Immigration Services: Fees Guidance
Our charging policy relating to immigration and visa services is set out below.
We believe pricing should be clear from the outset, with no surprises. Wherever possible, we work on fixed fees agreed in advance; where a matter is better suited to hourly billing (for example, urgent advisory or complex multi-stage issues), we explain this upfront and keep you updated on costs throughout.
This page sets out our typical starting fees, what our services include, what’s not included (third-party costs), key stages, and indicative timelines. We publish this information to help you compare and plan in line with regulatory transparency expectations.
Our current hourly rates
| Position | Hourly rate | VAT at 20% where chargeable | Hourly rate inc. VAT |
| Solicitor or Legal Executive with 3 to 6 years’ post-qualification experience | £315 | £63 | £378 |
| Solicitor or Legal Executive with under 3 years’ post-qualification experience | £265 | £53 | £318 |
| Trainee Solicitor or Trainee Legal Executive who has passed final examinations | £195 | £39 | £234 |
| Paralegal, immigration caseworker or other fee earner of equivalent experience | £175 | £35 | £210 |
Initial immigration consultations
- 30 minutes – £175.00 plus VAT (£210.00 inc. VAT) : Focused advice on eligibility, options or a specific question.
- 60 minutes – £350.00 plus VAT (£420.00 inc. VAT): Detailed guidance, tailored next steps, and (where relevant) a high-level HR compliance checklist.
Instruction benefit: If you instruct us within 3 months, we deduct your consultation fee from your case fee.
How we charge our fees
- Fixed fees: Our default for most applications. We scope your matter, agree the fixed fee and what’s included, and will not exceed it unless you agree to any change in scope.
- Hourly rates (where appropriate): For bespoke advisory or where scope cannot be fixed at the outset. We confirm applicable rates and provide regular cost updates before we start work.
VAT (Value Added Tax)
Our professional fees are quoted exclusive of VAT. VAT at the prevailing rate of 20% may be chargeable depending on your circumstances and where you are based at the time of instruction; we will confirm whether VAT applies before work begins.
VAT is not payable:
- If you are resident overseas
- If you are an asylum seeker
- If you don’t have leave to remain in the United Kingdom
- If your immigration application is refused and you are appealing and have no leave to remain in the UK
Typical starting fees by service
These are typical fixed-fee ranges (per applicant, unless stated), exclusive of VAT and third-party charges. We will provide a tailored quote once we understand your full circumstances.
| Service | Fees (Excl. VAT) | Fees Incl. VAT (20%) |
| Sponsors and sponsor compliance | ||
| Sponsor Licence Application | £3,500 - £7,000 | £4,200 - £8,400 |
| Sponsor Licence Audit / Compliance Review | £1,500 | £1,800 |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) | £250 per CoS | £300 per CoS |
| Work and business routes | ||
| Skilled Worker Visa | £1,400 - £2,800 | £1,680 - £3,360 |
| Spouse or child dependant (work visa) | £850 - £1,500 | £1,020 - £1,800 |
| Health & Care Worker Visa | £1,250 - £1,500 | £1,500 - £1,800 |
| Global Business Mobility (UK expansion worker) | £4,000 - £7,000 | £4,800 - £8,400 |
| Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist worker) | £1,900 -£3,500 | £2,280 - £4,200 |
| Global Talent visa | £4,000 - £8,000 | £4,800 - £9,600 |
| Scale-Up Visa | £1,600 - £2,800 | £1,920 - £3,360 |
| Innovator Founder Visa | £1,800 - £5,000 | £2,160 - £6,000 |
| International Sports person | £1,800 - £2,500 | £2,160 - £3,000 |
| Business Visitor visa | £1,000 - £2,500 | £1,200 - £3,000 |
| High Potential individual | £1,200 - £2,500 | £1,440 - £3,000 |
| Study, graduate and youth routes | ||
| Student visa | £1,200 - £2,500 | £1,440 - £3,000 |
| Graduate visa | £1,200 - £2,500 | £1,440-£3,000 |
| Youth Mobility visa | £1,200 - £2,500 | £1,440 - £3,000 |
| Family, EUSS and settlement | ||
| General Visitor visa (incl. marriage/business/medical) | £1,000 - £2,500 | £1,200 - £3,000 |
| Partner/spouse visa | £1,800 - £5,000 | £2,160 - £6,000 |
| Parent of a British child/settled person | £1,800 - £3,700 | £2,160 - £4,440 |
| Fiancé visa | £1,600 - £2,500 | £1,920 - £3,000 |
| Parent route | £1,900 - £4,000 | £2,280 - £4,800 |
| Child dependant visa | £1,800 - £3,700 | £2,160 - £4,440 |
| Ancestry route | £2,000 - £3,000 | £2,400 - £3,600 |
| Adult dependant Relative visa | £2,500 - £5,000 | £3,000 - £6,000 |
| Returning resident visa | £2,000 - £5,000 | £2,400 - £6,000 |
| EUSS applications (settled/pre-settled) | £1,800 - £5,000 | £2,160 - £6,000 |
| Ukraine Scheme | £1,500 - £2,500 | £1,800 - £3,000 |
| Further leave to remain | £2,000 - £5,000 | £2,400 - £6,000 |
| Indefinite leave to remain | £2,000 - £5,000 | £2,400-£6,000 |
| Naturalisation | £1,900 - £5,000 | £2,280 - £6,000 |
| Register as a British citizen | £1,900 - £4,000 | £2,280 - £4,800 |
| Human rights applications | £2,000 - £5,000 | £2,400 - £6,000 |
| Appeals | £2,500 - £8,500 | £3,000 - £10,200 |
| Administrative Review | £1,200 - £2,500 | £1,440 - £3,000 |
What our fixed fees include
- An initial onboarding and case strategy discussion based on your objectives and eligibility.
- A tailored document checklist and guidance on evidential standards and formatting.
- Preparation or review of application forms and supporting statements.
- Advice on government fees, Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and (for sponsors) the Immigration Skills Charge; we guide you on when and how to pay these.
- Submission of your application and monitoring progress.
- Booking or guidance for biometrics and uploading documents to the relevant portal.
- Responding to standard Home Office/UKVI requests for further information within scope.
What’s not included (third‑party charges)
You should also budget for disbursements and third‑party costs, which you pay to the relevant providers. You are responsible for these costs, though we would usually handle their payment for you to ensure a smoother process and add these costs to your invoice:
- Home Office/UKVI application fees (vary by route) and any biometric enrolment/Service Point charges. For current charges, visit GOV.UK.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: currently £1,035 per adult per year, £776 per year for most children and students.
- Immigration Skills Charge (sponsors only): currently £480 per sponsored year for small sponsors/charities and £1,320 per sponsored year for medium/large sponsors (exemptions may apply).
- Optional faster processing (priority/super‑priority) where available.
- Translations, certified copies, English language tests (e.g., SELT), TB tests, couriers, and any expert or business plan reports.
- Fees charged 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 £1,500 to £15,000 per expert, depending on the type of expert and the nature of the report required).
- Fees charged 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 £1,500 to £15,000 per expert, depending on the type of expert and the nature of the report required).
- Barristers’ fees, appeal/administrative review fees, and our attendance at interviews or hearings if required (we will scope and price separately).
- The fees of a barrister vary depending on the experience of the advocate and their expertise. In our experience, the initial fee for a barrister and the first day of the hearing (known as the brief fee) will be in the region of £1,000 - £2,000 plus VAT (£1200 – £Inc. VAT). Each subsequent day would be an additional £500.00 - £1,000 plus VAT (£600.00 - £1,200.00 Inc. VAT).
- If you want a very experienced barrister, then the cost is likely to be more. You may also incur additional charges such as travel costs for us to attend meetings and hearings.
- The fees of a barrister vary depending on the experience of the advocate and their expertise. In our experience, the initial fee for a barrister and the first day of the hearing (known as the brief fee) will be in the region of £1,000 - £2,000 plus VAT (£1200 – £Inc. VAT). Each subsequent day would be an additional £500.00 - £1,000 plus VAT (£600.00 - £1,200.00 Inc. VAT).
- Interpreter costs are not included in any of our costs. We cannot provide a clear range of interpreters’ costs until a client’s language is known. Sometimes a client may only need a couple of hours with an interpreter, other applications may need 10 or 15 hours, for example where there are a high number of documents needing translation. However, based on our experience, the average cost of an interpreter is provided below.
- Fees of interpreters can vary depending on, for instance, the experience and qualifications of the interpreter. A typical hourly fee range for interpreting into and/or from English can be c.£30.00 - £75.00 plus VAT per hour (£36.00 - £90.00 Inc. VAT) and plus any disbursements (such as any costs they need to pay to third parties, such as travel-related costs) the interpreter may incur in providing their service. This means that the potential cost of an interpreter for 3 – 15 Hours work could range from £90.00 - £1,125.00 plus VAT (£108.00 - £1,350.00 inc. VAT) plus disbursements.
- The number of hours needed will vary on the complexities of the case.
- A quotation for their services will be obtained and discussed with you before they are instructed to ensure you are fully aware of the fees that will be charged.
- Fees of interpreters can vary depending on, for instance, the experience and qualifications of the interpreter. A typical hourly fee range for interpreting into and/or from English can be c.£30.00 - £75.00 plus VAT per hour (£36.00 - £90.00 Inc. VAT) and plus any disbursements (such as any costs they need to pay to third parties, such as travel-related costs) the interpreter may incur in providing their service. This means that the potential cost of an interpreter for 3 – 15 Hours work could range from £90.00 - £1,125.00 plus VAT (£108.00 - £1,350.00 inc. VAT) plus disbursements.
Clients are also free to find their own interpreters or a friend or community figure to assist them, as appropriate.
Disbursements: what to expect
Official fees are set by government and change periodically. We confirm exact amounts when preparing your application and will guide you through payment steps.
- Home Office/UKVI application fees: vary significantly by route and location
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per adult per year; £776 per year for most children and students.
- Immigration Skills Charge (for sponsors): typically £480 per sponsored year (small sponsors/charities) or £1,320 per sponsored year (medium/large), subject to exemptions.
- Optional priority/super‑priority services where available.
Key stages of a typical application
- Initial Advice and strategy: We confirm the most suitable route, eligibility, risks, and a provisional timeline, then agree the scope and deliverables for a fixed fee wherever possible.
- Application submission: We provide a tailored document checklist, advise on evidential standards and formatting, and prepare or review application forms, statements and supporting documents.
- Fees and surcharges guidance: We explain Home Office/UKVI application fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), and (for sponsors) the Immigration
- Submission and biometrics: We submit your application, arrange biometrics/Service Point appointments as needed, and support document upload via the relevant portals.
- UKVI engagement: We monitor progress and respond to routine UKVI/Home Office requests for further information that fall within the agreed scope.
- Decision and follow-up: We check the decision, advise on conditions (including BRP/eVisa), and outline next steps and key future dates (extensions, settlement eligibility, citizenship).
The following factors will increase the complexity of the matter
- Our needing to gather a large amount of supporting information.
- Where your application is linked to the applications of others (e.g. your dependants).
- Where your application has been refused previously or if you are challenging a refusal of your application.
- Adverse criminal or immigration history.
- Long periods of absence from the UK.
- Failure to comply with existing or previous visa conditions, including overstaying.
How long will my matter take?
Processing times depend on the application route, whether you apply inside or outside the UK, case complexity, the completeness of documents, and UKVI capacity.
As a general indication, standard decisions can take several weeks to a few months, while priority/super-priority options (where available) may result in faster decisions. We provide a tailored estimate once we have assessed your circumstances and will flag any anticipated delays. For current published processing guidance, visit GOV.UK.
Important note
These stages and timeframes are indicative, not guarantees; availability of priority/super-priority services varies by route and location. For further information, visit GOV.UK.
Third‑party fees (Home Office/UKVI fees, IHS, ISC) are set by government and can change; we confirm exact amounts when preparing your application.
- For information on UK visa fees, visit GOV.UK
- For information on paying for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application, visit GOV.UK.
- For information on UK visa sponsorship for employers, visit GOV.UK.
Our fixed fees cover the agreed scope for one applicant unless stated; any change in scope or urgency will be discussed and agreed in advance.
We ask clients to instruct us at least 2-6 months before their intended visa start date, or expiry date of their current visa to ensure they have enough time to qualify under time sensitive requirements in relation to financial evidence and prepare complex documents adequately.
Who will work on your matter
Your case will be overseen by a qualified solicitor and supported by experienced caseworkers/paralegals as appropriate. We will confirm your day‑to‑day contact and supervising solicitor at instruction and provide regular cost updates if any hourly‑billed elements are needed.
All work is supervised by the head of our immigration department, Sanae Sahebjalal, a specialist immigration solicitor with experience advising both businesses and individuals on the full spectrum of UK immigration law. For further information on our legal team, please visit our team contact page.