No, if your application has been formally withdrawn, we cannot reopen or reinstate it. This applies whether the application was withdrawn because you did not respond to requests for information or correspondence, or because you chose to withdraw it. In these circumstances, you would need to submit a new application once the current pause has ended.
We are currently only accepting applications from Transferring Qualified Lawyers who meet at least one of the criteria below and can provide supporting evidence:
- You have been offered pupillage with an authorised pupillage training provider that is due to start before 1 January 2029.
- You have been offered tenancy or employment that requires you to hold a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales. Offers for other types of employment will not be considered.
The eligibility criteria above do not apply to lawyers who have qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. Applications from these lawyers will continue to be accepted and processed under the relevant recognition of professional qualifications framework.
You will need to provide a letter from your employer on their headed paper and addressed to us, confirming:
- the date you are due to start
- what the job involves (a job description is fine)
- why the role needs a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales
- that the work is mainly legal work under the law of England and Wales, with a real caseload. A job title, or an employer simply referring you to be a barrister, isn't enough.
- who’ll supervise you, if you need a qualified person, and that they will be available when you need them
- that you have the right to work in the UK, and that the right-to-work checks have been or will be completed before you start
You will need to provide a letter from the Head of Chambers you are due to join, on their headed paper and addressed to us, confirming:
- the date you are due to join chambers
- why chambers has offered you tenancy
- who will supervise you, if you need a qualified person, and that they will be available when you need them
You will need to provide a letter from the authorised pupillage training provider on their headed paper and addressed to us, confirming:
- that they have offered you pupillage
- the date your pupillage is due to start
No. The job has to require a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales. Other jobs do not count, even legal ones.
Your employer must explain in their letter why the job needs a practising certificate, as well as evidence of the right to work in the UK.
You must have the legal right to work in the UK on the start date of your employment offer. Your employer must confirm that Home Office right-to-work checks have been (or will be) completed before employment starts. This includes verifying any restrictions that may affect your employer, duties, hours or duration of work.
Where further immigration permission is required, the request must show:
- the outstanding permission
- any necessary sponsorship
- evidence supporting the proposed start date
However, a job offer or sponsorship commitment alone does not establish a right to work in the UK.
No. The same two criteria apply. That includes:
- qualified lawyers who have been granted rights of audience by another Approved Regulator in England and Wales, including solicitors
- lawyers who have qualified in a jurisdiction outside England and Wales
- people who teach the law of England and Wales
The eligibility criteria above do not apply to lawyers who have qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. Applications from these lawyers will continue to be accepted and processed under the relevant recognition of professional qualifications framework.
