Dhruti is a UK based solicitor and partner at the with over 28 years of experience as an immigration solicitor/advisor and is a highly regarded expert in both corporate and business immigration, as well as in assisting individuals in enabling them to make the UK their long-term home.
Her corporate immigration practice covers advising and successfully assisting multinationals, blue-chip companies and start-ups in applying for Sponsor Licences in the skilled worker or intra company transfer categories ( now called Senior Specialist visas) as well as advising Sponsors to ensure they are compliant with their obligations as Sponsor Licence holders.
Further, Dhruti regularly assists HNWIs, entrepreneurs and individuals with business visas such as Tier 1 Investor, Innovator, Start-Up visas, Sole Representative visas and Youth mobility visas.
Dhruti is also an expert in highly complex elderly dependent relative applications, overturning visit visa and other visa applications which have been refused, indefinite leave to remain applications, spouse visas/unmarried partner applications, EU settlement scheme applications, citizenship applications and Human Rights Act applications. She often advises on and deals with difficult matters where the outcome is uncertain or because it is particularly complicated.
Dhruti and her team are now well placed to advise on second citizenship /residence options in St Kitts, Portugal, Malta, Spain and Greece as well as some East European Countries.
Dhruti has been our go to solicitor since she was a partner at Vincent Bufffoni and Co more than 10 years ago. She helped Monster Energy with their sponsor Licence application many years ago and has since helped with all activities on the Sponsor Management System. More recently she advised on how our workers can go and work in the EU post-Brexit and provided advice on obtaining work permits in the EU. She is always prompt in her responses and is practical and pragmatic in her approach.
HR Generalist, Monster Energy UK
Dhruti assisted my company with a Sponsor Licence application enabling me to come on a 5-year skilled worker visa so that I could work as a director of my own company. The company had been established for many years but was operating low key in the UK. She held our hands throughout the process and helped with compliance matters, as well the issue of the Certificate of Sponsorship and the preparation of my skilled worker and skilled worker dependent applications. I was very happy with her assistance would highly recommend Dhruti.
CEO, GD
Dhruti was my UK immigration solicitor from 2013 to 2022. She’s helped me through applications for my Entrepreneur Visas, Partner Visa, Indefinite Leave to Remain as well as my Citizenship. Despite several tricky circumstances with a couple of my applications, Dhruti was able to provide a fresh perspective that worked with getting approvals. I would recommend her to those seeking an expert immigration solicitor who provides a highly personal and professional service.
Ryan London
Dhruti very efficiently guided us through the process and gave us the confidence to make the application which was ultimately successful.
Julie Elizabeth
I highly recommend Keystone Law, Dhruti Thakrar and Blerta Berisha for their services in relation to immigration law advisory and assistance in various types of applications.
Director of a Real Estate Company
Expertise
- Applying for Sponsor Licences
- Skilled worker visas for EU and Non-EU Nationals
- Sponsor Licence holders and their record-keeping obligations to maintain their Licence as well as preventing illegal working and training HR professionals
- Overturning the downgrading/suspension of Licences
- Tier 1 Investor
- Innovator and Start-Up visas
- Sole Representative visas
- Youth mobility visas
- Indefinite leave to remain
- EU Settlement scheme applications including late applications
- Elderly dependant relative applications
- Returning resident applications
- Citizenship applications including applications that are unfairly refused or particularly complex because of extensive absences
- Schengen visa applications/refusals
Experience
- Assisted a specialist drinks company based in France with a complex corporate structure with a Sole Representative visa for their senior sales executive to enable them to expand their operations in the UK.
- Advising senior HR personnel of several multinational client companies on their immigration requirements including:
- Renewing licences
- Applying for annual COS allocations
- Acting as level 1 user and assigning COSs
- Secure skilled worker visas
- Reporting and compliance obligations as Sponsor Licence holders
- Advising on securing permits to work in the EU
- Obtained three sponsor licences and skilled worker applications, all approved within 2 months.
- Secured a positive visa outcome for a dependent of a Sole Representative. The dependent had previously been refused the visa and was subject to a 10-year ban. The family believed that they would have to live apart for 10 years. Upon taking instructions it transpired that an innocent mistake had led to this outcome.
- Assisted with a 10-year-rule application which was successful under paragraph 39 E even though there was a one-year gap between the time a decision was made by the Home Office not to reconsider a matter and the client making a new application as requested by them.
- Successfully assisted in a 10-year-rule application with excessive absences.
- Secured a skilled worker visa for a lady who had previously been a domestic worker abroad.
- Secured a Schengen visa in 10 days from start to finish when published timelines were 25–30 days.
- Assisted in applying for a Sponsor Licence for a care home (a group company based in Skegness).
- Securing Sponsor Licences and Tier 2 work visas and now Skilled Worker visas for care worker/nursing staff and senior management staff.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in The Legal 500 (2021-2024) for Immigration
Member of the Immigration Practitioners Association (ILPA)
Global Law Experts Recommended Attorney
Career
Dhruti qualified as a solicitor in 1992. Prior joining Keystone Law in 2022, she worked at Edwin Coe as Head of Immigration and co-founded Vincent Buffoni and Co, a highly-regarded boutique Immigration law firm.