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VIEW ALLLEgAL 500 2027John is truly exceptional! He’s an excellent lawyer, which is no mean feat in the area of business immigration. This field is notorious for the continuous changes to excessively complex legal provisions accompanied by byzantine transitional provisions, and he keeps the rest of these with consummate ease. He is insightful with an eye on the interests of his clients at all times. He’s also an absolute pleasure to work with in that he considers all options thoughtfully and works quickly, accurately, and with good humor.
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As Head of Howard Kennedy’s Immigration team, John Kiely provides strategic and bespoke advice across all areas of UK immigration law.
John leads the firm’s corporate and private client immigration offering, with particular expertise in advising high-net-worth individuals, families and entrepreneurs on complex, high-value matters.
With over 13 years of experience, John is recognised for his expertise in complex immigration matters, including settlement and nationality issues, applications under Appendix FM, Tier 1 (Investor), Global Talent, Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility, International Sportsperson and Innovator Founder routes. He also has significant experience in preparing discretionary applications outside the Immigration Rules based on Article 3 and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights to safeguard clients’ rights in exceptional and sensitive circumstances.
John advises corporate clients on sponsor licence management and compliance obligations, helping businesses mitigate risk and avoid civil penalties.
He works closely with private wealth advisers, tax specialists and family offices to deliver integrated solutions for clients with significant assets and cross-border interests. John is regarded as an industry leader in Tech Nation visa applications and has developed niche expertise in International Sportsperson visas. His insights have been sought by national publications on football transfers and Government Body Endorsement criteria, and he has appeared in The Financial Times and The Economist in relation to immigration and high-net-worth matters.
John is ranked in Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide and Legal 500 for both corporate and private client immigration, reflecting his reputation for excellence in this specialist field.
- "John Kiely leads a truly well-integrated team of great liars. In my experience as counsel, I have never had to go back to further explain what I needed or chase for any information or documents. That is so rare when people work in teams. They absolutely know what they’re doing and they are technically knowledgeable as well as acutely aware of the needs of their clients as well as their place in the team. Well, I don’t know about the details of their use of technology. They must be absolutely adept at this." Legal 500 2027
- "John Kiely, the head lawyer, and Annisha Moosafeer make a brilliant team. John is the mastermind and Annisha executes perfectly." Legal 500 2027
- "I have worked with John for some years. He is superbly knowledgeable and able to quickly identify the best tactical solutions for the needs of his clients. As counsel, I struggle to think of another solicitor in the field who combines lawyerly rigor with calm, confidence, and absolute commitment to his clients. He is a true team player who listens and considers all options with care and incisive analysis. We have worked on difficult cases together where multiple options needed to be analyzed cautiously, and I always came out being deeply impressed by his ability to work through a veritable maze of options, all of which carried different consequences when discussing advice for his clients. He has a true openness to alternative ideas and combines utter professionalism with an unfailing positive attitude and good humor. He also finds the time to lead in promoting and supporting social mobility in high-end firms." Legal 500 2027
- "John Kiely leads a most efficient and outstanding team. They are an absolute pleasure to work with. The work on cases is seamlessly joined up, which is truly rare in the field. They are quick to respond, instantly locate and provide relevant information and documents, but importantly, all in the context of true insight into the technical legal aspects of cases as well as client priorities. I have worked on his cases with his excellent associate Jieun Kim, as well as more junior members, all of whom were impressive." Legal 500 2027
- "John is an incredibly trusted adviser with a great level of care and service." Immigration: High Net Worth Individuals, Chambers HNW Guide 2026
- "The Howard Kennedy team provides succinct and accurate updates. Would happily put John Kiely in front of my clients." Legal 500 2026
- "John Kiely is by far one of the best immigration lawyers in London. His knowledge, pragmatic no-fluff attitude and desire to find solutions are brilliant. He is incredibly personable and understands the key issues facing clients, which are not always based on the law. He speaks a client's language and that stands out. Personally, I would not use anyone else." Legal 500 2026
- "John Kiely is very responsive." Legal 500 2026
- John Kiely was recommended in Citywealth Leaders List: Top 30 Immigration Advisors 2026
- Ranked Band 3, Immigration: HNWI, Chambers HNW Guide 2025
- "John Kiely is responsive and pro-active in supporting clients." Legal 500 2025
- "John Kiely is very responsive and professional." Legal 500 2025
- "I found John Kiely to be very experienced in dealing with the intricacies of my visa application process. He took the guesswork out of the appeal." Chambers HNW 2024
- "John takes the initiative to address legal matters promptly and efficiently, ensuring that potential issues are identified and addressed before they escalate." Chambers HNW 2024
- "John Kiely is a very skilled advocate, offering great advice throughout the process of our application and ensuring the process went through smoothly and successfully." Chambers HNW 2024
John loves football (particularly Arsenal) and is a keen marathon runner and triathlete.