Anna Blackden

Practice Areas

Anna is a highly experienced immigration lawyer advising employers, education institutions and private individuals in the areas of personal immigration (including family routes and human rights), Student (including Child Student) and Work (including Creative and Skilled Worker) visa routes and sponsorship.

Anna’s unique experience working in house at a UKVI licensed student sponsor has helped her assist numerous institutions protect their sponsor licences and minimise compliance risks.

Anna is regarded as a subject matter expert in the field of student visa sponsorship, delivering webinars and training on student sponsor compliance for key stakeholders in the international student sector including UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) and the Independent School Bursar’s Association (ISBA).

Having personally participated and successfully passed UKVI sponsor compliance audits, Anna now draws on this experience to assist with sponsor licence applications and to conduct UKVI mock audits for schools, colleges, universities and employers. Anna also regularly provides bespoke training for clients on sponsor compliance so staff are better equipped to protect their employer’s valuable UKVI sponsor licence status.

Anna also has significant expertise in assisting individuals with applications outside the UK’s points-based immigration system, including asylum, human rights, judicial review and citizenship applications as well as advising EU nationals on their UK immigration status in a post Brexit UK.

Career

Qualified as a Solicitor in March 2005

Specialist in Immigration Law since 2006

Professional Memberships

Member of The Law Society

Asylum Accreditation (Senior Caseworker) held since 2006