Immigration

Our specialist immigration team has been advising businesses and individuals on all aspects of UK immigration and nationality law for over 20 years and is top ranked in Chambers and Legal 500.

As a recognised leader and one of the largest teams of immigration lawyers in the UK, we have an established reputation for delivering exceptional client service combined with clear strategic immigration advice. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting a business in the UK, a global corporation  transferring staff here or a family moving to the UK, our full-service immigration team can assist you from the simplest to the most complex of matters.

We act for a wide variety of corporate clients including asset managers, global law firms, technology businesses, banks, private equity firms, consulting businesses, pharmaceutical manufacturers and architects. Our dedicated client teams assist with strategic planning, end-to-end sponsorship and visa support and provide comprehensive support with UK immigration compliance. Our service model is based on flexibility, enabling us to provide outstanding service to clients ranging from the smallest start-up to global businesses. We support HR teams in managing their UK and global immigration needs, providing business intelligence on global trends and through sharing our know-how with clients through our regular alerts, workshops, webinars and client-centred training.

For our private clients, we provide a dedicated service to support investors, entrepreneurs and families moving to the UK, advising on the best solution and providing a high level service to help our clients relocate, obtain permanent residence and British Citizenship. We are recognised experts in dealing with complex UK and EU immigration issues and have extensive experience of litigating judicial review cases and appeals. We work closely with our tax, private client, real estate, corporate, employment and family teams who can advise on all related issues of moving to and living in the UK.

We regularly engage with Home Office policy makers and actively lobby for our clients’ interests. In addition, our day-to-day contacts across the Home Office enable us to resolve issues, obtain pre-clearance in complex applications and ensure timely resolution of even the most complex cases.

OUR FEES for private individuals

Most of our services are offered on an hourly rate basis and as many of our clients’ matters are complex and often involve multiple parties, there is rarely a typical case. Our clients are given an estimate of costs after our initial meeting or as part of the engagement process. There are some areas where we are able to be more indicative and, as in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) guidance on price transparency, we have published our price and service information where it is possible to be upfront about charges without knowing all the details of the matter.

Price information for private individuals

This information is intended to inform private individuals about our fees for immigration and nationality matters. These fees do not apply to work undertaken for corporate clients.

We have set out the hourly rates for lawyers at different levels. Full details of the specific qualifications of each of our fee earners can be found on the immigration team page.

The key members of the team working with private individuals are:

• Katie Newbury
• Conor Boyd
• Jessica Jim
• Elli Graves
• Louize Libeert

The below rates and fee estimates are exclusive of VAT. Professional fees will be subject to VAT at 20% where this is applicable.

These rates are subject to annual review.

• Partners - £400 - £500
• Legal Counsel - £295
• Senior Associates - £275 - £300
• Associates - £250 - £300
• Immigration Managers - £250 - £275
• Legal Assistants - £175
• Trainee Solicitors - £175
• Paralegals - £150

As each matter will involve work by a partner, an associate or senior associate and a paralegal/legal assistant/trainee solicitor, the estimate of hours is based on an average hourly rate of £300 to reflect the involvement of lawyers at different levels.

Your matter will always be supervised by a partner. Work will be completed by lawyers of varying experience. The estimated fee quotes are premised on the work being completed by lawyers across a range of levels, with time estimates using an average hourly rate to reflect the involvement of different lawyers. The time spent by lawyers at different levels will vary depending on a number of factors including the complexity and nature of the matter. The quotes assume that each stage of the work is conducted by an appropriate level of lawyer, if client preference dictates work be completed at a higher level, this will of course impact fee estimates.

The estimates set out here have been provided to give a range of likely fees for standard applications. Once we have further information about your personal circumstances and the nature of the assistance you require, we may be able to agree a fixed fee.

Your fee estimate or fixed fee would be agreed prior to us formalising our engagement with you.

The Kingsley Napley immigration team has been advising individuals and businesses on UK immigration and nationality law for over 23 years. The below fee quotes relate to work undertaken for individuals and are intended to provide an overview of some of the most common application types.

For details as to whether Kingsley Napley will be able to assist with your specific immigration and nationality query and to receive a fee quote tailored to your specific requirements, please contact us.

This fee quote assumes you meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules, EEA Regulations or British Nationality Act 1981 (as applicable) without requiring discretion to be exercised.

It also assumes there are no other factors which make the application more complex such as a criminal record or a history of non-compliance with UK immigration.

The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:

• The complexity of the legal issues involved
• The urgency of the matter
• The level of documentation available and any issues in obtaining this
• Where the application is being made and any particular additional services you wish to use
• Whether the application is an initial one, an extension or an application for indefinite leave to remain
• Whether there are any dependants and their personal circumstances
• The nature and number of any required supporting statements
• If we are required to liaise with third parties such as accountants or financial institutions
• If Counsel is required to provide written advice and/or to represent you as part of an appeal process
• The number of tribunal appearances required

What services are included?

The work will involve:

• Taking full instructions from you in order to provide initial assessment, advice on the key requirements and how these apply to your circumstances
• Providing a comprehensive list of necessary documents and information, and templates where appropriate
• Reviewing and collating supporting documents
• Liaising with third parties where required to obtain additional evidence
• Preparing the relevant application forms, submitting these on your behalf and booking any necessary appointments
• Drafting a comprehensive covering letter in support of your application
• Advising on the application submission options and procedure, and on likely time frames
• Advising you on the outcome of the application and explaining your new immigration or nationality status, including information about how to remain compliant with your visa conditions and the eligibility criteria for extensions and indefinite leave to remain

The costs quoted here do not include any disbursements related to your matter. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The processing times for your application will vary depending on the application service you select and where the application is being made. We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application but we can give further information on the application options and likely time frames as part of the advice we will provide to you if instructed.

Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate. 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.

Applications to become British under the British Nationality Act 1981

On average, this work takes between 8-20 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £2400 - £6000. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Applications on behalf of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members under the applicable EEA Regulations or Immigration Rules, including applications for permanent residence, residence cards and registration certificates

On average, this work takes between 6.5-20 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £1950 - £6000. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Applications for work, study and business under the Points-Based system

On average, this work takes between 8-50 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £2,400 - £15,000. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Visit visas

On average, this work takes between 8-20 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £2,400 - £6000. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Leave to enter or remain under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules

On average, this work takes between 15-25 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £4000 - £8000. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Ancestry visas

On average, this work takes between 8-18 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £2,400 - £5,400. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Other categories, such as applications on the basis of long residence

On average, this work takes between 8-25 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £2400 - £8000. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

Appeals

On average, this work takes between 20-65 hours at our estimated average rate to complete. This means that on average costs are between £6000 - £19,500. All figures exclude VAT unless specifically stated.

For more information about our immigration services please contact Nicolas Rollason at nrollason@kingsleynapley.co.uk or a member of the team.