A London law firm specialising in immigration services has been put up for sale on an insolvency marketplace in an early sign the government’s crackdown on visas has sparked a slump in applications.
Woolwich-based A Vincent Solicitors, which employs more than two dozen staff and has a second office in Manchester, offered multi-lingual support services in areas such as asylum applications, student visa applications and visas for those with a spouse or family member already in the UK, according to the company’s website.
But despite having traded “very profitably” in recent years, the company “encountered cash flow difficulties in 2025,” according to the insolvency marketplace advertisement, which has set a deadline of 20 January for offers to acquire the firm.
A Vincent Solicitors declined an invitation to comment.
Starmer cracks down on visas
In May, Keir Starmer unveiled plans to overhaul a “broken” immigration system through the tightening of English tests for all visa applicants and their adult dependants as well as lengthening the amount of time needed before gaining settled status.
Starmer said that businesses in particular had become “almost addicted to importing cheap labour” rather than investing in UK talent, as he increased visa fees and tightened visa conditions as well as benefits access for migrants.
The moves, combined with previous measures aimed at restricting immigration by Starmer’s predecessor in Downing Street, Rishi Sunak, have shown signs of paying off, with net migration to the UK tumbling from 649,000 in 2024 to 204,000 in the year to the end of June 2025.
Immigration numbers are set to fall further still, with some predicting net migration could drop below zero as soon as this year.
Legal sector under pressure
A Vincent’s difficulties also lay bare wider financial pressures facing the legal sector.
In the 12 months leading up to September 2025, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported that 533 law firms closed, with nearly 60 percent ceasing to practise.
The small-to-mid-tier regional sector faces several challenges, from talent shortages to cybersecurity issues. These problems have created a domino effect, with some firms seeking mergers with larger firms to survive, while others have been forced to close.
After City law firms began raising salaries for junior staff in response to increases by US legal businesses, many regional firms struggled to compete, resulting in a talent shortage at the regional level.
Additionally, rising business rates and professional indemnity insurance (PII) premiums have put pressure on already thin margins at these firms.
A lack of additional funds limits investment, especially in cybersecurity. In August, Birmingham law firm Glaisyers went into administration and closed after rising costs following a cyberattack on its property department.