HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire an immigration lawyer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Immigration advice is restricted by law. Here is how to check a lawyer or IAA adviser and what a fixed fee should include.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an immigration lawyer in five steps

  1. Check the adviser is allowed to adviseA regulated lawyer, or an adviser on the Immigration Advice Authority's Adviser Finder.
  2. Name the routeSpouse, skilled worker, settlement, citizenship or a refusal challenge.
  3. Get a fixed fee in writingWhat it covers, and whether appeals or reviews are extra.
  4. Budget for Home Office costsApplication fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are separate.
  5. Keep copies of everythingEvery form, document and letter sent for you.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Immigration Advice Authority register

Section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 says no person may provide immigration advice or services unless qualified. The IAA licenses and regulates advisers who are not lawyers, and investigates and prosecutes people advising illegally.

Search the adviser on the IAA Adviser Finder on gov.uk. gov.uk →

The Solicitors Register

Solicitors and barristers are regulated by their own professional bodies rather than the IAA. In England and Wales, check an immigration solicitor on the SRA register; firms offering immigration work (not asylum) must publish prices.

Search the immigration lawyer and the firm on the SRA register. sra.org.uk →

Law Society of Scotland or Northern Ireland

Immigration law is UK-wide, but solicitors in Scotland and Northern Ireland are regulated by their own Law Societies.

Use the solicitor search for your nation. mygov.scot →

Costs in writing

SRA rules require cost information in writing, and published prices for immigration services to the public, not including asylum.

Compare the fixed fee with the firm's published price information. sra.org.uk →

VAT

Immigration legal work is standard-rated, so a registered immigration lawyer's firm adds 20% to its fixed fee, and to appeals or reviews charged on top. Registration becomes compulsory once an immigration lawyer's firm has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the immigration lawyer's firm for the VAT number with the costs letter and for the fee, VAT and Home Office charges shown separately. gov.uk →

“Are you a regulated immigration lawyer or IAA-registered adviser?”

A good answer: A register entry you can check: SRA or Law Society, or the IAA.

“Am I eligible for this route?”

A good answer: A frank assessment against the rules, including any risks.

“What does the immigration fixed fee include?”

A good answer: Assessment, evidence checklist, application, covering letter and Home Office follow-up.

“Are appeals or reviews included?”

A good answer: A clear answer and the price if not.

“What will the Home Office charge on top?”

A good answer: Application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge estimated.

“Who will prepare my application?”

A good answer: A named lawyer or adviser.

“What happens if the application is refused?”

A good answer: The options and timescales, and the cost.

Getting the quote right

  • Fixed fee for the route and what it covers
  • Who actually attends to the application: the immigration lawyer named, a supervised caseworker, or a subcontracted adviser
  • Dependants priced
  • Home Office fees and surcharge shown as separate
  • Appeals, reviews and translations: included or extra
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the legal fee, listed apart from Home Office fees
  • The adviser's regulator and registration

Walk away if

  • Not a regulated lawyer and not on the IAA register
  • Guarantees a visa
  • Asks you to lie or leave things out
  • Keeps your passport or documents
  • Fee in cash with no receipt
  • No written fee agreement
LOW
£350
TYPICAL
£1,600
HIGH
£4,000

What an immigration lawyer costs: £350–£4,000 per case

Immigration lawyers usually quote a fixed fee per case for common routes; Home Office fees and appeals are extra. Immigration Lawyer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Immigration lawyers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Eligibility assessmentYour circumstances checked against the route's rules.
  2. Evidence checklistDocuments listed and gathered.
  3. ApplicationForm completed and covering letter written.
  4. SubmissionApplication and fees submitted to the Home Office.
  5. Follow-upRequests answered and the decision explained.

IAA
Immigration Advice Authority, the regulator of non-lawyer immigration advisers.
Immigration Health Surcharge
A charge paid with many visa applications for NHS use.
Indefinite leave to remain
Permission to stay without time limit.
Administrative review
A request to look again at a refusal for errors.
Sponsor licence
Permission for an employer to sponsor overseas workers.
Qualified person
Someone allowed by law to give immigration advice.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the submission confirmationAnd copies of the forms and evidence.
Track the decisionNote dates and respond quickly to Home Office requests.
Get your documents backOriginals returned and logged.
Review the jobReviews on Locufy can only follow a booking, so the immigration lawyer is judged on real work. If something is wrong, the make-it-right step comes first and they are asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Set it out for the immigration lawyerKeep it factual: what the immigration lawyer agreed to do, what you got, and what you want now. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 builds reasonable care and skill into every trader's service; if it was missing, ask for a repeat of the work or a reduction.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepScore the immigration lawyer below four stars and you choose whether they see the problem before the review goes up. We follow it through; then you review.
STEP 3The IAA or the lawyer's regulatorComplain about an IAA-registered adviser to the Immigration Advice Authority, and report anyone advising illegally to it. Solicitors: the Legal Ombudsman and SRA in England and Wales, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, or the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyYou can sue the immigration lawyer for the money without a lawyer: small claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, small claims up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an immigration lawyer: questions people ask

Only a qualified person: a regulated lawyer or an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority.

Use the IAA Adviser Finder on gov.uk, or the SRA register for a solicitor.

Usually not; application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are paid separately.

£350 to £4,000 per case, around £1,600 for a typical job. The route, past refusals, dependants and appeals set the fee. The immigration lawyer price guide explains what moves it; enter your town above to see immigration lawyers near you.

It investigates complaints and can prosecute people giving immigration advice illegally.

A few weeks to prepare most applications; decisions take weeks or months on top.

MORE GUIDES

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Immigration lawyers near you

Immigration lawyers in LondonImmigration lawyers in ManchesterImmigration lawyers in BirminghamImmigration lawyers in GlasgowImmigration lawyers in BelfastAll immigration lawyers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, section 84 — provision of immigration services
  2. gov.uk — find an immigration adviser
  3. gov.uk — Immigration Advice Authority: about us
  4. SRA — the Solicitors Register
  5. SRA — understanding costs
  6. mygov.scot — using a solicitor
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register