More Information
Immigration solicitors provide legal advice and act on behalf of clients involved in legal matters relating to immigration.
To work as an immigration solicitor, it is necessary to undertake academic and vocational training. In England and Wales, a common route to becoming an immigration solicitor involves gaining at least two A levels and five GCSEs before going on to study for a law degree which includes modules in immigration law. Following graduation, graduates must enter into their vocational training, which involves studying for a Legal Practice Course (LPC) and entering into a training contract with a law firm. Entry into to the profession is extremely competitive and experience of shadowing legal staff is often essential.
Skills and salary information
Solicitors should be confident, able to take in and analyse facts and figures, good at explaining complex legal matters clearly, able to successfully argue a case, and capable of working under pressure.
Immigration solicitors are employed across the UK by firms large and small. Over half of all practising solicitors are employed in private practice. Employment openings for immigration solicitors are advertised in law publications, national newspapers and through specialist legal recruitment agencies.
Trainee immigration solicitors earn around £16,000 a year. Qualified solicitors, meanwhile, can earn between £25,000 and £100,000 a year. Salaries vary depending on the location, size and nature of the firm for which a solicitor works.