Appeal an asylum refusal — 14 days, Legal Aid free

🆕 Appeals reform (updated 27 July 2026). The Immigration and Asylum Bill (passed its second reading on 13 July) will replace First-tier Tribunal judges with adjudicators of a new body, the IIAA — phased in from late 2027. This does not affect the appeal you file now — the current rules on this page apply. We track it here: appeals reform →

14 days — what to do today

action plan

Today: call Migrant Help 0808 8010 503Free, 24/7, in multiple languages. They will help you find a lawyer and explain the next steps. This is the first thing to do — before filing any forms.
Find a Legal Aid lawyer — freeLegal Aid fully covers asylum appeals. You pay nothing. Find one through our database: startnewlife.uk/en/database/lawyers/ — also: Russian-speaking lawyers.
Keep and copy all documentsRefusal letter, all letters from the Home Office, personal documents. Don't throw anything away.
File the IAFT-1 form (with a lawyer or on your own)Online at the tribunal website: appeal-immigration-asylum-decision.service.gov.uk. 6 steps, 10 minutes. You only need an email and the reference number from your refusal letter.

More than 14 days have passed? File anyway. The system will ask you to explain why you're late (you were ill, didn't have a lawyer, didn't receive the letter on time). The court decides individually — they often accept. Don't waste time on doubts.

What is a Legal Aid lawyer

free · IAA/SRA

Legal Aid is a government programme providing free legal help. Asylum appeals are always covered by Legal Aid. The lawyer must be registered with the IAA (Immigration Advice Authority) or hold an SRA licence.

£0 from your pocketLegal Aid pays the lawyer directly. You do not sign any debt obligations.
What the lawyer doesReads your file and refusal letter, prepares grounds of appeal (arguments), gathers country of origin evidence, writes a witness statement, represents you in court.
How to find one→ Our Legal Aid lawyer database · Coram CLC: 020 7627 7979 · Refugee Legal Centre · Law Centres Network
Beware of scammersA Legal Aid lawyer never takes cash. If someone asks you to pay, it's not Legal Aid. Check IAA registration: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser

Documents — what to gather

checklist

Required

Refusal letter from the Home Office (has the reference number)
All previous letters from the Home Office
Home Office asylum decision (Reasons for Refusal Letter / RFC)
Email for the tribunal website account
Address + phone number

Helpful to have

Passport / any identity documents
Medical certificates (especially if you have trauma, PTSD)
Statements from people who know your situation
Correspondence with family back home (if it confirms a threat)
Publications about the situation in your country

Your lawyer will tell you exactly what is needed for your case. Gather everything you have — don't throw anything away.

IAFT-1 — the appeal form online

6 steps · 10 minutes

IAFT-1 is the official form for filing an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (FtT). It is filed online.

Open the tribunal websiteappeal-immigration-asylum-decision.service.gov.uk

Create an accountEmail + password, confirmation code sent to your email

Answer basic questionsAre you in the UK? In detention? Type of Home Office decision?

Enter the reference number from your letterDate of refusal + Home Office reference number

Fill in your personal detailsName, date of birth, address, phone number

Check and submitSubmit — done! Confirmation sent to your email.

Confusion about terms: this page is about appealing a refusal of asylum (Home Office refusal). If you were refused asylum support (housing/money), that's a different process: you have 3 days to file with the Asylum Support Tribunal. → Appeal support decisions

Evidence bundle — package of evidence

prepare with a lawyer

The evidence bundle is the complete package of evidence you submit to the court. Your lawyer will help you put it together. Below are the main categories.

Witness statement (written testimony)Your personal story — detailed, chronological. Your lawyer will help you write it. This is the most important document in your case.
Country of Origin Evidence (COE)Data about the situation in your country: reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Home Office Country Policy Information Notes. Your lawyer knows which ones to use.
Medical reportsIf you have experienced torture or trauma, a medical report (e.g. a Medico-Legal report) can significantly strengthen your case. Referral through Freedom from Torture or the Helen Bamber Foundation.
Witness statementsWritten statements from people who can confirm your story — relatives, a priest, a doctor, neighbours.

Hearing — what to expect in court

6–12 months wait

After filing the IAFT-1, the tribunal sets a hearing date. Due to backlogs, you will wait 6–12 months — this is normal. Throughout this time, Section 95 (housing + money) continues.

File IAFT-1 You receive a confirmation by email. Your case is registered.

Wait for a date · 6–12 months The court is overloaded. Housing and ASPEN money are preserved. Use this time — work with your lawyer, gather evidence.

Notice of hearing Arrives by post. Make sure your address is up to date in the court system. To change your address: contactia@justice.gov.uk or 0300 123 1711.

Hearing day Come with your lawyer. There will be a judge, a Home Office representative, an interpreter (if needed — tell them in advance). You will be asked questions about your story.

Court decision Sometimes immediately, sometimes by post a few weeks later. ~50% win — refugee status or humanitarian protection. If you lose, there are further options (see below).

If you lose — a fresh claim (further submissions)

Para 353 · Upper Tribunal

Losing in the First-tier Tribunal is not the end. There are several further routes. All require a lawyer.

Upper Tribunal — if the judge made an error of law Not a re‑examination of facts, but an appeal on a legal error. You need "permission to appeal". Deadline — 12 working days after the FtT decision. → Only with a lawyer.
Further Submissions (Para 353) — new substantial evidence Filed with the Home Office (not the court). If the situation in your country has changed or new evidence has emerged, your lawyer will assess whether there is a basis. → More: startnewlife.uk/en/further-submissions
Judicial Review — last resort Challenging procedural failures by the Home Office. Deadline — 3 months. Complex and expensive, but Legal Aid may cover it. Only with an experienced lawyer.

Don't confuse: Further Submissions is not a new appeal. It is submitting new evidence to the Home Office. If there is nothing new, the Home Office will simply refuse. Always discuss with a lawyer before filing.

Asylum support during appeal

Section 95 · important to know

🏠

If you are on Section 95 — support CONTINUES during the appeal

Section 95 (housing + ASPEN card) remains active the entire time your appeal is ongoing — until the final decision. You will not be evicted or have payments stopped.

How much you receiveASPEN card: £49.18/week per adult (as of May 2026). Pregnant: £5.25/week supplement. Child under 1: £9.50/week supplement.
What to do if support stopsImmediately call Migrant Help: 0808 8010 503. Stopping Section 95 during an active appeal is a Home Office error that can be challenged.
After winning the appeal42 days to transition from asylum support to Universal Credit (UC). Apply for UC immediately after receiving the decision — don't wait for a BRP or eVisa. Use the letter granting you status.

Common mistakes — avoid them

⏰

Missing the 14‑day deadline without an explanationFile immediately — with any grounds. An explanation for the delay is needed, but the court often accepts it.

🚫

Paying a "lawyer" in cashA Legal Aid lawyer never takes money. Check IAA registration. Scammers are common in this area.

📋

Filing IAFT-1 without a lawyer if your case is complexSelf‑filing is fine for registration. But grounds of appeal and the evidence bundle are best done with a lawyer.

📍

Not updating your address with the court when you moveThe hearing notice arrives by post. If it doesn't reach you, you miss the hearing and lose by default.

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Confusing the appeal form (IAFT-1) with Further SubmissionsThese are different processes. IAFT-1 — to the court, within 14 days. Further Submissions — to the Home Office, after a final refusal.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an appeal cost?

£0 if you are on Section 95 — attach a copy of your letter when you file. Without Section 95: £140 (with a hearing) or £80 (without). You can apply for fee remission — a reduction or a full waiver of the fee. A Legal Aid lawyer is free too.

More than 14 days have passed — can I still file?

Yes. File with an explanation of why you are late (you were ill, had no lawyer, did not receive the letter on time, a language barrier). The court decides case by case — it often accepts. Do not spend time on doubts: every extra day makes the explanation harder.

What happens to my housing during the appeal?

Section 95 (housing + ASPEN card) stays active the whole time your appeal is ongoing. You will not be evicted and payments will not stop. If it does happen — call Migrant Help 0808 8010 503 straight away: this is an error that can be challenged.

How long until the hearing?

You have 14 days to file, but the tribunal sets the hearing date 6–12 months later — the court is overloaded, and this is normal. Housing and money are preserved that whole time. Use the wait to prepare with a lawyer.

Do I need a lawyer?

You can file the IAFT-1 form yourself in 10 minutes. But a lawyer prepares the grounds of appeal (the arguments), gathers evidence and represents you in court — that noticeably improves your chances. A Legal Aid lawyer is free; you can find one in our lawyer database.

What do I need to file the form?

The refusal letter from the Home Office (it has the reference number), an email address for the tribunal website account, your address and your phone number. Nothing else is needed to register the appeal — you gather the evidence later, for the hearing.

If I lose the appeal — what next?

This is not the end. You can ask for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (on an error of law), and if new evidence appears — file a fresh claim (further submissions) under paragraph 353. We have a separate page about the fresh claim.

Can I work during the appeal?

In most cases no — the rules are the same as while your claim is being considered. After 12 months of waiting, in some cases you can ask for permission to work in a limited set of roles. More on the "Can I work" page.

Refused asylum? File your appeal

Urgent help — appeal