Nina Russell

Name: Nina Russell
Occupation: Immigration Advisor
Age: 52
Born: Glasgow

When Nina Russell became an immigration advisor, she found that helping people of all nationalities better understand immigration law was extremely rewarding.

"There are no two days the same in my line of work. I never know what nationality the next customer will be, or what their individual situation is. It is very demanding and a real challenge.

"I deal with people on a one to one basis, making presentations to large groups, such as businesses and students."

Nina trained with UK Immigration Advisory Service (IAS), the largest not-for-profit provider of immigration legal services in Scotland and the UK.

"I was asked to work on a secondment basis with the Relocation Advisory Service (RAS) and have been with the team in Glasgow since 2007."

Nina loves Scotland with its variety of history, culture and arts and is very positive about immigration, though changing laws can cause confusion.

"The scenery can move from calm lochs and mountains to busy city streets within a few miles," she says. "I could easily be an ambassador for Scotland and all it has to offer. I believe that Scotland can only benefit from embracing new people choosing to live, work and study here.

"Immigration law is changing constantly, the introduction of the new Points Base system is a perfect example of this. It can be difficult to understand, which is when the staff at IAS and RAS should be contacted to ease the process."

When asked to sum up the work that she does Nina says, "If I can, in some small way, make a difference to peoples lives simply by giving accurate advice, then I am indeed privileged."

More information

• Immigration Advisory Service (IAS)
• Relocation Advisory Service (RAS)