfalls every single day.

📞 Ready to book a consultation?
Check the contact information in our bio or pinned in the video comments. Call, email, or message us directly. Our team is ready to review your case and give you clear, honest advice.

Follow Andrew Williams Solicitors for weekly immigration updates that actually help.

Address

Unity Business Centre, 26 Roundhay Road
Leeds
LS71AB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441132441911

Website

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