Immigration Fees

Immigration Fees

We set out below our fees for conducting the Immigration applications and procedures undertaken by our Immigration team.  In conducting your matter, you should expect our fees to be in line with the information given below, but there may be specific circumstances relating to your case which mean that it will be necessary to agree different rates with you – and these will be discussed and agreed on a case by case basis.

The following rates only show our fees for conducting work. They do not include application fees, Tribunal or Court fees or Immigration Health Surcharge fees.   The figures are exclusive of VAT – although VAT is not applicable to you if the UK is not your normal country of residence or if you have no status in the UK.

Hourly rates

Our usual hourly rates are:-

  • Partner & Senior Caseworkers with more than 10 years experience – £250 per hour
  • Solicitors & Caseworkers with less than 10 years experience – £220 per hour
  • Trainee Solicitors & Paralegals – £120 per hour

We also reserve the right to charge the following fees where required:

  • £60.00 file copy/retrieval
  • £25.00 for copying specified documents.
  • £60.00 administration fee for any work required outside scope of contract (to send or request the return of original documentation etc)
  • Postage costs as required.

Estimates of Costs

At the beginning of a matter, we will usually try and give you the comfort of some certainty with regards the costs of your matter by providing an estimate of costs.   These estimates are based on our experience of the amount of time that it will normally take for us to complete particular types of work.  Where we provide you with an estimate of costs, we will do our best to do so on the basis that this estimate will be the fixed price for the work to be undertaken.  However, in the event that your matter becomes more complex or protracted for any reason, we will discuss with you if we need to revise the estimate for the work.

INITIAL CONSULTATION

There are 3 types of consultation that we hold if you are a new client.

  • The first type of consultation is a “general consultation” to discuss your case, assess and confirm your next steps (normally intended for those who are looking at seeking representation from us and normally have an immigration problem that needs to be addressed). The fee is £240.00 (plus VAT if applicable).
  • The second type is an in-depth consultation to discuss your case, assess and confirm your next steps and provide guidance over the categories that fall within the application (for those who want to know more about an intended application, documents and procedures, and maybe not looking for full representation. The fee is £350.00 (plus VAT if applicable).
  • The third type is an in-depth assessment (normally where you want us to assess a case that you are intending to lodge yourself and just want a second opinion). The fee is £740.00 (plus VAT if applicable).

In all three types, you shall receive written advice from us within 5 working days (depending upon complexity of case).

APPLICATIONS

STANDARD MODEL FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications “generally” follow the same preparation procedures:

  • Stage 1: Request for inform and documentation.
  • Stage 2: Complete an online form and lodge this to the Home Office (before any expiry of leave).
  • Stage 3: Upload evidence and book an appointment for you to enrol biometric data (which could occur several weeks after your online form is lodged).
  • Stage 4: decision (normally between 2 and 6 months, although you can pay for priority services with the Home Office to speed this process up where a decision is made a couple of days after you enrol biometric data).

Preparing applications can take from several weeks to months to prepare, draft and lodge an application. It is all dependant on the urgency, deadlines, complexity, whether third parties are involved (such as experts or medical assessment required) and how quickly information and documentation can be provided by the applicants.  Decisions by the Home Office are normally made between 2-6 months unless where indicated.

The fees outlined below generally cover from the start of your instructions to reaching a decision, unless anything happens outside the scope of your contract. Home Office application fees, Immigration Health Surcharge fees and if applicable, BRP appointment user fees, are additional (see below).

APPLICATIONS OUTSIDE THE UK

  • Standard family applications (to seek entry to join a partner): £1,550.00 (VAT not charged due to having no status in the UK and because you are applying outside the UK). A decision is normally made within 90 days following lodgement of your application (and validation via your biometric appointment).
  • Standard visit visa applications (for a visit to the UK): £950.00 (VAT not charged due to having no status in the UK and because you are applying outside the UK). A decision is normally made within 15 days following lodgement of your application (and validation via your biometric appointment).

 

APPLICATIONS INSIDE THE UK  

  • Standard private and family life applications (to obtain status if you are currently unlawful, under the 10 year route to settlement): £1,680.00 (VAT not charged due to your status in the UK).
  • Switching applications (from the above to other routes such as the 5 year route to settlement): £1,200.00 plus VAT.
  • Extension applications (to apply for an extension under the family or private life route): £1,200.00 plus VAT.
  • Settlement applications (under the 5 or 10 year route to settlement): £1,400.00 plus VAT.
  • Counsel Opinion: £500.00 (plus VAT if applicable).
  • Applications normally take a week to prepare with advice provide by Counsel normally within a couple of weeks, depending on urgency and complexity. Counsel fees are additional (see below).
  • Travel Documents: £500.00 plus VAT
  • Applications can take a couple of days or weeks to prepare and lodge to receive a decision within 1-4 months following lodgement.
  • Naturalisation: £900.00 plus VAT
  • Applications can take a couple of days or weeks to prepare and lodge to receive a decision within 1-4 months following lodgement.
  • Passport applications: £600.00 plus VAT
  • Applications can take a couple of weeks to prepare and lodge to receive a decision between 1 – 2 months following lodgement.

OTHER CASES

  • Deportation cases: £2,500.00 (plus VAT if applicable)

To draft a response to any notice of intention to deport. Responses are normally due within 20 working days (although an extension can be applied for) to receive a decision between 6 – 12 months following lodgement (depending on the Home Office).

  • Asylum cases: £3,000.00 (plus VAT if applicable)

To register with the Home Office can take a couple of days. The Home Office will then arrange an appointment for you to attend to “enrol”. Supporting evidence (such as taking statements, translation of documentation) can take a couple of weeks to months to prepare and lodge. An interview will then be arranged by the Home Office before a decision is made. These are all determinative upon the Home Office and can take 12-24 months to complete.

HOME OFFICE REFUSAL

  • Appeal to the Tribunal: £500.00 (plus VAT if applicable).

Notice of Appeal are to be completed and lodged within 14 days from date of refusal (or 28 days if applying overseas). The Tribunal will then respond to the notice of appeal generally within 1 – 3 months. Please note that a disbursement (counsel fee) and a Tribunal fee, if applicable, (£140.00 per person) is also required for this section of work (see below).

Some applications do not carry a right to appeal but you can seek reconsideration.

  • Reconsideration applications are estimated at £500.00 (plus VAT if applicable). Please note that a disbursement (counsel fee) is also required for this section of work (see below).

FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL HEARINGS – IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM CHAMBER  

  • Full Tribunal hearings and bail applications: £2,200.00 (plus VAT if applicable).

The Tribunal will provide directions on when evidence is required. Generally, advising on information and evidence required, submitting contact details to the Tribunal, compiling and providing your appeal bundle (the evidence required to support your appeal) plus your appeal skeleton argument, to preparing you, represent you at a full hearing to advising on the outcome. Please note that a disbursement (counsel fee) is also required for this section of work (see below).

  • Case Management Hearings: £850.00 (plus VAT if applicable).

Should the Tribunal seek a management hearing before any substantive work is required or to ascertain the position of a case. Please note that a disbursement (counsel fee) is also required for this section of work (see below).

  • Adjourned Hearings: £500.00

If your appeal is adjourned for any reason. Please note that a disbursement (counsel fee) is also required for this section of work (see below).

  • Permission applications: £300.00

If you seek permission to appeal any decision of the Tribunal, then you must do it within the guide the Tribunal sets (7, 14, 21 or 28 days). Please note that a disbursement (counsel fee) is also required for this section of work (see below).

Judicial Review applications

Price provided upon instructions.

VAT

“Generally speaking”, you are subject to VAT if you have status over 6 months in any category or hold settlement or British citizenship status.

You are not subject to VAT if you hold no status inside the United Kingdom, applying from outside the United Kingdom or have status of less than 6 months.

 Disbursements

In addition to the above, you may have Home Office fees to pay such as application fees and an Immigration Health Surcharge, if applicable. You will also have a biometric enrolment fee.

Fees vary enormously for leave to remain or enter applications, and whether you seek a standard or priority service. They range between £1,033.00 (for a standard leave to remain application) to £2,389.00 (settlement), and are too numerous to set out here. We can advise, upon application, of which fee applies and what it is, alternatively the full list of fees can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-1-december-2020

APPLICATIONS MADE INSIDE THE UK

Most common application fees that we deal with are (not subject to VAT):

  • Leave to remain: £1,033.00
  • Settlement: £2,389.00
  • Naturalisation: £1,330.00
  • Registration: £1,012.00
  • Travel Document: £75.00 – £280.00
  • NTL: £229.00
  • Biometric fee: £19.20

There is an additional Home Office fee for applicants wishing to seek priority service. Although there may be a possibility of getting a free appointment, there may be a small fee charged by the Home Office or a service provider for appointments to provide your biometrics (around £100.00). These will be confirmed upon instruction.

APPLICATIONS MADE OUTSIDE THE UK

Most common application fees that we deal with are (not subject to VAT):

  • Leave to enter: £1,523.00
  • Visit: £95.00

IMMIGRATION HEALTH SURCHARGE

There is also an Immigration Health Surcharge fee required to be paid in non-asylum and non EUSS cases, for applications seek longer than 6 months leave. The fee is £624.00 per person, per year up to the amount that you will be granted. For example, (the most common fee charged for this is if you are to be granted 30 months, the fee will be £1,560.00 per person).

OTHER DISBURSEMENTS

Below are some disbursements you might have within an immigration case or an asylum case. These are dependent upon what your claim is and what you are relying upon (for example, if your claim is based on medical condition, then expert medical reports would be required).

  • Psychiatric / Psychology reports: £1,500.00 to £2,000.00 upwards.
  • Independent Social Workers reports: £1,500.00 to £2,000.00 upwards.
  • Expert Country Reports: £950.00 to £1,500.00 upwards.
  • GP Medical reports: £50.00 to £250.00 upwards.
  • Translations: £25.00 to £50.00 per page or document upwards.

The above disbursements may also be required for an appeal hearing.

Appeal Hearings

  • Counsel’s fees vary upon the experience and seniority of the individual chosen, we will discuss the choice of counsel with you but in general the fees charged for an average case (from Counsel that we utilise) range around £450.00 to £1,500.00 per hearing. This fee will enable Counsel to draft an appeal skeleton argument and to represent you at your hearing.
  • If the Tribunal seeks a telephone Case Management Hearing, the fee is ranged around £250.00 to £500.00.
  • In person Case Management Hearings are normally around £450.00.

OTHER

  • Counsel Opinion: Counsel fees: £350.00 to £850.00 upwards (to give an opinion or draft grounds to lodge an appeal)
  • Tribunal fees if you are appealing to the First-tier Tribunal: £140.00 per person.

Upon consultation and from the onset of instructing us, we will confirm all fees within your application, including disbursements payable.

Immigration Fees