Winner of the 2018 Relocate Award for Immigration Team of the Year

A Y & J Solicitors

London-based, corporate and personal immigration specialist, A Y & J Solicitors, captured the judges’ attention for its big-picture perspective, delivered with empathy and understanding.

The 10-strong team headed by directors Yash and Arjun Dubal, and guided by the company’s core values of credibility, competence and care, is fuelling A Y & J Solicitors’ growing reputation for professionalism, efficiency and do-whatever-it-takes attitude to rise up the ranks of independent review sites, impressive for a comparatively small team in an increasingly important sector.

The Relocate Award for Immigration Team of the Year crowns the company’s achievements in partnering successfully with HR and individuals across all sectors to provide the best customer experience delivered with integrity.

Among the team’s notable successes is helping an IT company secure its Tier 2 sponsor licence after previously being declined, meaning the client could go ahead and deliver its specific project.

“We always begin with the client’s needs in mind,” says Yash Dubal, describing A Y & J Solicitors approach. “In every interaction, we listen carefully and make sure we understand their situation. While immigration law applies to everyone equally, the needs of individuals and organisations vary greatly. Providing the best customer service requires a detailed understanding of each individual case.”

Responding to changes in legislation with agility

The firm’s client-centric, values-based approach underpins its relationships with customers and enables them to work in true partnership to help meet their staffing and immigration needs. A Y & J Solicitors is therefore elevating itself beyond the traditional, more transactional external vendor relationships. It is adding real value to relocation and HR processes, as well as to the UK’s competitiveness on the global stage through its status as a commercial partner to the Department for International Trade.

Immigration experts are at the forefront of helping UK employers and businesses respond to critical challenges around key skills and competitiveness. Supporting employers to stay ahead of the changes and maintain compliance is vital.

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Read about the winners of the other Relocate Awards in the Summer issue of Relocate Magazine.

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“There is a great deal of uncertainty right now over how government policies might change, and what the full impact of Brexit will be,” says Mr Dubal. “Employers are especially concerned about securing their skilled foreign workforce, attracting top talent in the future, and remaining competitive in a challenging economy.

“Adding to this is the pressure from the UK Visas and Immigration division of the Home Office to remain compliant, often with the use of announced or unannounced compliance inspections,” says Mr Dubal.

Compassion and proficiency

Among the team’s recent work was carrying out a mock audit of HR systems for a financial services firm. Finding potentially serious failings, A Y & J Solicitors highlighted then rectified shortcomings. With this positive approach, the team helped the client avoid the possible consequences of having its sponsor licence revoked or suspended, and the financial, business continuity and personal implications of this for the employees it would affect.

This example earned the team high praise from the Relocate Awards judges for its recognition of the personal impact of immigration decisions, as well as its business focus. “The firm clearly understands both the necessity and value of immigration work to and for its clients,” the judges concluded. “It also shows a great understanding of the relocation process as a whole as well as the impact it can have on the actual people involved.”

A Y & J Solicitors’ focus on care and compassion runs throughout its operations, showing, as the judges said, “a deep understanding of the human element of immigration casework.”

The awards submission acknowledged how complex immigration cases can make people and their families feel very vulnerable; an issue which made national headlines recently in relation to the collapse of construction and facilities management company, Carillion.

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_{©2018. This article first appeared in the Summer 2018 edition of Relocate magazine, published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.}