Who we are

Our website address is: https://hstartc.com. We are Head Start Consultants. If you want to know more about us, click here

Customer Privacy Notice

Immigration & Visa Consultancy Services

Last updated: June 2026 | Version 2.0

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information when you use our immigration and visa consultancy services, visit our website, or contact us.

ICO Registration: Head Start Consultants is registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). [ZC188085]

1. Contact Details

Head Start Consultants is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

Company / Trading Name: Head Start Consultants

Website: https://hstartc.com

Email: md@hstartc.com

Telephone: +92 331 700 9927

2. What Information We Collect, Use, and Why

2.1 Providing immigration and visa consultancy services

We collect and use the following information to assess your eligibility, prepare and submit visa applications, and deliver our consultancy services:

Full name and contact details (phone, email, postal address)
Date of birth and nationality
Passport and travel document details
Immigration history and previous visa applications
Employment and financial information relevant to your application
Account and billing information
Correspondence and case notes
Website user information (including user journeys and cookie tracking)
Information relating to compliments or complaints

We also collect or use the following special category information to provide our services. This is sensitive data subject to additional legal protections:

Racial or ethnic origin (required by visa application forms and immigration rules)
Religious or philosophical beliefs (where relevant to visa applications)
Health information (where relevant to visa or immigration requirements)
Biometric data (where required by relevant embassies or visa application centres)

2.2 Service updates and marketing

We collect and use the following information to keep you informed about our services, promotions, and immigration news:

Names and contact details
Marketing preferences
Location data and IP addresses
Website and app user journey information

2.3 Recruitment

We collect the following information for recruitment purposes:

Contact details (name, address, telephone number, personal email address)
Date of birth
Employment history (job applications, employment references, secondary employment)
Education history and qualifications
Right to work documentation

Special category information collected for recruitment:

Health information (for occupational health or disability adjustments)

2.4 Dealing with queries, complaints or claims

We collect and use the following information when handling queries, complaints, or legal claims:

Names and contact details
Address and account information
Relevant information from previous interactions or investigations
Customer accounts and records
Correspondence

3. Lawful Bases and Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018), we must have a lawful basis for collecting and using your personal information. For special category data, we must also satisfy a separate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR.

You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website at ico.org.uk.

3.1 Providing immigration and visa consultancy services

Lawful bases (Article 6):

Contract — we need your information to enter into and perform our consultancy agreement with you. This covers most core service processing.
Legal obligation — we must retain certain records to comply with immigration law, anti-money laundering regulations, and HMRC requirements.
Consent — where we ask for your permission for specific uses and you have provided it. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.

Article 9 conditions for special category data:

Explicit consent (Article 9(2)(a)) — we will ask for your explicit written consent before processing sensitive data such as health or religious information.
Legal claims (Article 9(2)(f)) — where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.
Vital interests (Article 9(2)(c)) — in an emergency where processing is necessary to protect your vital interests.

3.2 Service updates and marketing

Lawful bases (Article 6):

Consent — we will only contact you for marketing purposes with your prior permission. You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking ‘unsubscribe’ in any email or contacting us directly.

3.3 Recruitment

Lawful bases (Article 6):

Legitimate interests — assessing candidates’ suitability for roles at Head Start Consultants. Unsuccessful candidate data is retained for up to 12 months in case of future vacancies, unless you ask us to delete it sooner.
Legal obligation — to verify right to work and comply with employment law.
Consent — where we ask you for optional information during the recruitment process.

Article 9 condition for special category recruitment data:

Explicit consent (Article 9(2)(a)) — we will seek your explicit consent before processing health or disability information for occupational health or reasonable adjustment purposes.

3.4 Queries, complaints and claims

Lawful bases (Article 6):

Contract — to resolve disputes arising from our services.
Legal obligation — to maintain records required by law.
Legitimate interests — to investigate and resolve complaints and protect our legal position.

4. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the lawful basis we rely on, you have the following rights. You can find out more at ico.org.uk/your-data-matters.

Right of access — you may request copies of the personal information we hold about you.
Right to rectification — you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure — you may ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction — you may ask us to limit how we use your information.
Right to object — you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Right to data portability — you may ask us to transfer your data to another organisation (applies where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means).
Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 1. We will respond within one month of receiving your request. There is no charge for making a request.

Note: Some rights do not apply in all circumstances. For example, the right to erasure does not apply where we must retain data to comply with a legal obligation (such as HMRC record-keeping requirements).

5. Who We Share Your Information With

As a visa and immigration consultancy, we necessarily share your personal data with third parties to provide our services. We only share what is necessary and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. Recipients include:

5.1 Embassies, high commissions and consulates

Your personal data (including application forms, supporting documents, and special category data) is submitted to the relevant embassy or consulate as part of the visa application process. Each embassy processes data under its own country’s laws.

5.2 Visa application centres (VACs)

Organisations such as VFS Global, TLScontact, or similar centres process biometric data and application submissions on behalf of governments. These are contractually required to handle data securely.

5.3 UK Home Office and UKVI

Where relevant to UK immigration matters, we may share data with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) or the Home Office.

5.4 Translation and document verification services

Certified translators and document verification providers may receive copies of personal documents where required for an application.

5.5 IT and software providers

We use secure case management and communication software. These providers act as data processors under written data processing agreements (Article 28 UK GDPR).

5.6 Professional advisers

Solicitors, accountants, and insurers may access data where necessary for legal, financial, or compliance purposes.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not share your data with marketing partners without your explicit consent.

6. International Transfers of Personal Data

As a visa consultancy, transferring your data to countries outside the UK is inherent to the service we provide. Visa applications require submission of your personal data to foreign governments and embassies.

Where we transfer data outside the UK, we ensure one of the following safeguards applies:

The destination country has been granted UK adequacy status by the Secretary of State (meaning it provides an equivalent level of data protection to the UK).
We use UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or UK Addenda to EU Standard Contractual Clauses with the receiving organisation.
The transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract between you and us (or to take pre-contractual steps at your request) — for example, submitting your visa application to a foreign embassy (Article 49(1)(b) UK GDPR).

Please be aware that once your data is received by a foreign government or embassy, it is processed under that country’s own data protection laws. We will advise you of the relevant embassy’s privacy practices where possible.

Action: List here the specific countries you routinely transfer data to (e.g. UK, Schengen area, USA, Canada, Australia, UAE, Pakistan) and the safeguard relied upon for each.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. Our retention schedule is as follows:

Data Type	Retention Period	Reason
Active client visa files	Until next intake or visa attempt; then 6 years from case closure	Limitation Act 1980 (contract claims); potential for re-application support
Visa application supporting documents	Until next intake or visa attempt; then 6 years from case closure	Legal obligation and contract
Financial and billing records	6 years from transaction date	HMRC legal obligation
Marketing preferences and contact data	Until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe	Consent-based processing
Unsuccessful recruitment applications	12 months from application date	Legitimate interests; potential future vacancies
Complaint and dispute records	6 years from resolution	Limitation Act 1980; legal claims
Website cookies and analytics data	As set in cookie consent settings (typically 12 months)	Consent (PECR); legitimate interests for essential cookies

For data held pending a client’s next visa intake or application attempt: we will proactively contact you before each new intake period to confirm whether you wish to proceed. If we do not hear from you within 30 days of that notification, we will securely delete your personal data unless retention is required by law.

8. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website (hstartc.com) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. Cookies are small text files placed on your device to help the website function and to collect analytics data.

Types of cookies we use:

Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function. These do not require your consent.
Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics). We only place these with your consent.
Marketing cookies — used to deliver relevant content or track campaign effectiveness. Only placed with your consent.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie consent at any time via the cookie settings on our website. For more information, see our separate Cookie Policy at hstartc.com.

Note: Under PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations), you must obtain prior consent before placing non-essential cookies. Ensure your website has a compliant cookie banner before going live.

9. Where We Get Your Personal Information From

We collect personal information:

Directly from you — through enquiry forms, consultations, application forms, email, and telephone.
From third parties acting on your behalf — for example, a family member or authorised representative completing forms on your behalf.
From publicly available sources — such as official government immigration guidance or embassy requirements.
From previous applications — where you have been a client before and have consented to us retaining your file for future applications.

10. How to Complain

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first:

Online: https://hstartc.com/contact/

Email: md@hstartc.com

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you remain unhappy after raising a complaint with us, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

ICO Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

ICO Helpline: 0303 123 1113

The ICO’s postal address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane

Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Last Updated: 07/07/2026