The service is paid for by the Scottish Government. 

To learn more about what our service offers, see the Scotland’s Migration Service page.

Who can use the service

Website 

Anyone with an interest in living, working, studying, investing or doing business in Scotland can use the information on this website. 

Advice appointments 

To get a one-to-one advice appointment with Citizens Advice Scotland, you need to meet certain criteria. 

You can be considered for an appointment if you: 

  • Have lived in Scotland for less than two years
  • Live in Scotland and have limited leave to enter or remain in the UK
  • Are an international student or graduate in Scotland
  • Have a close family member who lives in Scotland and want to join them
  • Have a job offer in Scotland and want to move here

To book an appointment, visit our appointment booking page. 

If you’re an employer and investor, you may be able to get a one-to-one appointment with immigration law firm Seraphus instead.

Who cannot use the service

We’re unable to provide one-to-one appointments for: 

  • Under 18s 
  • People who have indefinite leave to remain and are looking for citizenship and naturalisation advice  
  • Asylum seekers, victims of trafficking, stateless persons or those seeking international protection 

If you are under 18, you can access support from: 

Clan Childlaw (clanchildlaw.org)

The Scottish Child Law Centre (sclc.org.uk) 

If you need humanitarian support, you can get help from the Scottish Refugee Council (scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk) on 0808 1967 274.

If you need legal advice in relation to protection, you can find a lawyer through the Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk).

BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT

You can book an appointment with an adviser using the online booking system. 

An adviser might offer you up to three appointments, depending on your circumstances. The adviser will talk to you about follow-up appointments at the end of your first appointment. 

You can book an appointment with Citizens Advice Scotland: 

  • From 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday 
  • From 10am to 4pm on Saturday 
  • Up to three weeks in advance 
  • At least three days before your selected date 

You can choose to have the appointment on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or by phone. Your appointment will last up to one hour.  

You will get a confirmation email after you've booked an appointment. The email will explain what information you should prepare and what will happen at the appointment.  

If you cannot find an appointment time, you should email Citizens Advice Scotland at migration@cas.org.uk. 

However, we cannot give advice via this email. You can get advice on this website or book an appointment with an adviser. 

Please do not include attachments in your email. 

Book a free advice appointment with Citizens Advice Scotland.

HOW THE SERVICE IS REGULATED 

The provision of immigration advice is regulated by part V of the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act (legislation.gov.uk).

Advisers must be registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) (portal.oisc.gov.uk) Alternatively, they must be a member of a specified professional body.   

Citizens Advice Scotland is regulated by the OISC. Citizens Advice Scotland advisers operate under the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers (gov.scot)

Scottish Government is not liable for any information or advice provided by our third-party service providers. Only the advice provider is liable for the quality of advice provided to people who use the service. 

HOW TO CONTACT US  

If you have a general enquiry or would like to give feedback about the service, you can email: migration@cas.org.uk. 

We cannot give advice via this email. You can get advice on this website or book an appointment with an adviser. 

Please do not include attachments in your email. 

HOW TO COMPLAIN 

If you are not satisfied with the service you received, you can raise a complaint.   

COMPLAIN TO CITIZENS ADVICE SCOTLAND 

Email: migration@cas.org.uk. 

For more information about how Citizens Advice Scotland handles complaints, read the Citizens Advice Scotland complaint policy (cas.org.uk)

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We collect personal data or information for the purposes of delivering Scotland’s Migration Service, and to help us better understand your needs so we can continuously improve our service.    

Information on how scotland.org uses your personal information is set out in the privacy policy on scotland.org.   

When you leave scotland.org to book an appointment with Citizens Advice Scotland, your personal information is covered by their privacy rules. They follow General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and keep your data safe.  

For information about how your data will be used when you book an appointment, please read the Citizens Advice Scotland privacy policy (cas.org.uk)

Citizens Advice Scotland will securely store your personal data for seven years. This is for the purposes of delivering the service and to satisfy legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The lawful basis used to process your information is Art 6 (1) (f) ‘legitimate interests’ and Art 9 (2) (a) ‘consent’ of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (legislation.gov.uk) 

DISCLAIMER  

The content on the Scotland's Migration Service platform is created by Citizens Advice Scotland. We make every effort to keep the information on our website accurate. The materials contained on our website are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. Scottish Government accepts no liability for loss which may arise from reliance on information contained in this site, or any other site linked to this site.  

Information and advice received through the Scotland's Migration Service does not constitute ongoing legal representation. If, after using the service, you require further legal advice or representation, you may wish to instruct another provider. You can find a qualified adviser through the Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk)  

Alternatively, go to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) (portal.oisc.gov.uk)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SCOTLAND.ORG 

Scotland's Migration Service is hosted on www.scotland.org. Scotland.org is a site operated by Brand Scotland, a partnership between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Development International (the international arm of Scottish Enterprise), Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Universities Scotland, Creative Scotland and Scotland Food & Drink.   

For Scotland.org’s policies and procedures, please see the privacy policy on scotland.org.