Privacy Policy

IMMIGRATION ADVICE LTD is a company registered at Companies House in England and Wales (company number 11423997) and with Information Commissioner’s Office (reference number ZA807053).

We are committed to ensuring the protection of people’s privacy. This privacy policy provides details about the personal information we may collect and how we may use that information.

1. About us

In this privacy policy, references to “us” are to IMMIGRATION ADVICE LTD.

We are the data administrator for any personal information that clients or other persons provide to us. This means that we are responsible for complying with data protection laws. This privacy policy describes the information we may collect, why we use personal information and, in general, the practices we maintain and the ways we use to protect personal information.

We have not appointed a data protection officer to oversee the handling of personal information, as the law does not oblige us to designate such an officer. But anyone with questions about how we collect, store or use personal information can contact us using the details in the “Contact” section.

2. About whom we collect information

We collect information about past and present clients and various individuals or legal entities with whom they interact in their family or social life, in their employment or tax affairs, or when applying for the right to enter or remain temporarily or permanently in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), or in the procedures for obtaining a British passport or British citizenship by registration or naturalisation.

3. When we collect personal information

We collect information about clients when they ask us to provide immigration advice in connection with their applications for the right to enter or remain temporarily or permanently in the UK, or to obtain a British passport or British citizenship, by registration or naturalisation.

4. What personal information we collect and use

In order to provide immigration advice for which we are authorized by the OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner), we must collect and process personal data about clients and the individuals or legal entities with whom they interact in their family, social, labor, tax and other relationships.

In certain circumstances, we may request and / or receive “sensitive” data, also known as “special categories” of personal information. For example, we may need access to details about a person’s race, ethnicity, political opinion, or religion, union membership, health, sex life, or sexual orientation.

When a client provides us with personal information about others, the client agrees to: (a) inform the person of the content of this privacy policy; and (b) obtain that person’s consent if we indicate that such consent is necessary for the processing of that individual’s personal data in accordance with this privacy policy.

What personal information do we collect:

General information such as names, current and previous addresses, NINo (National Insurance Number), unique taxpayer references (UTRs), bank details, contact details, date of birth, gender, information on family (its members, names, dates of birth), social status and nationality, driving license.

Information about jobs, employers, including job title, job history, history of education and professional accreditations, payslips, P45 and P60 forms, income earned and taxes and National Insurance contributions paid.

What sensitive personal information we collect:

We collect sensitive information such as immigration history (in connection with previous applications for leave to enter or remain in the UK, or to obtain a British passport or British citizenship by registration or naturalization), the history of offences committed, criminal convictions, penalties received, penalty points, fines, but also others such as a person’s race, ethnicity, political opinion or religion, trade union membership, health status, sexual life or sexual orientation.

This information will be collected and used only to the extent that it relates to the issue in connection with which we have been asked for immigration advice.

5. How we collect information

We collect personal information from a number of different sources, including:

Directly from the client or from someone else on his behalf (close people in the family, about whom we have every reason to believe that they are acting on his behalf).

From the Home Office, Police, HMRC, Companies House or other public authorities, when the client requests it and when he does not have the requested information.

From other private third parties.

6. For what purposes do we use our clients’ personal information

We may process clients’ personal information for the purposes of our business, for the provision of immigration advice. We must have a legal basis for such processing. When the information we process is classified as sensitive personal information, we must have an additional legal basis for such processing.

In general, the use of clients’ personal information is legally justified by the need to provide immigration advice.

But the use of personal data is also permitted to meet some of our business needs, such as maintaining our business records or developing and improving our services, when such interests and commercial needs do not harm the interests of the person whose personal data are used.

There may also be situations where we have a legal obligation to use such personal information, but also situations where the use of a client’s personal information is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of our legal rights. In our activity there may be situations where we can be accused of mismanaging the client’s problems. We need to store the client’s details for a long period of time in order to be able to defend ourselves in the event of a complaint.

Use is also possible when the client has given his/her consent to the use of his/her personal information. Our clients are kept in the database because in the future they may need our services again. In order to avoid the provision of services being delayed by the re-collection of the necessary personal data, the client may agree that his/her data be stored by our company so that it can be used when necessary.

7. With whom the personal information may be shared

Sometimes we have to share the personal information we process with the person to whom it belongs and also with other organisations. When this is the case, we have an obligation to comply with all provisions of data protection laws. The following is a description of the types of organisations to which we must, for one or more reasons, share some of the personal information we process.

When necessary or mandatory, we will share information with:

• the family, associations or representatives of the person whose personal data are processed;
• current, previous or potential employers;
• educators and examination bodies;
• health professionals, social and welfare organisations;
• business associations;
• professional associations and professional bodies;
• suppliers of products and services;
• the Ombudsman’s service and the regulatory authorities;
• employment and recruitment agencies;
• applicants, applicants;
• financial organisations;
• debt collection and tracing agencies;
• credit reference agencies;
• private investigators;
• courts, courts of justice;
• government organisations.

Data transfer

Sometimes personal information must be transferred abroad. Where necessary, information is transferred only to the European Economic Area. If UK’s withdrawal from the European Union will impose an obligation on us to prevent a transfer of personal information to the European Union, information will not be transferred outside UK. Any transfer made will be in full compliance with all aspects of data protection law.

8. What marketing activities do we do

We will not make any client’s personal data available to any other organisation for marketing purposes. However, we can run our own marketing campaigns, in compliance with the law.

Email marketing

We may use clients’ personal information to provide them with email information about our services or those of our partners that may be of interest to clients or to send eNewsletters. Clients will always have the option to opt out of receiving such emails.

If a client wants to unsubscribe from emails we send, they can do so at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link that appears in all emails. Otherwise, he can contact us at any time using the details in the dedicated section to update his contact preferences. In such situations, we will continue to send non-marketing communications when necessary.

SMS marketing (including Messenger and WhatsApp messaging)

We may also use personal information to provide information via text messages about our services or those of our partners that may be of interest to clients. Clients will have the option to cancel at any time.

A client can stop receiving text messages sent by us at any time by following the instructions in the text message on how to unsubscribe. This appears in all text messages. Otherwise, he can contact us at any time using the details in the dedicated section to update his contact preferences. In such situations, we will continue to send non-marketing communications when necessary.

Telephone marketing

We will not use our clients’ personal information to call them about our services or the services of others.

Postal marketing

We will not use our clients’ personal information to send them letters about our services or those of others.

9. How long we keep personal information

We will retain a client’s personal information for as long as is reasonably necessary to fulfill the relevant purposes set forth in this privacy policy and to comply with our legal obligations.

10. How we protect personal information

Access to the personal information of clients is allowed only to employees of our company and only to those of them who need to know this information for the purposes mentioned above.

11. The rights of the person whose personal data have been collected and used

In accordance with data protection laws, clients whose personal information has been collected, stored and / or used have certain rights.

Please note that in some cases we may not be able to comply with a client’s request (for example, we may not be able to delete their data) for reasons such as our obligations to comply with other legal requirements. However, we will respond to any request and, if we are unable to do what we have been asked to do, we will motivate why.

In certain circumstances, the exercise of some of these rights (including the right to the deletion of personal data, the right to restrict processing and the right to withdraw consent) will mean that we cannot continue to provide the services for which we are committed. In such cases, a refund of the price paid may not be effected. The client may therefore lose the right to benefit from the contracted and paid services, and if the payment has not yet been made, we can retain the right to receive it.

The rights of the person whose personal data are processed include:

The right of access to one’s personal data

The client has the right to a copy of his personal information that we hold and to certain details about how we use it. There will usually be no charge for resolving such a request. Normally, the information will be provided to the client in writing, unless otherwise requested or if the request was made by electronic means, in which case the information will also be provided by electronic means, if possible.

The right to rectification

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the information we hold about a client is accurate and complete. However, if a client has reason to believe that this is not the case, the client has the right to ask us to update or change his personal data.

The right to erasure (also known as the “right to be forgotten”)

In certain circumstances, the client has the right to ask us to delete his personal information. An example would be the situation where the data are no longer necessary for the original purpose, the consent has been withdrawn and there are no compelling reasons to continue processing or to keep them for the purpose of complying with the law or defending our legitimate interests.

The right to restrict or suspend processing

In certain circumstances, such as when there are doubts about the accuracy of personal data collected and processed, the client has the right to ask us not to use his personal information or to temporarily suspend its use.

The right to data portability

In certain circumstances, the client has the right to request that we transfer any personal information he has provided to another third party of his choice.

The right to oppose the receipt of marketing messages

The client can ask us at any time not to send him marketing messages.

The right not to be subject to an automatic decision-making process

The right to oppose the processing

For certain uses of his personal information, we will ask for the client’s consent. This consent may take the form of an action or of an affirmative instruction. When we do this, the client has the right to withdraw his consent to the continued use of his personal data. In other circumstances, when we have a legitimate interest that gives us the right to process a client’s personal data, he has the right to withdraw this right of processing, unless processing is necessary for us in relation with our legal rights. Please note that if the client withdraws his permission to use his personal data, we may not be able to continue to provide the contracted service, which may lead to termination of the collaboration without affecting our right to receive our agreed payment for the services contracted. Therefore, the client will lose the right to a refund of any payment made and will remain obliged to make the agreed outstanding payments.

The right to file a complaint with the ICO

We hope that any client will contact us first when he/she notices a problem related to the processing of his/her personal data and that we will be able to find a solution at this stage.

However, if this is not possible, the client always has the right to file a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if the client considers that any use of his personal information by us violates applicable data protection laws and regulations.

ICO contact details:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)
Email: casework@ico.org.uk

Filing a complaint with the ICO will not affect a person’s other legal rights or opportunities to obtain redress.

12. Contact

For questions about how we collect, store or use personal information, we may be contacted at:

IMMIGRATION ADVICE LTD

The Office Gothic House, Barker Gate, Nottingham, England, NG1 1JU

or by email sorin @ muflic . uk.

13. Updates to this privacy policy

From time to time, we will make changes to this privacy policy, for example, as a result of the emergence of new regulations, new technology or other developments in data protection legislation or privacy in general.

Our website should be checked periodically to see the latest privacy policy.

This privacy policy was last updated on 7 January 2024.