A prominent London law firm that provides immigration advice has been listed for sale on an insolvency marketplace, in one of the first clear signs that the government's tightening of visa rules is hitting the sector hard.
Firm's Cash Flow Crisis Amid Policy Shift
A Vincent Solicitors, based in Woolwich with a second office in Manchester, has been advertised for sale with a deadline for offers set for 20 January 2026. The firm, which employs more than two dozen staff, offered services in asylum, student visas, and family settlement cases.
According to the sale listing, the company had traded "very profitably" in recent years but encountered cash flow difficulties in 2025. The firm declined to comment on the situation.
Starmer's Visa Overhaul Takes Effect
The firm's troubles coincide with a significant policy shift. In May 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled plans to overhaul what he called a "broken" immigration system. The measures included tightening English language tests, increasing visa fees, and lengthening the time required to gain settled status.
Starmer argued that businesses had become "almost addicted to importing cheap labour" instead of investing in domestic talent. These policies, building on restrictions introduced by his predecessor Rishi Sunak, have shown rapid results.
Net migration to the UK fell dramatically from 649,000 in 2024 to 204,000 in the year to the end of June 2025. Some analysts predict net migration could drop below zero as soon as this year.
Wider Strains on the Legal Profession
The difficulties at A Vincent Solicitors highlight broader financial pressures across the UK's legal sector. In the 12 months to September 2025, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported that 533 law firms closed, with nearly 60% ceasing to practise entirely.
Small and mid-sized regional firms face a perfect storm of challenges:
- Talent shortages as they struggle to compete with salary hikes offered by City and US firms.
- Rising costs for business rates and professional indemnity insurance (PII).
- Limited funds for essential investment in areas like cybersecurity.
This pressure has created a domino effect, forcing some firms to seek mergers for survival. In a stark example, Birmingham firm Glaisyers went into administration and closed in August 2025 after rising costs following a cyberattack on its property department.
The sale of A Vincent Solicitors serves as a concrete indicator of how swiftly changing immigration policy is reverberating through the professional services that support the system, compounding existing sector-wide strains.
