Running an immigration advisory practice means wearing many hats. You're part adviser, part document manager, part administrator, and part accountant. And like many advisers, you might be using a collection of different tools to manage your practice.

Email for communication. Google Drive for documents. A separate tool for e-signatures. Maybe a spreadsheet for tracking invoices. And another app for reminders. Sound familiar?

Let's look at what a typical client journey looks like with this scattered approach, and how it compares to having everything in one purpose-built platform.

The Problem with Multiple Tools

Even advisers who have adopted some digital tools often find themselves juggling between platforms:

E-Signature Tools

DocuSign, HelloSign, or Adobe Sign for contracts. But these are standalone tools that don't connect to your case files.

Cloud Storage

Google Drive or Dropbox for documents. But you're manually organizing folders and there's no link to client cases.

Email

Gmail or Outlook for communication. But finding that one case email from 3 weeks ago? Good luck.

Invoicing

Xero, QuickBooks, or manual invoices. Completely separate from your case management.

The challenge? A lot of time can end up being spent switching between apps and manually moving information around.

The Typical Way: A Scattered Workflow

Here's what a typical client journey looks like for many immigration advisers:

Initial Contact

Client enquires via website or phone. You respond by email and schedule a consultation. (Tool: Email)

Client Agreement

Send agreement via email or a separate e-signature tool. Even if they sign digitally, you need to manually download and keep a record of it. (Tools: Email + DocuSign + Google Drive)

Document & Form Collection

Email a list of required documents and PDF forms. Client downloads, prints, fills by hand, scans, and emails back. Or worse, they come to the office. (Tools: Email + Manual handling)

Keep Records Manually

Download attachments from email, rename them, save to the right folder. Hope you don't miss anything. (Tools: Email + Google Drive)

Communication Chaos

All communication via email. Searching for specific information means digging through hundreds of threads. (Tool: Email)

Invoicing & Payments

Invoices live in a separate tool, disconnected from cases. Tracking what's been invoiced for each case means cross-checking between systems. (Tools: Xero/Excel + Email)

Multiple tools. Constant context switching. Time spent on admin instead of clients.

An Integrated Approach

Here's what the same client journey could look like with an integrated platform:

Work to Residence

Visa Granted

Case #CS00096 • Sarah Johnson

OverviewDocumentsNotesRemindersInvoicesFormsContractsEmails

CategoryWork to Residence

StatusVisa Granted

Assigned ToEmma Wilson

Documents

Notes

Emails

Reminders

Everything for a case in one place: documents, notes, emails, invoices, forms, and contracts.

Create Client & Case

Create a client profile and a case for their specific visa category. Everything for this case will live here.

Send Agreement from the Case

Select your agreement template, send it directly from the case. Client receives a link, views and signs on their phone. Signed copy is automatically saved to the case documents and a note is created.

Send Digital Forms

Digitise your existing PDF forms by dragging and dropping signature fields onto them. Or build advanced forms with conditional logic for questionnaires and document collection. Send to clients with one click. They fill and sign on their phone, save drafts to complete later. Completed forms are automatically saved to the case. You get notified instantly.

Everything Saved Automatically

Documents, signed agreements, completed forms. All automatically saved to the case. No manual downloading or organising.

Email Built Into the Case

Send emails from within the case. When clients reply, emails are automatically tracked in the case. Each case has its own email address. No more digging through your inbox.

Invoice from the Same Place

Create and send invoices directly from the case. Track payments, send reminders, issue receipts. Every invoice is linked to its case. Easy to see what's been invoiced for each client.

One place for everything. Less switching. More time for what matters.

A Quick Comparison

Task	Multiple Tools	Integrated Platform
Client Agreement	Email + e-signature tool + save manually	Send from case, auto-saved when signed
Form Collection	Print, scan, email back and forth	Fill on phone, auto-saved to case
Find a Case Email	Search through your inbox	Open the case, it's there
Keep Record of Documents	Download, rename, save to folder	Auto-saved to the case
Track Invoices per Case	Cross-check between systems	Every invoice linked to its case

The Potential Benefits

Less

Time on repetitive admin

Fewer

Tools to manage

Better

Visibility into each case

When everything lives in one place, there's less time spent on admin and more time available for what really matters: helping clients with their immigration journey.

Less switching between different apps. Less manual filing. Fewer chances of documents slipping through the cracks or communications getting lost.

It's about finding the right tools that work together, so you can focus on your clients.

From Scattered Tools to One Platform: A Look at Streamlining Your Immigration Practice