For 35 years Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit has been supporting people subject to immigration control.
We offer the following services to the communities in Greater Manchester and the North West.
Our team specialises in providing expert legal advice on immigration, concentrating on nationality, asylum and human rights. We provide dedicated services for people who are particularly vulnerable (victims of torture, trafficking, rape and domestic violence, and children).
All our immigration caseworkers and solicitors are accredited by the Law Society and maintain an up to date knowledge of all aspects of immigration and asylum law and practice.
We represent people at every stage of the legal process. We also, where necessary, instruct expert counsel to represent our clients. We are committed to challenging discrimination and encouraging and promoting equality and diversity within our policies, practices and procedures.
GMIAU is regulated by the IAA, Registered No: N201000004
Manchester
We no longer operate an in-person drop in service. Please ring our advice line 0161 740 7722.
Our advice line operates on Mondays AND Fridays from 9:30am to 1pm, and on Wednesdays from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
GMIAU
1 Delaunays Road, Crumpsall Green
Manchester, M8 4QS
Email: info@gmiau.org
Liverpool
GMIAU has an office in Liverpool, providing asylum legal advice and representation. Access to the services at the Liverpool office is by appointment only.
Asylum Link Merseyside
St. Anne’s Centre
7 Overbury Street
Liverpool L7 3HJ
Email: info@gmiau.org
Our homelessness and crisis team supports people with a wide range of issues relating to homelessness and destitution.
We aim to protect people’s rights to housing and food and lift people out of poverty while also giving advice immigration routes out of destitution. We offer the following support:
- Application for asylum support (formerly NASS)
- Asylum support appeals
- Applications for extra payments for children and exceptional needs
- Application for “schedule 10” support.
- Applications to change the “NRPF” condition on someone’s leave to remain
- Late applications to the EUSS for homeless people
- Immigration advice for people facing imminent homelessness.
- Support for families in need of accommodaiton and support from social services (under section 17 of the Children Act)
- Help with healthcare (registering with GP, challenging NHS fees, applying for NHS fee exemption)
- Referrals to homeless charities, welfare charities and social services
- Referrals for food parcels
- Signposting to organisations to help with status housing and benefit advice
Drop-in advice sessions
We partner with organisations across Greater Manchester in order to run face to face advice sessions. If you would like to find out more, please contact the organisation near you for more details:
| Manchester | Rainbow Haven |
| Manchester | The Booth Centre |
| Oldham | SAWN |
| Rochdale | Caring and Sharing |
| Manchester | Cornerstones |
Restricted Eligibility Support Service
GMIAU is working in partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Boaz Trust and the Booth Centre to deliver floating support and immigration advice for people who have restricted eligibility for public funds because of their immigration status and are facing, or are at risk of, homelessness.
Click here to download the RESS Year 1 Impact Report.
This service is for Non-UK Nationals with restricted eligibility for public funds because of their immigration status, including people with unknown status, “no recourse to public funds” restrictions, people in the asylum system or Pre-settled status.
• You should be at imminent risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
• You should be a non-UK national with restricted or uncertain eligibility for public funds
because of your immigration status (or lack thereof).
• You should be over the age of 18.
• You should be currently located in one of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Please note that couples can be referred as well as single people and offending history is not a barrier. People with children should be referred directly to GMIAU.
Referrals can be made by individuals seeking help for themselves, or by any agency in Greater Manchester supporting a person that fits the criteria. If you are unable to use the link above, enquiries can be emailed to ress.referrals-gm@boothcentre.org.uk
If you are not eligible for this service – for example if you are in a family, or in the North West outside of Greater Manchester, use GMIAU’s standard referral form.
We accept referrals from individuals and partner organisations.
Training for partner organisations in the North West of England
Thanks to funding from the National Lottery and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority we are running training sessions throughout the year on supporting people who have no recourse to pubic funds or restricted eligibility to access mainstream accommodaiton and services. All sessions are 1 hour long except the Routes out of Destitution training which is 2.5 hours.
The training is free but places are limited. For more information and to sign up, click on the course title to be taken to the Eventbrite page.
07/08/25 (10am-11am) – An introduction to supporting people on the Health and Care Worker visa
19/08/25 (2-3pm) – Immigration and housing support for people with mental health needs
18/09/25 (1:30-3:30pm) – Home Office Cessations and Refugee Homelessness
10/10/25 (11am) – Understanding the Immigration and Asylum System
11/11/25 (2pm) – Benefits for people from the EU
18/11/25 (2pm) – Age disputes for young people seeking asylum
19/11/25 (1:30pm) – Access to healthcare for people with restricted eligibility
25/11/25 (2:30pm) – Home Office Cessations and refugee homelessness
26/11/25 (9:30-12pm) – Routes out of destitution for people with NRPF
02/12/25 (2pm) – An introduction to Asylum Support
04/12/25 (10am) – Domestic Abuse
11/12/25 (11am) – Homelessness and immigration issues for people with mental health needs
Rights and Advocacy
Our specialist rights and advocacy service supports children and young people who are separated from their families to navigate the UK support and welfare systems and ensure that their rights are upheld. Our team works alongside our immigration caseworkers and includes solicitors in public law and a social worker to provide holistic support and ensure the best outcomes for young people.
We provide a free and confidential advice and support service for young people regarding their rights and entitlements in the areas of:
- Housing and homelessness
- Welfare support
- Local authority support
- Age assessments
- Health and wellbeing
- Education
Training, policy and speaking out
In addition to supporting young people directly, a key aim of our service is to improve the awareness and understanding of issues faced by migrant children by external agencies. We do this by providing training and advice as well as producing policy and research based on our specialist knowledge and contact with children in the immigration system.
Our “speaking out” publications and documents can be found here.
For more information on training available to professionals and advisors from non-immigration backgrounds, please contact maria@gmiau.org.
All4One Youth Group
The All4One youth group has been running since 2009 and brings together separated children and young people (aged 13-21) who are seeking safety in the UK. The group meets weekly on Wednesday evenings. The group brings young people together over fun activities as well as developing skills such as confidence and leadership skills. The group is also a platform for young people to speak out and campaign about issues important to them as well as learn about their rights and understand the asylum process. The group will also organise the occasional trip or activity on a Saturday, for example to the cinema or football matches.
Referrals
When making a referral for the All4One group, please complete this referral form:
We provide support to women with insecure immigration status and who are at risk and vulnerable to violence, danger and/or exploitation. We want women to access support, advice and advocacy to leave the situation they are in and secure a place of safety. Women who have insecure immigration status often have “no recourse to public funds” or believe they do, and are at risk of domestic violence, trafficking, forced labour, and other forms of gender based violence.
As part of our Safer Lives project, we produced the following resources: a database of support services in Greater Manchester (and some national services), and a leaflet titled ‘Supporting women at risk of violence and abuse with no recourse to public funds: A Practitioner’s Guide’. Download them below.
We accept written referrals for immigration legal advice and representation, from individuals and from agencies.
Please use the Referral Form below. Referrals may only be accepted from the North West of England. We cannot respond to referrals from anywhere else. Written referrals are considered once a week unless the matter is urgent.
Please send the completed form, together with copies of all Home Office and Tribunal decisions to:
Email: referrals@gmiau.org
Fax: 0161 740 5172
Post to: Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, 1 Delaunays Road, Crumpsall, Manchester M8 4QS
In person: Call into the office with a completed copy of the referral form together with the necessary documents.
Contact us for advice or make a referral
Fill out one of the forms below to request advice. If you are in doubt which form to use, please use the first form.
For immigration, asylum and destitution advice requests, use the Advice Form.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, use the Domestic Abuse Form.
For advice for children under 18, use the Children in Care (Asylum and Immigration) form.
For referrals to our KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) service please use the KIND form.
We accept requests for advice from individuals as well as referrals from third-parties.
Our referral form is open Monday-Thursday.
We are extremely busy and have very limited capacity to take on cases. We can provide advice but we are not currently able to take on cases or provide representation for the following types of cases:
- New asylum claims for adults
- Refugee Family Reunion
If you’re a professional referring someone to GMIAU, please see our Referral Guide for Professionals for more information.
Please note: our services, including referrals to GMIAU, are always free of charge. Anyone charging a fee to help you access GMIAU services is a scammer.
We advise you also contact other legal aid and private solicitors – see buttons below. For data consent, please see our privacy policy.
Kompasi is a new online service directory and referral platform for asylum, refugee and migrant support services in Greater Manchester. You can access the platform at www.kompasi.org.
I am on the 10 year route and have leave based on my family circumstances. I'm struggling and I have ‘no recourse to public funds’.
You need to make an application to have the restrictions on your access to public funds lifted. You can only do this if you can show that you have minimal income and have no savings.
This is on an online which is available on https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk.
For more help to apply see our information sheet.
I was given 5 years leave as a refugee and I have to apply for indefinite leave in the next month.
You have to make an online application before your visa finishes. This is a free application and the form is available here.
You will need an email address and you will be asked to verify your email address when you first start. You can also go back to the form via the email at any time before you submit it so you can make changes. The form asks for your personal details, the places you have been living at for the last 5 years, details of your Biometric card and travel document ( if you have one) and your national insurance number. The form also allows you to put your family dependants on it and asks for the same information about them.
After you have made your application you will be referred to another website to make an appointment. This appointment is to hand your documents in and also have your biometrics taken. You will find however that there will be no appointments available until you get an email asking you to make an appointment. This could be some time after your application has been submitted.
Once you get this email you need to log into this website again and make sure that you look for free appointments which will only be available towards the end of the appointment list dates. You will have more success if you try to make the appointments early in the morning as only a limited number of free appointments are made available.
You should also upload the documents requested before you go to your appointment.
I was working and supporting my spouse (husband or wife) who is on a visa with no recourse to public funds. I’ve lost my job. Can I apply for benefits? What do I say about my spouse?
You can apply for benefits as the restriction to benefits only stops your spouse wife from claiming in her own name. You should tell them what her status is. An application for benefits by you will not affect her current visa.
If your spouse’s visa is due to expire soon you need to seek advice about the extension application.
I’m here on a spouse visa with no recourse to public funds. I am suffering domestic violence. What can I do to escape?
There is scope within the Immigration rules for someone who leaves their spouse because of domestic violence to obtain permanent stay. This only applies to someone who has status on the basis of a relationship to either a British Citizen or a person with permanent leave to remain.
You also need to have left your partner before your visa expires, and need to have some objective proof (e.g police report/ doctor/refugee letter) to confirm that there has been Domestic Violence.
If you have no income or savings then the first step is to make a Destitute Domestic Violence Concession application. This is an online application and is dealt with in a matter of days. You don’t have to send any proof of Domestic Violence, as all the Home Office check is whether your status is on the basis of a relationship with a British partner or someone with permanent leave to remain. They will require your partner’s full name, date of birth and the address where you were living with them, plus your details and details of your visa.
If this all checks out, then you will be granted 3 months’ status with access to public funds. You have to make the full Domestic Violence application within those 3 months. The form is available here.
It can also be found by googling ‘DDV concession form’, and it can be sent by email to DomesticViolence2@homeoffice.gov.uk