Catriona Barclay is a Trainee Solicitor at Laura Devine Immigration (LDI), where she advises corporate and private clients on a broad range of UK immigration matters.

She works with employers, multinational businesses and entrepreneurs, delivering practical and strategic immigration solutions tailored to their needs. Since joining LDI in 2022, she has supported businesses across a variety of sectors, with a particular focus on technology, artificial intelligence and other innovative, high-growth companies, ranging from early-stage ventures to established multinational organisations. Her experience includes Skilled Worker sponsorship, sponsor licence applications and compliance, day-to-day sponsorship support for employers, and global mobility matters.

She regularly advises private individuals, families and high-net-worth individuals on a broad range of UK immigration matters. Her experience includes settlement, British citizenship, first British passport and family immigration applications. She has particular experience in complex settlement, nationality and family immigration matters involving extensive documentary evidence and detailed reviews of residence and travel histories. Catriona takes a practical and client-focused approach to her work, helping individuals and families navigate the UK’s immigration system with confidence.

Catriona holds an LLB (Graduate Entry) from the University of Edinburgh and an LLM in Immigration Law (Distinction) from Queen Mary University of London, where she was awarded the Immigration Law Programme Prize for achieving the highest mark on the programme. She also completed a research internship with the Human Rights Law Centre at Queen Mary University of London. Prior to joining LDI, Catriona volunteered as a Caseworker with Bail for Immigration Detainees.

Alongside her client work, Catriona has a particular interest in the intersection of immigration law, artificial intelligence, public policy and data protection. Her publications, presentations and policy contributions have explored the use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies in border control and immigration administration, as well as the legal and practical challenges arising from the digitalisation of the UK’s immigration system. Her research has also examined the implications of international data-sharing arrangements, the processing of migrants’ personal data and the importance of maintaining effective data protection safeguards, with a particular focus on transparency, accountability and governance.