Asylum appeals on legal aid.
Appeals against asylum and protection refusals, started inside the deadline, with legal aid where the case qualifies.
Before you start
Deadline. If you are in the UK, you usually have 14 days from receiving the refusal letter to appeal. Check the date on your letter and send it to us now.
A refusal comes with a deadline measured in days. Miss it and the decision stands, however wrong it was.
Is this you?
- Your asylum, protection or human rights claim has been refused.
- You have a hearing date and no lawyer, or your lawyer has stopped acting.
- Your appeal was dismissed and you want to know if you can go further.
How we help
We read the refusal letter against your evidence and tell you whether an appeal can go ahead on legal aid. We lodge the appeal inside the deadline. We build the case the judge will hear: your updated statement, witness evidence, expert and medical reports where they help, and country evidence. We instruct a barrister for the hearing where needed and prepare you for it. If the appeal fails, we look at whether there is an error of law to take further, including to the Upper Tribunal or by judicial review.
What happens
- Send us the letter. Through the form, with the decision attached.
- Deadline and merits check. We confirm the date and whether legal aid covers the appeal.
- Appeal lodged with the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).
- The case built: statement, evidence, and the written argument.
- The hearing. A judge hears both sides.
- The decision, usually sent within weeks of the hearing, and what comes next.
What to bring
The refusal letter and the envelope or email it came in, your interview record, your statement, and any evidence you sent before.
Is it covered by legal aid?
Asylum and protection appeals can be covered. There is also a merits test: the appeal must have enough chance of success. We tell you our view in writing. Who qualifies
How long it takes
The Tribunal sets the timetable. Some appeals now move faster, so start as soon as you can. We tell you the dates as soon as we have them.
Who handles your case
One named, Law Society accredited caseworker runs your case from the first meeting to the decision, supervised by a senior accredited supervisor. We arrange qualified interpreters. Tell us your language and dialect.
On legal aid cases, we will never ask you for money. What you tell us stays confidential; we never share your story without your consent, except where the law requires it.
Something new can open the door again.
If your appeal rights have ended but something has changed, a fresh claim may be possible. Read about fresh claims.
Common questions
I have missed the deadline. Is it too late?
Not always. A late appeal can be lodged with a request for more time, with reasons. Contact us immediately.
My last lawyer said my appeal would not get legal aid. Can you look again?
Yes. Send us the decision and their letter (often a form called CW4). We will give you our own view, and explain how to ask for a review.
Do I have to go to court?
Usually there is a hearing, in person or by video. We prepare you and a lawyer speaks for you.
“The Home Office is not the last word. A judge hears the full case, and many refusals do not survive that hearing.”
Free help. Full effort.
Tell us what is happening. We check legal aid first and tell you plainly.