HS Legal Solicitors is committed to providing clarity in its pricing and service in accordance with the SRA Transparency Rules.

Fees for our legal services 

We have set out below our average fee estimates, covering some of the most common types of immigration applications. 

The costs for the various applications can vary depending on your circumstances, including where you currently live, your previous immigration history, whether you have access to the correct documentation in a timely manner, the amount of supporting evidence we have to review and time to prepare the application.

Additional factors you need to consider are the Home Office processing times, whether you will be interviewed and in the event of your application being deferred for consideration by a more senior Caseworker at the Home Office.

The immigration rules in the UK are complex and subject to frequent changes.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

VAT is a tax added to most products and services sold by VAT-registered businesses. In the UK, the VAT rate is 20%. The fees listed do not include VAT at 20% which you will incur in most cases.

What our services include

When you instruct HS Legal Solicitors in connection with any of the visa types as listed below, our services include:

• discussing your circumstances in detail and advising on the Immigration Rules and your eligibility in relation to the relevant application
• considering whether any other options are available to you
• completing the application documentation
• providing you with a comprehensive checklist outlining what documents are required in support of your application
• reviewing supporting documentation provided by you and advising if additional evidence is required*
• preparing a covering letter containing legal submissions in support of your application and submitting the application on your behalf
• preparing further template documentation where required
• coordinating Home Office application appointments where necessary
• liaising with the Home Office in relation to your application if the need arises
• giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

*the time this will take depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain any missing documents. 

Please note that we also offer advice or assistance in relation to appeals. Our appeal services are not included in the fees above but we can discuss fee estimates for this with you separately.

All of the types of visa applications below must be supported by the relevant documentation and presented to the Home Office in accordance with their guidelines. We will ensure that you receive clear instructions on the type and format of the documentation and whether any of the documents need to be attested or translated.

If you need assistance to obtain certain documents, such as a letter from your bank or medical records, we will contact the provider and arrange to obtain the documentation.

Fixed Fee Arrangements

In many cases for the visa applications listed below, once we have reviewed your circumstances and satisfied that you are eligible to apply, we charge for our service on a fixed fee arrangement. This means that even if the work on your application takes longer than initially anticipated there will be no additional charges unless there is a significant change to your circumstances or instructions.

 Our hourly rates

These fees are calculated by reference to our hourly rates which vary depending on the experience of the lawyer carrying out the work. 

Our hourly rate ranges from:

• £450 +VAT @20% for a Partner
• £350 +VAT @20% for a Solicitor
• £220 +VAT @20% for a Paralegal

When we commence working with you, you will be advised of the fee estimate at the outset.

Immigration services: our fixed fee charges

Please note that these are standard fees for standard services. Complex applications may be subject to a different fee structure. Please call us for details or to discuss your specific requirements.

Immigration disbursements

Disbursements are costs that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. 

As with our fees, the below disbursements exclude VAT. We have marked where VAT at 20% may be chargeable but we will confirm whether VAT is payable when you instruct us.

Home Office costs

Any Home Office and official fees for submitting the application. These vary depending on the type of application you are making. 

Please see the following link for further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table

Expert witnesses costs 

Fees of independent expert witnesses where required. The cost of the expert witness may also incur VAT at 20%. 

Costs for interpreters/translations 

In the event that you will need the services of an interpreter or your documents need to be translated, we will confirm the costs of the service. Interpreter fees vary depending on what language you speak and the amount of time spent by the interpreter. The cost of the interpreter may also incur VAT at 20%.

Translated documents

The Home Office will only accept documents that have been translated by a specialist company, which means you will incur costs for translating documents and you may also incur VAT at 20%.

Counsel fees

Counsel’s fees which may be incurred for ad hoc advice on complex issues, or representation either before the Home Office or Tribunal hearings. The average hourly rate for Counsel is £250-£450 per hour depending on the level of experience, knowledge and skill. In most cases Counsels fees also incur VAT at 20%.

Travel & accommodation costs 

We are regularly requested to meet our clients in person when they are applying from outside the UK. In addition to our fees, we charge for flight and accommodation expenses.

Timescales for immigration services

Once your application has been submitted to the Home Office, our work is to liaise with the Home Officials on your behalf until a decision has been made and your documents returned. Unfortunately for certain types of applications such as Long Residency and Discretionary Leave, the processing times can take 6 – 9 months, and other types of application normally take 3-6 months.

Our Team:

Our team of Immigration/Asylum solicitors has 19 years of experience in dealing with Immigration and Asylum matters. Our Solicitor Mr Jawad Mahmood heads up a team of trainee solicitors and four Assistants. Mr Jawad Mahmood has been working in this area for more than 19 years.

You will be allocated a dedicated Immigration caseworker. Regardless of who works on your matter, they will be supervised by Mr Jawad Mahmood.