Our Fees – Immigration

IMMIGRATION – COVID-19
Our operations are unaffected by the current pandemic and we remain committed to delivering a high level of service which looks after all our clients.

Our team continue to advise international clients on visa applications.

How might this affect me?
It is understandable that the global disruption may be a concern for anyone currently making immigration plans. We have tried to address these concerns and explain why a sensible approach may indeed be to advance your preparations.

The first consideration is that the visa process can take a few months under normal circumstances. It looks likely that travel bans will be lifted and normality will be largely resumed within such a time frame.

Secondly, the Pound Sterling is now approaching parity with the US Dollar and the Euro. This unprecedented exchange rate is extremely favourable for some overseas investors.

Thirdly, the UK’s medical capabilities and expertise are recognised as being among the best in the world, particularly in the field of virology. This, in conjunction with the significant Government stimulus packages, has led economists to forecast a significantly faster economic recovery compared to previous recessions.

Finally, there may be a significant advantage in preparing your application now rather than waiting for “things to get back to normal”. Postponing risks further long delays as there will be a pent up demand once the emergency ends and there is likely to be a backlog of cases causing undue delays which you may be able to avoid.

We are happy to discuss the best options for you, please get in touch for an initial conversation about how our experts can help you.

OUR IMMIGRATION TEAM

Head of Immigration Department

Michael Rodrigues

Michael Rodrigues is an Immigration Lawyer registered and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the UK, the Portugal, and the Brazil Bar Associations.

He has almost two decades of immigration experience by working for some of the world top-ranking corporate firms, including PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Fragomen and Ernst and Young (EY), on a variety of private and corporate immigration matters.

He also has Global Immigration experience, where he successfully managed several medium to large-sized projects helping global market-leading companies to move their employees across the globe.

He understands the pain, the anxiety and the burden an immigration process can bring to applicants, their family and their employers and stakeholders. He is pleased to be in a position to make this process as smooth as possible for all parties involved.

He is also a Registered Foreign Lawyer

Qualifications:

LLB – Brazil, Toledo University in Sao Paulo, Brazil – 1998
LLM – Constitutional and Public Law – Estacio University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 2000
LLM – European Law, University of Lisbon, Portugal – 2002
GDL – University of Hertfordshire, St Albans, UK – 2003
PhD – Constitutional Law and its implications on the international legal framework, Estacio University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 2015

Memberships:

The Law Society, UK
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), UK
Immigration Lawyers Practitioners (ILPA), UK
Free Movement, UK
Ordem dos Advogados de Portugal (OAP), Portugal

Ordem dos Advogados do Brazil (OAB), Brazil

Deputy Head of Immigration Department

Marcio Dos Santos

Marcio graduated from Universidade da Amazonia (Brazil) with a first-class Law Degree in 2008. In March 2008, Marcio was admitted to the Brazilian BAR (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil) and, later (2016), to the Portuguese BAR (Ordem dos Advogados). In 2017, Marcio started practising Immigration Law in the United Kingdom and, in January 2019, was admitted to the Office of the Immigration Services (OISC)Commissioner as an Immigration Adviser. Marcio has been practicing Electoral Law, Public Law and Litigation for over 13 years within Civil Law jurisdiction and Immigration Law in the United Kingdom for over 3 years.

Marcio is also a Registered Foreign Lawyer

In his spare time, Marcio enjoys playing sports of the likes of football and reading, specially about History.

Harvey Shulman – Consultant Solicitor and a member of ILPA

Harvey Shulman was admitted in 1972 and has had nearly four decades of legal experience. In particular, Harvey works with early-stage start-ups in diverse industries, seeking to turn them into highly successful ventures. He has been involved with designing and implementing several highly successful investment schemes. Harvey has also been on the Board of numerous companies, both public and private. He has a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) specialising in Company Law, Tax and Intellectual Property. Harvey regularly speaks at conferences and workshops relating to startup companies and has a wide network of business contacts. He has a wide experience in most areas of law and specialises in Business Immigration. Harvey is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association. (ILPA)

Hinnah Asif- Senior Immigration Consultant

We are delighted that Hinnah has rejoined our immigration team in September 2024.

She had obtained a qualification in CILEX Level 6 Immigration Law. She graduated with an LLB in 2012 and joined us after 5 years with the Home Office. Hinnah began her career with Citizens Advice where she supervised and quality assessed advice in areas such as debt, housing, benefits and immigration. Hinnah then joined the Home Office where she gained extensive experience of drafting responses to judicial reviews and later worked on a Brexit team dealing with applications and refusals from the Settlement Scheme. Points based system, Curtailment, Overstaying ,Asylum, Human rights, EU settlement scheme, British nationality disputes, right of abode.

She specialises in advising businesses on best practice and compliance to ensure they maintain they status as a UK sponsor licence holder is very experienced in submissions to the Home Office to facilitate certificate of sponsorship requests.

Hinnah is fluent in Urdu and Potohari. In her spare time, Hinnah enjoys travelling, reading and interior design.

Trang Chu: – Solicitor:

Trang started her training contract on 22nd November 2021, having studied law at Queen Mary, University of London. She holds a Masters’s in Law with Merit in Commercial and Corporate Law. She qualified as a solicitor in the UK in April 2024.She has experience in Corporate, Litigation , Immigration and Conveyancing

Trang also works in the AML Compliance Team.

Paralegals

Karim Fawaz:

Karim Fawaz completed his LLB (Hons) from the University of West London. As a paralegal since April 2021, he has specialised in matters related to business immigration

Elwalid Bouhelal:

Elwalid Bouhelal joined the firm as a paralegal in August 2023. He has a Foundation Course in Humanities and Social Sciences at Birkbeck University of London, a degree in International Business at Middlesex University, and an LLB from the University of Westminster

Our experienced team provides individuals and organisations with effective solutions to achieve their personal and business goals.

OUR FEES

We charge an hourly rate as set out below.
(We can offer a FIXED FEE ARRANGEMENT or a NO WIN NO FEE arrangement in appropriate cases)

Please call us on 0207 483 2644 to discuss your case with a member of our team.

Our fees are based on an hourly rate as set out below;

Solicitor /Registered foreign lawyer £275.00 per hour
Assistant Solicitor, or Immigration Adviser £250 per hour
Paralegal £150 per hour

Our charges include:

considering documents
attending on the client
taking their instructions and providing advice
preparing and submitting the application
advising the client on timelines and the outcome of their application
VAT

Charging VAT in relation to immigration matters can be complex as it may depend on where the client lives and what immigration permission they have. We will confirm whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable when we have been instructed and can work out if VAT is properly chargeable.

OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT THE COST OF AN IMMIGRATION MATTER, such as

whether it is a first-time applicant or extension,
there are multiple dependents (e.g. several children),
the language of the client,
the number of supporting documents or witnesses,
possible attendance at a Home Office interview, and
whether it is a fast tracked / premium application.

THE EXACT NUMBER OF HOURS IT WILL TAKE DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR CASE. SUCH AS:

The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
Which language(s) you speak
Whether you are applying with other dependant

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.

It is not possible to breakdown how much time will be spent for each piece of work because this will depend on your English language skills, 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 but 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 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,
Attendance at a Home Office interview: 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.

In addition you will have to pay any Disbursements.

DISBURSEMENTS

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, for example individuals or other businesses or government organisations which are not part of our firm , (such as visa fees).

We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Barrister fees This may be between £150.00-£600 per hour (in some cases more, and will depend on the level of experience of the barrister.
Interpreters These are difficult to estimate, mostly clients do not need interpreters but sometimes a client may only need a couple of hours with an interpreter, other applications may need 10 or 15 hours. Interpreters may charge between £10.00 per hour upwards depending on whether it is a simple translation or a more complex. Often a member of the family or a friend can act as an interpreter. You do not need to use an interpreter of our choosing. The Home office provides a free Interpreters service. Should you need an interpreter for any reason then we would let you know in advance how much would be the Interpreters fees as this varies depending on for what language the interpreter is required.
Translations –(sometimes it may be necessary to translate documents such as legal documents and the charge £100-300.We would let you know before incurring the charge)
Attending any Home Office interviews (if we are required to attend Home Office interviews then we would charge our hourly rate plus mileage/ travel expenses.)
Home Office / Visa fees and any Premium Service supplements (Please check the Home office website – www. gov.uk, for current charges)
Immigration Health Surcharge (Please check the Home office website ,www. gov.uk, for current charges)
Court fees (Please check website ,www. gov.uk, for current charges)
Housing Reports for Immigration purposes -These can be from £80.00 upwards depending on the location.
DNA tests where appropriate (These may be about £396.00 plus VAT for up to three people).
Any other cost related to your matter that are payable to third parties.
A supplement of £300 + VAT may apply for each additional dependant / multiple applicants.
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.
Costs of preparing any Business plan.

The costs quoted here do not include:

Any Home Office fees for making the application. 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.

HOW LONG WILL THE APPLICATION 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 (provided we receive all the relevant information required) within 3-4 weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this.

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.

Matter not concluded.

If any matter does not proceed to completion for any reason during the period in which we are instructed, then we will be entitled to charge at our discretion for work done on the basis set out above.

Listed below are examples of our charges.

Entry Clearance Application – Applying from abroad to join family in the UK.

Spousal/Fiancée/Proposed Civil Partner/Unmarried partner: (£1,600 + VAT*) +/- £300.

Spousal/Fiancée/Proposed Civil Partner/Unmarried partner: (£1,800 + VAT*) +/- £300 (If relying on self-employment)

Adult Dependant Relatives: (£2,000 + VAT) +/- £200

Service: Our fees for making an entry clearance application will include consultations, taking detailed instructions, considering documents and advising on timelines, drafting statements, providing a tailored made list of documents specific to your case to support the application, assessing each document to ensure maximum chance of success, making the application, booking an appointment at the visa centre, full preparation of the application pack with detailed legal representations.

The cost quoted does not include where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

Entry Clearance Application (applying from abroad): (£1,400 + VAT*) +/- £200.

This includes: –
· Tier 4 students
· Tier 5 temporary workers
· Ancestry visas (If you are a Commonwealth citizen, have a grandparent who was born in the UK and are able and planning to work in the UK)

Service: Our fees for making an entry clearance application will include consultations, taking detailed instructions, considering documents and advising on timelines, drafting statements, providing a tailored made list of documents specific to your case to support the application, assessing each document to ensure maximum chance of success, making the application, booking an appointment at the visa centre, full preparation of the application pack with detailed legal representations. The cost quoted does not include where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

In Country Student Tier 4: (£1,000 +VAT*) +/- £300

Service: Our fees for making an in country application will include consultations, taking detailed instructions, considering documents and advising on timelines, drafting statements, providing a tailored made list of documents specific to your case to support the application, assessing each document to ensure maximum chance of success, making the application by post or online where applicable, full preparation of the application pack with detailed legal representations. The cost quoted does not include where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

Entry Clearance – Visit Visa for tourism or visiting friends/family: (£1,500 + VAT*) +/- £500.

In Country Further Leave to Remain Applications: (£1,000 + VAT*) +/- £200.

These include, but are not limited to:

· Spousal

· Fiancée

· Proposed Civil Partner/

· Unmarried partner/

· Family life and Private life routes

In Country Indefinite Leave to Remain/ Settlement Applications: (£1,200 + VAT*) +/- £200.

These include:

· Spousal

· Fiancée

· Proposed Civil Partner

· Unmarried partner

· Ancestry

· Family life and Private life routes

Long Residence Applications – In Country Long Residence 10 Years (continuous legal residence): (£1,500 + VAT*) +/- £400

In Country Long Residence 20 Year route: (£2,000 + VAT*) +/- £400

Application from abroad for family members to join EU Citizens in the UK: (£1,200 + VAT*) +/- £200.

Applications for Proof of Residence for EU Citizens and their family members

EEA Residence Cards for non-EU national family members: (£1,000 + VAT*) +/- £200

EEA Registration Certificate for EU nationals: (£1,000 + VAT*) +/- £200

EEA Permanent Residence Card / Settled Status: (£1,300 + VAT*) +/- £200

Service: Our fees for making an in country application will include consultations, taking detailed instructions, considering documents and advising on timelines, drafting statements, providing a tailored made list of documents specific to your case to support the application, assessing each document to ensure maximum chance of success, making the application by post or on line where applicable, full preparation of the application pack with detailed legal representations. The cost quoted does not include where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

Applying for British Citizenship

Adults: (£900 + VAT*) +/- £200

Children under 18: (£800 + VAT*) +/- £200

Service: Our fees for making an in country application will include consultations, taking detailed instructions, considering documents and advising on timelines, drafting statements, providing a tailored made list of documents specific to your case to support the application, assessing each document to ensure maximum chance of success, making the application by post or on line where applicable, full preparation of the application pack with detailed legal representations. The cost quoted does not include where the Home Office refuse your application, advice and assistance in relation to your remedies as there is no right of appeal.

Appeals

Existing client (non asylum) (£1,800 + VAT*) +/- £500

New client (non asylum): (£2,000 + VAT*) +/- £500

Existing client (asylum): (£2,000 + VAT*) +/- £500

New client (asylum): £2,500 + VAT* +/- £500

Service: Our fees for lodging and representing an appeal before the First Tier Tribunal will include drafting grounds of appeal, lodging with the Tribunal, consultations, taking detailed instructions, considering documents and advising on timelines, drafting statements, providing a tailored made list of documents specific to your case to support the appeal, assessing each document to ensure maximum chance of success, preparing court bundles, liaise with the Tribunal, Home Office, a Barrister and any Experts. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the cost quoted does not include any advice and assistance in relation to any onward appeal.

Applying for family members to join a refugee in the UK (£1,000 + VAT*) +/- £200

The above fees do not include VAT or Disbursements

HOW LONG WILL THE HOME OFFICE TAKE TO PROCESS MY APPLICATION?

We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office / Visa Centre will take to process your application. Please refer to the current processing time son the Home Office Website.

Example of Application for leave to reman based on the hourly rate

Hourly rate: immigration solicitor £275.00 per hour

On average, this type of work takes between 8-10 hours to complete. This means that on average costs are between £2000.00 and £2750.00 All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

The fee does not include Disbursements

The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:

The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
Which language(s) you speak
Whether you are applying with other dependants

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.

WE ALSO DEAL WITH COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE UK FOR EXAMPLE;

Ireland employer permit

The special relationship between the UK and the island of Ireland presents a unique route to the UK residency and citizenship through business investment in Ireland

Visas For Cyprus, Portugal And USA

Please call us on 0207 483 8644 for further information.

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