Katie Dilger

Solicitor, Wesley Gryk Solicitors LLP

Katie is a Senior Solicitor at Wesley Gryk, a specialist immigration firm. Her practice covers a full range of immigration and nationality matters. She has a particular specialisation in complex family cases under the Immigration Rules and on the basis of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to family and private life. She acts for a wide range of individuals and families.

Since 2016, Katie has been a co-convenor of the Family and Personal Migration working group of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association

(ILPA). She is also a deputy editor of the Journal of Immigration, Asylum & Nationality Law.

Katie was part of the LexisPSL team from 2016 to 2017.

Contributed to

1

Sole responsibility and serious and compelling considerations

Practice notes

This Practice Note looks at the alternative requirements which apply to a number of categories under the Immigration Rules that involve children. These are where a parent has sole responsibility for the child, or there are serious and compelling family or other considerations which make exclusion of the child undesirable and suitable arrangements have been made for their care in the UK. More recently, the guidance for child dependants in work and study routes has become more generous in some respects on the serious and compelling circumstances ground. The note discusses Home Office and judicial interpretation of these concepts as well as providing tips on how to demonstrate that the relevant requirements are met. It also provides a reminder that in all cases the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (the s 55 duty) must be taken into account.

Immigration