IMMIGRATION
At Carlsons, we approach every immigration matter with the utmost care and diligence. Before offering advice, we conduct a thorough case analysis to determine the best steps tailored to your specific needs and circumstances. Our services are personalised to ensure they meet your requirements effectively.
We are committed to providing clear and transparent pricing for our immigration law services. Below is an overview of our fees for commonly requested services. Please note that the exact cost may vary depending on the complexity of the case, urgency, and specific client requirements.
Our fees are based on different factors, including but not limited to:
The urgency of your case.
The complexity of your situation.
Any previous visa refusals by the UK or other countries.
Whether you are currently residing in the UK or abroad.
Your eligibility under the Home Office’s criteria for suitability and good character.
The timeliness of providing necessary documents for your application.
Whether your application is submitted within the required time frame or after the deadline.
The volume and nature of supporting evidence that needs to be reviewed.
The Home Office’s processing times for your specific application type.
We are committed to delivering a service that aligns with your unique immigration needs.
CHARGING RATES
While dealing with your immigration matters, we can charge either by reference to an hourly rate or on a fixed fee basis. We will provide you with an estimate of our legal fees before commencing any instruction.
A) Hourly rate charges
If we charge by reference to an hourly rate, we will charge you for the time we spend working on the matter. We will keep detailed and accurate time records. The hourly charge-out rate which would apply is as follows:
Emel Dag (Solicitor): £275.00 (plus VAT at 20% where applicable)
B) Fixed fees
In some cases, once we have reviewed your situation, and explored and identified the availability of your documents that are required for your specific application, we can offer you a fixed fee. This will be the fee regardless of the amount of time we spend completing your work. We will therefore take the risk in that respect. You will have certainty on the amount that will be charged, taking into account the assumptions and exclusions that apply in your specific circumstances and provided that there are no unforeseen complications or significant changes to your instructions.
Immigration work is undertaken by Emel Dag. She qualified in 2023 as a Solicitor and specialises in immigration services. She is supervised by Daniel Russell. Daniel qualified in 1992 and is a Solicitor and our Managing Director.
VALUE-ADDED TAX (VAT)
Value-Added Tax (VAT), at a rate of 20%, will usually be added to our fees and some disbursements. Charging VAT in relation to immigration matters may depend on where you live and what immigration permission you have. For example, if your usual place of residence is the UK, including if you had permission to stay in the UK but overstayed, VAT is chargeable. On the other hand, if you are not resident in the UK, or you entered the country without permission or as an asylum seeker and do not yet have permission to stay, you are not normally liable to pay VAT.
WHAT OUR FEES WILL COVER
The scope of work will vary depending on the specific matter and complexity of your instructions. However, our typical services include:
Conducting an initial consultation to gather detailed information about your circumstances, discussing the most appropriate application to make, and exploring other available options.
Providing advice on the requirements of the relevant rules and assessing your eligibility to meet those criteria.
Offering guidance on the supporting evidence necessary to support your application and explaining the application process in detail.
Reviewing and considering the evidence provided, and preparing the application form accordingly.
Assisting in obtaining additional evidence, such as bank letters or statements, if required.
Compiling and preparing your application for submission, including scheduling appointments for the submission of biometrics and the application bundle.
Drafting a comprehensive letter of representation that outlines how you meet the application requirements.
Providing advice and instructions on the application submission process and preparing you for any potential interviews, if necessary.
Offering guidance on the potential outcome of the application and providing instructions for compliance with your immigration conditions.
These are the general tasks we undertake, but please note that the specific services provided will be tailored to the unique requirements of your case.
THE OUTCOME OF THE MATTER
We charge for the work carried out on your matter irrespective of the outcome. We try our best to get a favourable outcome on all matters. Success, however, is not guaranteed, and the outcome is dependent upon the merit of your case.
LIKELY LEGAL FEES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATIONS
All fee ranges below are estimates and our actual fees will depend on the circumstances of your case. The ranges below are for guidance purposes only.
| Service | Likely fee range + VAT where applicable |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation: A consultation of up to one-hour to discuss your case and provide initial advice. | £250 |
| Consultations (after initial consultation): 2–4 hours at an hourly rate of £275 | £550 - £1,100 |
| Visitor visa (family/tourism/business/student/academic) | £1,000 – £1,500 |
| Student visa (long term) | £1,500 – £2,500 |
| Family visas- initial applications (e.g., fiancé, spouse, partner, child, adult dependant relative) | £2,500 – £3,800 |
| Family visas- extension applications (e.g., fiancé, spouse, partner, child, adult dependant relative) | £2,000- £3,000 |
| Settlement applications (Indefinite Leave to Remain) | £2,000 – £3,500 |
| Naturalisation or Registration as a British citizen applications | £2,000 – £3,000 |
| Naturalisation or Registration as a British citizen applications complex cases | £3,000- £4,000 |
| Long Residence/Private Life applications | £4,000 – £5,000 | Electronic visa waiver applications | £700 – £1,000 |
| Surrogacy visa applications | £4,500 – £6,000 |
| Ancestry visa applications | £2,000 – £3,500 |
| Applications under the EUSS | £1,500 – £3,500 |
| Sponsor Licence Applications for UK businesses and charities | £4,000 – £12,000 |
| Skilled Worker visa | £2,000- £3,500 | Charity worker visa | £2,500 – £3,500 | Religious worker visa | £3,500 – £5,000 |
| Dependants of point base system applicants | £1,500- £2,500 | Innovator founder visa | £5,000 – £13,000 |
| Start-up visa | £5,000 – £13,000 |
| Scale-up worker visa | £2,000 – £6,000 |
| Representative of an Overseas Business visa | £3,000 – £10,000 |
| Sponsor Licence Applications for Overseas businesses expanding to the UK (Global Business Mobility) | £6,000- £13,000 | UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) | £3,500 – £5,000 | Graduate Trainee visa | £3,000- £4,500 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) | £3,000 – £5,000 |
| Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility) | £3,000 – £5,000 | Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) | £4,000 – £6,000 |
| Seasonal Worker visa | £1,200 – £2,500 |
| Creative Worker visa (Temporary work) | £4,000 – £6,000 |
| Graduate Visa | £1,500 – £2,800 |
| High Potential Individual visa (HPI) | £2,500 – £3,500 | Administrative Review applications | £1,500 – £3,000 |
| Advice and representation at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in appeals | £4,000 – £30,000 |
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
The items below are not included in the fees estimated above:
Challenge of Refusals: If your application is unsuccessful and we need to challenge the decision by way of an administrative review application to the Home Office, appeal to the Immigration Tribunal, application to the Upper Tribunal or the High Court for judicial review, or by other legal means, a separate fee to be agreed with you will become applicable.
Disbursements: They are costs related to your matter payable to third parties, such as court fees, counsel fee, home office fees, immigration health surcharge, experts’ fees, interpreter’s fees or translation charges. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Counsel’s fees are estimated to be between £1,000 to £2,500 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal or Court Hearing (including preparation).Interpreters’ costs can vary significantly with some clients only needing a couple of hours with an interpreter whilst others may need many more. Where the help of an interpreter is needed, you might be able to bring a friend or another community figure to help; if not we can help you find a suitable interpreter. Disbursements, other than the Court fees and Home Office fees, will usually attract VAT.
For information on the Home Office fees please see here.
For information on the Immigration Health Surcharge see here.
LEGAL AID
Depending on your circumstances and the type of the application that you make, you might be eligible for legal aid. Legal aid is subject to a means test and is not usually available for immigration or nationality cases, apart from applications under the domestic violence rule and immigration bail. However, we do not deal with legal aid funded cases. Nonetheless, if you would like to check, please review this online, where there is a useful tool to assess whether you qualify.
HOW LONG WILL MY APPLICATION TAKE?
We cannot control how long the Home Office will take to process your application. See the current processing times here. This is only an indication and it may take longer to review your application.
We will normally be able to submit your application within four 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 fees above are estimates. If VAT is chargeable, the VAT will be in addition to the fee estimates set out 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.
To enquire about our immigration service, please complete the contact form, we are here to help.