Legal representatives' same-day service

This page explains the service available to legal representatives who wish to submit applications at public enquiry offices on behalf of clients.

Our public enquiry offices in the UK do not accept cash as payment for applications. You can pay by credit card, banker's draft or postal order.

The UK Border Agency is committed to delivering the highest standards in customer care. Our third-party representatives' same-day service gives a choice to customers who want to use the premium same-day service: they can submit their application in person, or employ a third-party representative to do so. The service is offered at no additional cost to either the customer or the representative.

Legal representatives can submit a pre-arranged number of cases on behalf of their clients, on a specific designated day or by appointment. Our public enquiry offices will only deal with straightforward applications which do not require further enquiries.

This is a concessionary service which is reviewed regularly. We reserve the right to reduce or remove the service at any time.

Legal representatives cannot use the service to make personal applications; it is for third parties only. Presenting a personal application will constitute a breach of our rules and may result in the removal of a legal representative or firm from the service.

Who can use the service?

To be able to use the third-party representatives' same-day service, you must be registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) or be exempt. See the OISC website for more information.

If you are a new user who wants to use the service for the first time, you must submit a request in writing together with your full contact details, your expected use of the service and your OISC number (if appropriate) to:

PEO reps' same-day service
UK Border Agency
First floor
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY

You must also provide evidence that you are qualified under the terms of Part V of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. You are qualified to provide immigration advice or services if you are:

• a member of a designated professional body, such as the Law Society or an equivalent in the European Economic Area, or acting under the supervision of a member;
• registered or exempted by the OISC, or acting under the supervision of such a person; or
• exempted by ministerial order, such as an employer providing advice only to your own staff or prospective staff.

The rules and standards for immigration advisers are set out on the OISC website. Staff in our public enquiry offices will enforce these rules and standards; representatives who do not comply will be advised in writing and may not be admitted.

What types of application can you make?

The third-party representatives' same-day service in Croydon will only consider applications in the following categories:

• Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system
• Tier 1 (Post-study work) of the points-based system
• Tier 2 (General) of the points-based system
• Tier 4 of the points-based system
• Tier 5 of the points-based system
• settlement (indefinite leave to remain) using application form SET(O)
• settlement (indefinite leave to remain) using application form SET(M)
• extension of stay (further leave to remain) using application form FLR(O)
• extension of stay (further leave to remain) using application form FLR(M)
• transfer of a residence permit using application form NTL

To find out which application types can be made using the same-day service at our other public enquiry offices, please contact the office that you want to visit.

Booking an appointment

At the public enquiry offices in Solihull, Glasgow, Liverpool and Sheffield, a representative must book an appointment if they want to submit cases. To book an appointment, please phone:

• Solihull: 0121 704 5450
• Glasgow: 0141 555 1258
• Liverpool: 0151 213 2937 (or email RApps.PEO-LIV@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk)
• Sheffield: 0870 606 7766

At the public enquiry office in Croydon, a representative can submit a pre-arranged number of cases on an allocated day or days. To book a day or days, you should email PEOCroydonRepresentativesTeam@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). For information about the time when you should arrive on your allocated day, see 'Arrangements at Croydon public enquiry office' below. There is a high level of demand for appointments to submit applications under the points-based system in Croydon. In fairness to all service users, only 1 points-based system appointment (excluding appointments under Tier 1 (Post-study work)) will be allocated per firm in any 1 week.

A representative must never offer a confirmed appointment for sale. Any firm found doing so will immediately be prevented from using the service.

When you arrive at the public enquiry office

When you submit an application at a public enquiry office, you must have a letter, signed by your client, confirming that you are representing the applicant or applicants.

If we need to enrol your client's biometric information as part of their application, you must ensure that the client (and their dependents, where relevant) attend the biometric appointment. You must remain with the client throughout this process. When this is completed, the client can leave and you will continue with the presentation and collection of their application and documents.

After making payment, you will report to the desk for representatives and bulk users (representatives from embassies and large companies). At Croydon, representatives will be seen in the order of arrival. At other public enquiry offices, you will be seen at your appointment time.

All cases must be collected on the same day. If you leave the building after submitting your applications, please ensure that you return before the closing time of the office as our doors are locked after this time. For information on opening hours, see the details for individual public enquiry offices.

We will communicate with you directly about any cases that we cannot complete on the same day. If you have used an agent or courier, we will contact you by phone.

We cannot consider a case over the phone because we cannot realistically discuss the merit of a case to any depth on the phone.

If you have any concerns or comments about the service, please write to us at the address above.

Arrangements at Croydon public enquiry office

Every case submitted by a representative at Croydon should include an official letter from your firm. This letter must include the firm's official letterhead and be dated and signed. It must also include the applicant's name, nationality and date of birth, and the type of application that is being submitted. A signed letter of authorisation from the applicant must also be included.

Please arrive with photocopies of the supporting documentation for all applications. This will help our caseworkers to consider cases more quickly. Please ensure that the original documents are also included with the application, so that they can be compared with the photocopies. Photocopies do not need to be notarised or certified by a solicitor.

To reduce initial submission delays, please submit bankers' drafts as payment for applications as much as possible.

On your allocated day, you will be allowed into Lunar House (which houses Croydon public enquiry office) between 07:30 and 09:00 to submit your clients' applications. If you enter the building after 09:00 without prior notification, your clients' applications will not be dealt with on the same day.

Alternatively, you can submit and pay for your clients' applications by 14:00 on the day before your allocated day. This will enable our caseworkers to start considering the applications first thing in the morning. Applications submitted a day early should be ready for collection within 24 hours of submission.

When collecting an application it is the responsibility of the representative or courier to check that all documents submitted have been received. The third party representative service will not take responsibility for the loss of any documents after the representative has accepted the returning application and left the public enquiry office.

The third-party representatives' same-day service team can only deal with strictly operational matters (such as the booking or cancellation of allocated days to use the service). To contact the team, email PEOCroydonRepresentativesTeam@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk.