This Immigration advice service is an extension to the work we carry out through our generalist service.  Reading Borough Council awarded the contract to deliver this service for two years from May 2007 and we are now commencing our fourth year of operation.

Reading CAB is registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner both to provide general level advice and information as a Citizens Advice Bureau and to provide specialist level advice up to level 2.

We have provided a specialist Immigration Advice service for nearly ten years using highly qualified and skilled volunteers and a part time paid supervisor. Reading CAB will continue to provide this service and sees the new Immigration Service as being wholly complementary and enhancing what is already provided.

We will help people as we always have through our generalist service, but we will also be able to offer limited casework (up to OISC level 2) to Reading residents who have a range of Immigration enquiries.

Our generalist service will act as the entry point for the vast majority of the Immigration and Asylum service's clients.  We will employ gateway assessment interviews and referrals from generalist advisers in line with the beneficiary criteria.

Clients will be able to contact the service via written enquiries, telephone enquiries and access information and guidance from our website (where they will also be able to download fact sheets and self help materials).

Click on these links for Fact Sheets and self help materials.

How to get good asylum advice?

Your rights in the UK - information for people from the Accession Countries to the EU, also known as the A8.

"No recourse to public funds" - Information relating to financial assistance from the state if you are visiting the UK for a limited or restricted time.

We will also provide training and consultancy to the statutory and voluntary sector in Reading to improve the knowledge and capacity to deal effectively with immigration issues, helping people to find solutions for their problems.