About

I joined the firm in 2011, supporting the immigration team in PA and legal assistant roles. Shortly thereafter, I commenced my evening studies in law at the University of Westminster. I qualified in 2019 as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (FCILEx), proudly becoming Lewis Silkin's first CILEx Associate.

Prior to Lewis Silkin, I gained several years' experience in the areas of asylum and human rights, including supporting Immigration Judges in the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and assisting on cases heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). I also hold a BA (Hons) degree in Linguistics awarded by Lancaster University and spent a significant part of my pre-legal life teaching English and Music in Italy. My broad experience to date aids me in providing practical and reliable legal support, with a friendly, relatable and solutions-focused approach.

I regularly advise clients on a wide range of immigration routes including complex sponsor licence applications, audits and sponsor compliance requirements, as well as sponsored and non-sponsored work routes, family applications and tricky nationality matters. I particularly enjoy upskilling client teams on immigration law through virtual and in-person training sessions.

Stemming from my own background in music, I specialise and have a particular interest in immigration law for the media & entertainment industry, where I provide legal expertise to production companies and agencies in advertising, fashion, gaming, music, film, TV and theatre. This includes advising, issuing and managing Creative Worker sponsorships under our own A-rated sponsor licence [is it possible to link here to the Creative Workers page?] or guiding companies with the management of sponsorships under their own licence. It also includes advising on sponsor compliance requirements and conducting internal mock audits to test and report back on compliance standards and required changes. Additionally, I work directly with creative workers to undertake assessments and advise on their individual applications for Global Talent in the Arts & Culture category, including Film & TV.

I am a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA).

Experience

Creative industry

  • Conducting mock compliance audits for production, fashion and talent agencies and providing a clear action plan of improvements to be implemented in order to be ready for Home Office audit
  • Advising model agencies, theatres and production companies on sponsorship duties, and upskilling teams through tailored immigration law training
  • Trouble-shooting and offering solutions for complex model and creative worker work/travel scenarios
  • Providing strategic advice and urgent visa support for film crew, including short notice entry to the UK and last minute visa extensions
  • Co-ordinating global immigration support for overseas TV commercial and film shoots, including for large groups of creative workers
  • Advising individual creative workers on the Global Talent visa route

Business immigration and global mobility

  • Guiding clients on suitable sponsorship options, visa routes and costs
  • Supporting organisations with complex sponsor licence applications, seeing this through to completion of the relevant visa applications
  • Being on hand to advise clients during the course of sponsorship on ad hoc enquiries, and providing more in depth support on the required immigration steps following a change of ownership, merger or acquisition
  • Upskilling HR teams with virtual and in-person training sessions on the latest immigration updates, e.g. advice on right to work and the prevention of illegal working, the latest developments under the EU Settlement Scheme and the transition of physical immigration documents to eVisas
  • Collaborating with local counsel to facilitate outbound relocations

Personal immigration

Advising individuals on family applications, e.g. spouse/unmarried partner applications and assessing options under the EU Settlement Scheme

Providing legal support on tricky naturalisation and registration (British citizenship) applications

Supporting on client visa needs from their initial entry to the UK through to settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain), as well as family dependant applications

Advising on complex settlement applications, e.g. high absences from the UK

Services

Sectors