Before you pay a UK immigration solicitor or adviser, you can check in a few minutes whether they are allowed to give the advice. Solicitors are checked on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) register. Other advisers are checked on the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) register. If a name is on neither, stop.
This guide gives you a short verification checklist, shows what each IAA level can handle, and sets out the Home Office fees you pay separately from your adviser. It also gives typical adviser fee ranges from published price pages, explains how fees are structured, and lists the red flags that point to a scam.
Last checked against official sources: October 2026.
1. How to Check a UK Immigration Solicitor Is Regulated
In the UK, paid immigration advice must come from someone who is regulated. That means an SRA-regulated solicitor or firm, a barrister working through a Bar Standards Board regulated route, or an adviser registered with the IAA. Giving immigration advice or services without being a qualified person is an offence under section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, punishable by a fine, imprisonment or both.
The IAA is the body you may still know as the OISC. The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner became the Immigration Advice Authority on 16 January 2025. Existing registrations carried over, so an adviser who says “OISC registered” is not lying, but you should still find them on the current IAA register.
The table below shows where to look for each type of adviser.
| Type of adviser | Regulator | Where to check | What you learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solicitor or law firm | Solicitors Regulation Authority | Solicitors Register, “All” tab | Whether the person or firm is regulated, plus closed firms and prohibited people |
| Registered adviser | Immigration Advice Authority | IAA Adviser Register, by name or registration number | Registration status and authorised level |
| Barrister | Bar Standards Board | Bar Council Direct Access scheme (England and Wales) | Whether they can be instructed directly |
| Anyone you doubt | IAA | Government list of prohibited or suspended advisers | Whether they have been banned or suspended |
One detail matters if you live outside the UK. The IAA only regulates advice given within the UK, so a “consultant” operating from another country will not appear on its register. A solicitor who looks over an unregulated adviser’s work does not make that adviser regulated either.
2. A Five-Minute Verification Checklist
Work through these steps before you send documents, pay a deposit or sign anything. Each step takes a minute or two, and the first one filters out many scams on its own.
- Ask for the adviser’s full name, the firm’s regulated name, the regulator and the registration or SRA ID number, in writing.
- For a solicitor, search the SRA Solicitors Register using the firm’s regulated name rather than a trading name, or use the SRA ID number. Select the “All” tab so you see both firms and individuals.
- For an IAA adviser, search the Adviser Register through the government’s find an immigration adviser page by name or registration number, and read the authorised level shown there.
- Check the list of prohibited or suspended advisers if anything feels off.
- Find the firm’s phone number and email yourself, from the register or an older document, and call to confirm the person works there. Do not use only the contact details in a message sent to you.
- Ask for a written engagement letter that states the scope of work, the fee and what happens if the application is refused.
Quick Answer: No search result is not a pass. The SRA says that if a search finds nothing, you should not assume the firm or person is regulated.
The SRA has issued scam alerts in 2026 about websites and emails that copy the names of real solicitors or use a near-identical web address. That is why step five matters. A real name on a website is not proof that you are dealing with that person.
3. What Each IAA Level Can and Cannot Do
If your adviser is on the IAA register rather than the SRA register, the authorised level tells you what work they may take on. A Level 1 adviser can be perfectly good for a simple case and wrong for a complicated one. Registered advisers also have to work within their level.
| Level | Scope | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1: Advice and Assistance | Straightforward applications that rely on a plain presentation of facts, such as a simple visa application or extension with documents in order | No substantive asylum work. Cases that become complicated or are refused must be referred to a higher level |
| Level 2: Casework | Everything in Level 1, plus complex or discretionary cases, asylum and human rights matters, administrative reviews, overstaying and removal | Can lodge a notice of appeal but cannot represent you at the appeal hearing |
| Level 3: Advocacy and Representation | Everything in Levels 1 and 2, plus preparing and presenting cases before the immigration tribunals | Judicial review case management needs separate authorisation |
Match the level to your situation. An asylum application needs a Level 2 or Level 3 adviser, and a hearing before an immigration judge needs Level 3. Solicitors and barristers are not graded this way, so ask a solicitor directly whether they have handled your type of case. The IAA’s registration guide explains the levels in full.
Pro Tip: Ask what happens if the Home Office refuses your application. A Level 1 adviser must pass a refused case to someone at a higher level, so find out in advance who that would be and what it would cost.
4. Home Office Fees You Pay Separately From Your Adviser
Your adviser’s bill is only part of the cost. The Home Office charges its own application fees, and most temporary visas also carry the Immigration Health Surcharge. These are paid to the government, not to your adviser, so check that any quote lists them as separate lines.
The table shows fees from the Home Office fee table that applies from 8 October 2026. No fee in that table changed from the levels set on 8 April 2026.
| Item | Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, applying from outside the UK | £819 (up to 3 years) or £1,618 (over 3 years) | Paid by the applicant |
| Skilled Worker, applying from inside the UK | £943 (up to 3 years) or £1,865 (over 3 years) | Paid by the applicant |
| Immigration Salary List rate, outside the UK | £628 (up to 3 years) or £1,235 (over 3 years) | Lower rate for listed roles |
| Health and Care visa | £324 (up to 3 years) or £628 (over 3 years) | Lower rate |
| Indefinite leave to remain, inside the UK | £3,226 | Same fee for main applicant and dependants |
| Naturalisation as a British citizen | £1,709 plus £130 ceremony fee | Ceremony fee added to the application fee |
| Administrative review | £80 | Fee to challenge a decision |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (Skilled Worker) | £525 | Paid by the employer |
The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year for most adults, or £776 per year for students, their dependants, Youth Mobility Scheme applicants and applicants under 18. You normally pay it upfront for the whole length of the visa, so a three-year visa carries £3,105.
Key Statistic: For a three-year Skilled Worker visa applied for from outside the UK, the application fee of £819 plus the full-rate health surcharge of £3,105 comes to £3,924 before any adviser fee.
Some older guides still quote £2,885 as the indefinite leave to remain fee. That figure is out of date. The fee is now £3,226, and you should not assume a refusal brings any of it back. If you are comparing sponsored routes, our guide to UK companies offering visa sponsorship explains which costs usually fall on the employer, and our page on the UK shortage list and Skilled Worker jobs covers the lower-fee roles.
5. What a UK Immigration Solicitor Charges in 2026
There is no fixed national price list for adviser fees, and published prices vary a lot between firms. The ranges below come from the fee pages of several UK firms, quoted before VAT and before Home Office fees. They show the spread you will see, not a price you should expect to pay.
| Type of work | Published fixed-fee range (before VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Work or study visa application | £1,300 to £3,500 | Sponsored work visas sit at the upper end on some pages |
| Partner or family application | £1,700 to £6,000 | Wide gap between firms |
| Indefinite leave to remain | £2,000 to £9,000 | Long residence cases cost more |
| Naturalisation | £800 to £9,000 | Complex histories push the price up |
| Administrative review or appeal | £1,000 to £18,000 | Often quoted in stages, with barrister fees extra |
Some firms charge hourly instead. Published hourly rates run from about £150 to £500 before VAT, depending on the seniority of the person doing the work. Some firms also charge a first consultation, and one published £190 including VAT.
A fixed fee covers a defined job, such as preparing and submitting one application. It usually excludes outlays, which means the Home Office fee, the health surcharge, tribunal fees, translations, interpreters and barrister fees. Hourly billing suits uncertain or contested work, but ask for a written estimate and a cap so the bill cannot run away from you.
You can compare firms more easily because solicitors must publish prices for most immigration application work, excluding asylum, on their websites. The SRA’s transparency guidance expects the information to cover what the fee includes, what it excludes, whether VAT applies, typical timescales, and the experience of the people doing the work. If a firm shows none of this, ask why.
Important Note: Fee pages carry no standard date and firms change prices often. Treat every range here as a guide, and get a written, scope-specific quote before you instruct anyone. Some firms do not charge VAT to clients who live outside the UK, so ask.
6. Legal Aid and Other Free Help
Legal aid is rarely available for immigration applications. It can cover asylum, victims of trafficking or modern slavery, some domestic abuse routes, and some detention matters. Other cases can qualify only through exceptional case funding, which applies where a refusal of help would put your human rights at risk, and it is hard to obtain.
If you think you may qualify, use the government’s legal aid eligibility checker or call Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345. Some IAA-registered organisations do not charge, and the IAA’s Adviser Finder can help you find one. For routine visa and settlement applications, plan on paying.
7. Red Flags That Point to a Scam
Real advisers can be expensive, slow or blunt, and still be legitimate. The warning signs below are different. They point to someone who is either unregulated or planning to take your money.
- They guarantee a visa or promise a result. No adviser controls a Home Office decision.
- They cannot or will not give a registration or SRA ID number, or the number does not match the name on the register.
- They want cash only, or payment into a personal account, with no receipt.
- They give you no written engagement letter or scope of work.
- They call themselves a “consultant” or “agent” and say regulation does not apply to them.
- They quote a price far below every other firm.
- They push you to sign or pay immediately, or ask for original passports and documents up front.
- They offer a “sponsored job” in return for a fee.
Money paid in advance stays yours until the work is done, and the IAA says you should be entitled to at least a partial refund if you change your mind before then. Keep every message, receipt and bank transfer record. They matter if you need to complain.
Important Note: A genuine employer sponsoring you for a UK work visa pays its own Certificate of Sponsorship fee. Be very wary of anyone, including a recruiter or “agent”, who asks you to pay for a job offer or a sponsorship. Check the employer yourself before you send money.
Pressure to move fast is a common thread. A real adviser can give you time to read an engagement letter and check the register.
8. Where to Report a Problem
Use the right body for the right type of problem. If your adviser is IAA-registered and the service was poor, or if you received advice from someone who was not regulated, you can complain through the IAA’s online portal. The IAA cannot intervene in a visa decision, so a complaint will not reverse a refusal.
For a solicitor, complain to the firm first. If you stay unhappy, the Legal Ombudsman handles service complaints, and time limits apply, so do not wait. The SRA deals with conduct concerns, including bogus solicitors and misuse of a real solicitor’s identity.
If you were defrauded, report it to Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. That covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check a UK immigration solicitor is regulated?
Search the SRA’s Solicitors Register using the firm’s regulated name or SRA ID number, and use the “All” tab. If you cannot find a match, do not assume the firm is regulated. Confirm contact details through a source you found yourself.
Can I use an adviser who is not a solicitor?
Yes, if they are registered with the Immigration Advice Authority at a level that covers your case. Check the Adviser Register by name or registration number. An adviser who cannot show a registration is not allowed to give you paid immigration advice.
Is a cheaper immigration adviser a bad sign?
Not always, because prices vary widely between firms. A price far below every comparable quote is a warning, especially with no written scope or engagement letter. Ask what the fee covers and what is excluded.
Do I need a solicitor for a Skilled Worker visa?
No law requires you to use an adviser for a straightforward application. People do apply by themselves. A regulated adviser is worth considering if your history is complicated, a previous application was refused, or you are dealing with a settlement or appeal.
Where do I complain if an adviser took my money and did nothing?
Complain in writing to the adviser first. Then use the IAA portal for a registered adviser, or the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA for a solicitor. Report suspected fraud to Report Fraud.
10. Next Steps Before You Pay Anyone
Write down what you need: the visa route, your deadline, and any complications such as a past refusal or gaps in your residence history. Then shortlist two or three advisers, run each one through the checklist above, and ask each for a written quote that separates their fee from Home Office fees and outlays.
When you choose a UK immigration solicitor or adviser, keep your engagement letter, your receipts and a copy of everything submitted on your behalf. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules can change, so confirm the current Home Office fee table and your own situation with a regulated adviser or the official sources before you apply. If you are still planning your move, our article on temporary housing in the UK for new arrivals covers what to budget for after you land.
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