menu phone
×

Immigration Pricing

Our approach to charging

We will either charge on a time basis or a fixed fee basis. Our current hourly rate (which is reviewed annually) for our immigration advisers is £355 plus VAT (currently charged at 20%). This fee reflects the level of experience and seniority of our advisers who deal with immigration matters.

Our charges are based on the time we spend dealing with the matter.  This will include all meetings; travel time to and from meetings (unless agreed otherwise); time spent consider, preparing and working on papers in relation to the matter; correspondence including emails; and making and receiving telephone calls.

You will never be charged for work done by anyone other than one of our experienced immigration advisers or for any supervision.

We pride ourselves on providing a service that is both value for money and highly responsive. Given the experience of our immigration advisers we are able to work with our clients efficiently and effectively. We will always seek to agree fees with you in advance once we are clear about your instructions and the level of support you require.

 

Immigration matters

We are required to provide price information in connection with the preparation and submission of immigration applications, excluding asylum applications.

The following types of applications are covered by the pricing rules: 

  • Applications for naturalisation or registration under the British Nationality Act 1981
  • Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards and registration cards 
  • Applications under the Immigration Rules, including:
    • student and work experience visas
    • visit visas (for tourism, or visiting friends/family)
    • spouse and partners applications, including fiance(e)s or proposed civil partners
    • applications for work, business or study under the Points-Based System
    • dependent relative and family reunion applications
    • ancestry visas
    • other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence

We are not required to publish prices for the following types of applications:

  • Asylum applications
  • Statelessness applications
  • Human rights/private life applications
  • Applications for Secretary of State immigration bail
  • Reconsideration and legacy requests
  • Judicial review, such as claims for unlawful detention
  • Immigration services to businesses (e.g. applications for certificates of sponsorship or confirmation of acceptance for studies)

If you wish to ask about our fees for these applications, please do get in touch.  We have extensive experience in immigration matters and so will be able to give you a good estimate of the time and cost of completing this work for you.

Below are examples of the typical amount of work involved in a matter. However, we should emphasise that the exact number of hours a particular application or appeal  will take depends on the circumstances of your case and may also be affected by the following factors:

  • the amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
  • which language(s) you speak
  • whether you are applying with other dependants
Application/Appeal Average time required  for legal work
Entry clearance & in-country applications (excluding investment related applications) 10 – 15 hours
Investment related applications 30 – 50 hours
EEA (European Economic Area) applications 7 – 10 hours
Applications for British citizenship 7 – 10 hours
Travel documents & passport applications 3 – 7 hours

 

What the work will involve?

The work we do may involve:

  • discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you
  • giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria
  • if you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how
  • considering the supporting evidence you have provided
  • where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses
  • preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf
  • liaising with the Home Office as and when necessary and attendance at a Home Office interview if required. If the Home Office ask you to attend an interview, we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you) at the appropriate time
  • giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take

Disbursements (not included in costs set out above)

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as experts fees, barristers fees and visa fees. You will be responsible for these additional costs but we will handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

In addition to our fees, you will need to budget for the following (which exclude any VAT payable):

  • Fees charge by experts to prepare any necessary reports to support your application.  These are typically only required if the application is not straightforward and/or you are challenging a decision to refuse your application (from £1,000 to £10,000).
  • Instructing a barrister/advocate to represent you at an appeal hearing or to advise and draft grounds of appeal.  It is difficult to estimate fees for a barrister’s assistance since this depends on the complexity of the matter, the experience of the advocate required and whether the matter reaches an appeal hearing.  A junior barrister will cost somewhere between £200 to £250 per hour for advice on a case and between £1,500 to £2,000 per day for a hearing.  A senior barrister will cost somewhere between £500 to £600 per hour for advice and between £3,000 to £5,000 per day for a hearing.
  • The fees of a translator, which are in the region of £100 per 1000 words.
  • The fees for an interpreter, which are in the region of £90 – £100 per hour for a telephone service and higher for face to face interpreting.
  • Any UK Visas and Immigration or Home Office fees for making the application.  You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process.  UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office fees can be found HERE.

How long will my application take?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application.  However, the Government website provides an indication of likely timescales: Guidance on Waiting Times

HR, Employment Law and Immigration Solicitors

+44 (0)1252 821792