Identify what was decided
A written refusal will normally state its legal basis and reasons. It may be accompanied by an OQTF, a decision on voluntary departure, a country-of-removal decision and an IRTF. Each measure should be identified in the operative part.
Where there has been no reply, determine whether and when an implied refusal arose. Retrieve the filing certificate, receipts, requests for further documents, replies and online-portal history.
Return to the basis of the application
The challenge should start from the permit actually requested: private and family life, employment, study, health or another ground. The conditions and evidence are not interchangeable.
Compare the refusal reasons with the records already submitted. An error about family circumstances, length of residence, activity or a missing document must be shown precisely, including proof that the authority held the information or an explanation of genuinely new material.
Secure the deadline
The time limit depends on the decision and procedure. An OQTF accompanying the refusal requires immediate attention to its own appeal notice. An informal request for reconsideration should not be assumed to protect the court deadline.
For an implied decision, the calculation requires the dates of a complete filing and subsequent exchanges. An approximate date is unsafe.
Prepare the evidence
Collect the original application, portal confirmations, passport, civil-status records and evidence of presence, address, family, employment, resources, studies and health relevant to the legal basis relied on.
Organise material by subject and then date. Later evidence may show how circumstances developed, but it does not replace review of what the authority had to assess when it decided.
Counsel’s role
Counsel identifies the challengeable decisions, correct procedure and useful relief, such as cancellation, reconsideration or other appropriate directions. She structures the case around the applicable rule rather than accumulating generic objections.
An appeal does not automatically confer a right to work or guarantee continuation of an interim document. The position during proceedings must be checked against the documents held and any orders made.
Discuss your situation
You can send the firm the essential facts, relevant dates and any known deadline.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether there is an implied refusal?
Start with the date of a complete filing and the rules for the permit requested, then review requests for documents and messages from the authority. The individual file must be assessed.
Can new documents be added?
Yes, they may update the situation. It remains important to distinguish what they show about the earlier decision from what they establish only for the future.
Does an appeal let me remain and work as before?
Not automatically. The effect of the appeal and any residence or work rights depend on the decisions served, the interim document held and the procedure brought.