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This page will provide you with some general advice about lodging an appeal against an asylum or immigration decision to the First-tier Tribunal if you do not have a lawyer.
CCLC would always recommend that you try to get advice and representation from a lawyer or regulated legal advisor before lodging an appeal. This information should not replace you getting specific legal advice about your case.
Below are some important things you need to know about lodging an appeal. There is much more information and a step by step guide to the online appeal process in the factsheet on the right of this page.
What is an appeal?
If you make an application to the Home Office that is refused, you might have a right of appeal. If you do have a right of appeal, you can ask for your case to be considered by an independent judge at a court. The court is called the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).
How do I lodge my appeal?
To appeal a decision made by the Home Office, you have to ‘lodge an appeal’. For most cases, you can appeal online using the ‘new service’. You can appeal using a paper form if you are in detention.
Time limit
It is very important that you try to lodge your appeal as soon as possible and in time. This means that your appeal form must be submitted online to the Tribunal before the deadline.
For cases where you are not detained, this means the appeal must be received by the Tribunal no later than 14 days after the Home Office decision is sent. The date a letter is sent is usually either the date of the postmark stamped on the envelope, or the date on the letter itself, whichever is later.
For example, if the Home Office decision was sent on 3 April, your appeal deadline will be 17 April. The Tribunal must receive your appeal by midnight of 17 April.
If your appeal deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline will be pushed to the next working day. A ‘working day’ means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, bank holiday, or the period 25th-31st December. For example, if 15 April is a Saturday, the Tribunal must receive your appeal by midnight on Monday.
What if I am late lodging my appeal?
It is very important that you lodge your appeal by the deadline.
If you do miss the deadline, you may be able to apply for an ‘out-of-time’ appeal. You would follow the same process as explained in the factsheet, but you will be asked in the online application why you did not send it in time, and you will need to provide supporting information and evidence to explain why you missed the deadline.
Depending on the information and evidence you provide, the Tribunal can refuse to consider your appeal. Your reasoning and any evidence you provide is therefore very important.
Asking for more time to find a lawyer after lodging the appeal
You must try and lodge your appeal before the deadline, even if you do not have a lawyer. If you have already lodged an appeal but are still unrepresented and struggling to find a lawyer, you may need to ask the Tribunal for more time after you have lodged the appeal.
If you need more time to find a lawyer after you have lodged your appeal, you should write to the Tribunal to let them know. You can download our template letter here for guidance on how to ask for more time.
Other sources of information
Right To Remain have created a useful online toolkit about appealing an immigration decision – it can be found here.
Download PDF
Download the full fact sheet
