Our immigration lawyers offer affordable, reliable immigration advice.

Are you asking ‘how much does it cost to hire an immigration lawyer’? If so, you should be aware that it is important to weigh up immigration solicitor costs with the overall costs of making an application the Home Office.

Government visa and settlement fees are rising year on year, with the cost of migration going up. While the costs of hiring an immigration lawyer mean you may be spending more money than if you made an application by yourself this is very often worthwhile, and saves many people money in the long-run.

In many cases, individuals will make simple mistakes on their applications or will apply for visas which they aren’t yet eligible for. This will result in a rejection from the Home Office or UKVI. If your visa or settlement application is denied, you will not receive any sort of refund or compensation. If this happens, an individual must either make a fresh application, which requires fresh costs, or they can make an appeal. In many circumstances, an appeal is even more expensive than an initial application — and more legally complex.

With the help of an immigration lawyer, you will be in the best possible position to be granted your visa or status the first time around. As part of IAS’ services, you will be paired with an immigration lawyer who is experienced in your particular area of immigration law. Your lawyer will then work with you to determine your eligibility for the visa/settlement category you want. If you meet the requirements, they will then help you source and gather your supporting documents. after this, they process each document to ensure it meets the required standard and file it in your Application Portfolio. Your lawyer will then write you a Letter of Representation, addresses to the Home Office, to support your case and argue that it should be granted. This letter used legal knowledge and case-law wherever necessary. Once they have done this they will complete your application documents to the highest standard and submit it on your behalf to UKVI. They’ll liaise with the Home Office during the waiting period and alert you as soon as a decision has been made.

While it is important to be aware of how much it costs to hire an immigration solicitor or lawyer, it is also very important to consider all the costs of making an application and think about the long term when making a decision.

It is often difficult to find a good immigration solicitor or lawyer. If you are wondering ‘how do I find a good immigration lawyer’, and you find yourself at a loose end, do not worry. When looking for the best immigration lawyers, consider three main questions. These will help you determine whether any immigration lawyer is good or bad.

1. Is the lawyer experienced? Experience is one of the most important factors in seeking a good immigration lawyer. Immigration applications can be very complex and a lawyer who has not tackled an application under the same category before tackling yours could risk the success of your application. You deserve an immigration lawyer who is experienced, one that knows the immigration system inside out. Our immigration lawyers are experienced in all areas of immigration, nationality and asylum law. They have made applications on behalf of clients for every single immigration category and are highly knowledgable about the entire process. What’s more, as part of our bespoke services, you will be assigned an immigration lawyer that closely matches your enquiry type. So, if you want to make a Spouse Visa application, you will be assigned a lawyer with vast experience in Family and Partner Visa applications. This means you will be paired with a lawyer who suits your needs perfectly and will know exactly what you should show to the Home Office and how you should present it. This will place in the best possible position for a successful outcome.
2. Is the lawyer qualified? It is important that your lawyer is qualified to give immigration advice. There are many circumstances in which ‘fake immigration lawyers’ have been uncovered, and have taken client’s money without giving them the appropriate legal advice. All immigration lawyers must have the appropriate qualifications to legally offer immigration advice. All our lawyers are accredited by OISC, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. This is the official accreditation scheme for the immigration advice sector, to become a regulated immigration adviser an individual must have passed their OISC qualification.
3. Is the lawyer successful? Our success rates are higher than our competitors, as we offer unique, tailored services. Our advice sessions and application services are tailored to the client. Our lawyers spend an unlimited amount of time with their clients, ensuring they spend the time to get every single detail right. As a result, all of our lawyers have an incredibly high application success rate.

It is important to bear these questions in mind when trying to work out how to find a good lawyer, as this is a very important decision which takes time to consider and make.

If you are the beginning of your immigration journey and are wondering ‘what does an immigration solicitor do’, you are not the first. Many people who want to make an immigration or settlement application are often confused about whether they should enlist the help of an immigration solicitor or lawyer when starting out their process. There is lots of information around, and many who claim to be able to help you. But, it is important to find out what an immigration solicitor can do for you before you make any decisions about your application or claim.

Firstly, you don’t need an immigration lawyer or solicitor to make a visa application. If you wish, you can make an application yourself. However, using the services of one will hugely increase your chances of success. This is because a qualified immigration adviser can lend you a perspective which you cannot have while making your own application. Immigration lawyers who are OISC qualified, such as those at IAS, are qualified and experienced in all areas of immigration applications and claims. This means that they can help decipher the Home Office’s jargon for you. It also means that they can ensure your completed application documents and supporting evidence meet the required standard.

Some immigration solicitors and lawyers, such as ours, will also write something called a Letter of Representation to support your application. This acts as a cover letter of sorts and is written using legal understanding and insight. It outlines the merits of your case and usually cites relevant legislation and case-law which supports your case. This is hugely beneficial for your case, as it does all the hard work for UKVI/Home Office officials, giving them all the information they need about your case in a digestible and navigable format.

Ultimately, using an immigration solicitor is your choice. But it is always worth bearing in mind that having a legal expert to help you navigate through the process of emigrating or settling will place you in the best possible position for a smooth process and successful outcome.

An immigration appeal length can vary depending on the complexity of your case and can take up between one and six months for the full appeal process to be complete.

If you receive a rejection from the Home Office, this letter will tell you whether you have a right to appeal. If you do, you can launch an appeal against the Home Office’s decision. You will have either 10 days (if you made your application in the UK) or 28 days (if you made your application outside the UK) in which to lodge your appeal. You can either appeal through a hearing or on paper.

Once you have lodged an appeal, the review process will begin. This is the process which takes the longest amount of time, so when asking ‘how long does an immigration appeal take’, this is an important phase to consider. The review stage usually takes around 19 weeks but can take longer depending on different factors (like the complexity of your case and the appeal unit who are dealing with your case).

Once your appeal has been reviewed, it will be given to an independent judge to consider. If your appeal was made on paper, the judge will independently review your case based on the evidence before him. If you have opted to attend a hearing, you will receive a letter with a court hearing date on it. This can be up to approximately 30 weeks after the date of your initial application refusal. At the court hearing, the judge will review evidence from

After the hearing, the judge who reviewed your case should have your appeal decision letter sent to you within four weeks. This will tell you whether or not your appeal has been granted and your original decision overturned.

The UK visa requirements vary depending on why you want to come to the UK.

• Visitor Visas: to meet the requirements for a Visit Visa, you must want to come to the UK for a particular purpose, for a temporary period (six months or less). This could be to attend work meetings, get married, visit your family or have a holiday. Another key requirement for this type of visa is that you must have a reason to return to your home country that you can prove in your application. This could be a property, a job, school, family or a business. You must also have enough money to support yourself for the duration of your trip to the UK.
• Family Visas: these types of visas let you join family members in the UK, or are either settled or British. This could be as a Spouse, Partner, or dependent. There are various requirements for this visa that depend on the category. In most cases, you will need to show substantial prove that your relationship to the family member or partner you want to join is ‘genuine and subsisting’.
• Tier 1 Visas: the requirements for Tier 1 Visas are that you are a highly valued individual. This could be through skill/talent, wealth or entrepreneurial capabilities.
• Tier 2 Work Visas: to be eligible for a Tier 2 Visa you must be a skilled worker, with a job offer from a British employer who holds a Sponsor Licence. This job must earn at least £30,000 per annum and the job must either be in shortage or tested with the Resident Labour Market Test. This means that the employer has made sure it cannot be filled with domestic (UK or EEA) talent.
• Tier 4 Student Visas: the requirements of a Tier 4 Student Visa are an offer of education on a course which is longer than six months at a registered British university or institution. You must also have enough funds to pay for your course and support yourself while in the UK.
• Tier 5 Temporary Work Visas: to apply for this visa type, you should have a job offer for temporary work with a registered UK employer who holds a Tier 5 Sponsor Licence. In some cases, like with the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, you do not need a job offer — however, you will need to meet further visa requirements, such as being a certain nationality and being endorsed.