Immigration in London

What immigration advice covers

You may have a visa to apply for, a status to keep or a decision to challenge. In that case, you want to know who can help and what it costs. GOV.UK says immigration advisers can help with most things to do with immigration. However, they do not make immigration decisions, so an adviser cannot promise you a result.

The SRA Transparency Rules cover immigration applications, excluding asylum applications. They also cover First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) appeals against Home Office visa or immigration decisions, excluding asylum appeals. As a result, firms that offer these services must publish their prices. This page is a plain guide to immigration solicitors London readers can understand, not a list of firms.

Who may give immigration advice

Not everyone who offers immigration advice is allowed to. GOV.UK says all immigration advisers must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or be a member of an approved professional body. It also says you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated. Therefore, ask about regulation before you pay anything.

Solicitors are one route. GOV.UK says you can find solicitors who give immigration advice through the Law Society of England and Wales. It names the Scottish and Northern Irish Law Societies too. If you want an immigration solicitor London based, the Law Society is a good place to start your search.

You can also check a solicitor yourself. The SRA Solicitors Register lets you look up the records of the solicitors and law firms the SRA regulates. You can see whether somebody is a solicitor and where they work. Our step-by-step check of a solicitor shows how to use it. For more on the wider rules, read our guide to immigration adviser regulation.

Home Office fees and what advisers charge

The Home Office sets its own fees, and an adviser’s charge comes on top. These figures apply from 8 April 2026. Check GOV.UK before you apply, because fees can change.

• A Student visa costs £558 for the main applicant and dependants, inside or outside the UK.
• Indefinite leave to remain costs £3,226 for the main applicant and dependants.
• Naturalisation as a British citizen costs £1,709. A £130 citizenship ceremony fee applies where it is due.

Skilled Worker fees depend on where you apply from and how long the certificate of sponsorship lasts. For up to 3 years, the fee is £819 from outside the UK and £943 from inside. For over 3 years, it is £1,618 from outside and £1,865 from inside. Jobs on the Immigration Salary List cost less. They are £628 for up to 3 years and £1,235 for over 3 years.

GOV.UK’s Skilled Worker cost page gives the healthcare surcharge as £1,035 per year. Add it to your budget early, since it comes on top of the visa fee.

We cannot give a solicitor’s fee, because no sourced figure exists. Instead, ask each adviser what their charge covers. Firms that offer the services under the SRA Transparency Rules must publish their prices, so look for them on the firm’s website.

Legal aid and free help

Money worries should not stop you getting advice. GOV.UK says legal aid might cover seeking asylum or being a victim of human trafficking. It does not list other immigration matters, so do not assume legal aid will help with a visa.

If you cannot get legal aid, GOV.UK points to free advice from the Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice and AdviceNow. The Law Centres Network says Law Centres help people in poverty overcome legal problems. It lists all Law Centres across the UK on one page. Our guide to free legal advice and legal aid in London gives more detail.

Quality marks to look for

The Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation is a quality mark for practitioners who deal with visa and immigration issues. An Immigration Law Advanced Accreditation is also available for complicated cases.

You can check a mark yourself. The Law Society says to look for its quality mark logos on websites, printed material or offices. You can also tick the “accredited specialists only” box when you filter Find a Solicitor results. However, a mark is not a guarantee, so keep the register check as well.

London immigration tribunal hearing centres

If you appeal a Home Office decision, you may need to know where hearings take place. Four hearing centres handle immigration and asylum cases.

• Taylor House Tribunal Hearing Centre is at 88 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4QU.
• Hatton Cross Tribunal Hearing Centre is at York House, 2-3 Dukes Green Avenue, Feltham TW14 0LS.
• Field House Tribunal Hearing Centre is at 15-25 Breams Buildings, London EC4A 1DZ.
• Harmondsworth Tribunal Hearing Centre is at Colnbrook Bypass, Harmondsworth UB7 0HD.

Ask your adviser which centre your case will use, and note the address before the day.

Questions to ask an immigration adviser

A good first conversation saves time and money. Before you agree to anything, put these questions to the adviser.

• How are you regulated, and what is your registration or SRA number?
• What does your quote cover, and what would cost extra?
• Who will do the work on my case?
• How will you tell me about progress, and how often?
• What documents do you need from me, and by when?

Write down the answers. Then compare them with what the register or the regulator shows. If an answer is vague, ask again in writing, because a clear reply is a good sign.

Finding an immigration adviser in your borough

Each borough page explains how to find and check a solicitor locally. Start with the area where you live or work.

For example, read about immigration help in Haringey or immigration help in Barking and Dagenham. You can also see immigration help in Barnet, immigration help in Lambeth and immigration help in Hackney. Each page shows local courts, free help and the official routes to use before you choose a firm.