Immigration Estimated Charges
We provide advice and representation on a wide range of UK immigration and nationality matters. Our services cover applications under the Immigration Rules, the British Nationality Act 1981, and the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as advice and representation in immigration appeals.
The work will be handled by a qualified solicitor experienced in immigration matters, or by a trainee solicitor under the supervision of a qualified and experienced solicitor. Our fees are based on hourly rates depending on the seniority of the legal adviser involved.
Our fees are based on an hourly rate of £250 plus VAT (at 20%) for a solicitor experienced in this filed, and between £150 – £175 plus VAT (at 20%) for trainee solicitors.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. We estimate that most immigration applications take between 5 to 30 hours of work, depending on the complexity of the case and the level of documentation required. Based on this range, estimated costs would be £1,250 – £7,500 plus VAT (at 20%) with disbursements, where the work is conducted by a solicitor
Please note that VAT is not chargeable in some cases where the client is not domiciled in the UK.
We may delegate aspects of the work to trainee solicitors (who will be supervised) in order to manage costs efficiently, and we will obtain your consent in advance.
Our indicative fees for the more common applications are as follows:
| Naturalisation to become a British citizen | £2,000 – £3,500 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Registration of a child as a British citizen | £1,000 – £2,000 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Applications under the EU Settlement Scheme | £1,000 – £2,000 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Dependant visa | £1000 – £2,500 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Spouse/Partner/Fiancé visa | £2,000 – £3,500 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Application for further leave on 10-year route | £2,000 – £3,500 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Visit visa | £500 – £1,000 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Adult dependent relative visa | £3,000 – £5,000 + VAT (at 20%) |
| Asylum application | £3,000 – £5,000 + VAT (at 20%) |
Scope of Work
The work will 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 legislation, EEA Regulations or citizenship laws and whether you meet the criteria.
- if you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how, all of which on average takes 1-3 hours;
- considering the supporting evidence you have provided, which on average takes 1-5 hours. The number of hours depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether
- anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain the missing documents;
- where necessary, helping you obtain further evidence (such as medical records and bank statements), including taking statements of any witnesses, which on average takes 1-10 hours;
- preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf, which on average takes 1-5 hours;
- Attendance at a Home Office interview: it is very rare for there to be an interview but 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, which on average takes 1-2 hours to give. Should you wish for us to attend the interview with you, this will take on average 2-3 hours of travel time (charged at half of the hourly rate) as well as 2-6 hours of attendance time
- giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take, which on average takes 1-2 hours
Disbursements
In addition to this fee, disbursements are likely to comprise the following:
- Interpreters’ fees from £25-50 per hour. Most kinds of application will normally require between 3 -10 hours of client contact with an interpreter, depending on the complexity of your case.
- Independent expert reports e.g. medical experts. These are not required in many cases: we will let you know as soon as possible if we consider an expert report is necessary.
- If there is an interview and we do attend with you, there will be additional disbursements in respect of our mileage/travel expenses.
The costs quoted here do not include:
- Any Home Office fees for making the application (this includes the Immigration Health Surcharge). You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process.
- Where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
How long will this take?
We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. Read the current processing times.
We will normally be able to submit this type of application within 2-4 weeks of you instructing us depending on the availability of the required documents, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this. If your case is urgent with a deadline for submission within 1 week, we will discuss with you the practicalities of meeting the deadline and if we are able to do so agree an appropriate plan of action.
Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.
*VAT – The current rate of VAT is 20%. This means that an hourly rate of £250 plus VAT will mean a total fee, inclusive of VAT, of £300. VAT rates vary from time to time. We are required to charge the applicable VAT at the time the work undertaken.
