From 6th December 2018, our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), requires all firms to publish transparent pricing in certain areas of law in which we deliver legal services. For our firm these are listed below.
We set out below the range of fees for all types of work completed in immigration and nationality law. We will seek to agree to a fee upon obtaining your initial instructions, if we believe that we can assist in your matter and advance your case. The fee, if fixed, will be within the range as set out below and will be based on an estimation of time spent in order to complete the matter, with reference to our hourly rate.
The professional fees charged will vary from case to case, depending on any particular complexities. The suggested fixed fee will take all reasonably foreseeable factors into account and should be the only professional fees that will need to be paid. Please be aware that from time to time, unexpected complications may arise that have an impact on our professional fees. In these circumstances we would immediately inform you of this and discuss the potential consequences, including an increase in professional fees. Please be rest assured however that you will only ever have to pay professional fees and disbursements that are agreed.
Karis Solicitors offer an initial diagnostic appointment free of charge so that an expert in immigration law may assess your issues and advise as to the merits in your case. During the initial consultation, you will receive expert advice with no obligation to pay legal fees. If we feel that we can help you with your immigration matter, you will be informed of all professional costs related to your case. This will include confirmation of our professional fees and disbursements. You will also be informed as to timescales involved in your particular matter and the services that you can expect to receive from Karis Solicitors. You are then free to choose whether to instruct Karis Solicitors to act for you.
You will have your own dedicated caseworker who will be responsible for your case throughout. If your matter proceeds in a way that results in potential further professional fees or disbursements being incurred, in addition to those stated at the beginning of your case, you will be informed immediately so that you may make an informed decision as to how to proceed.
You will have access to your caseworker throughout the life of your case and beyond. You will have their full contact details, including a mobile telephone number so that you can be rest assured that you can contact them when needed. If your caseworker is unavailable, they will return your call or message as soon as possible, within 24 hours where possible.
We are aware that legal fees can be expensive. Home Office fees relating to immigration applications have also risen sharply over the past few years. It is of absolute importance to Karis Solicitors that those individuals who choose to discuss their issues with us are made aware at the earliest opportunity of the potential costs involved with their immigration issues.
Our professional fees are exclusive of VAT. VAT will be applied for all client’s who are British, a national of a member state of the European Union, or who is settled in the UK. It is also applicable for those individuals who have limited leave to remain in a category that leads to settlement, or those people who had at some point been issued limited leave to remain in a category that leads to settlement, or held settled status but do not at present. You will be informed as to whether your matter will attract VAT upon the initial diagnostic appointment.
The current rate of VAT is set at 20%. As an example, if professional fees are agreed at £1500.00. VAT at 20% will result in the actual amount to be paid being £1800.00. Using our usual payment policy, this would result in a deposit of £600.00, a further £600.00 payable when the substantive work has been completed and the final payment of £600.00 payable, at the end of the matter.
All Home Office disbursements either include VAT or do not attract VAT. The Home Office disbursements to be paid are as displayed on the Home Office website.
We set out our range of fees below for any immigration matter.
Karis Solicitors Professional Fees
The following fees will be the standard charge for immigration and nationality advice and assistance given to a particular client by Karis Solicitors Limited.
The fees listed below are accurate for the period commencing 1st January 2020. When applicable, VAT will be payable in addition to professional fees.
Entry Clearance Matters
Visit Visa £1000.00 – £1500.00
Family based applications £2500.00 / £3000.00
(Appendix FM – Parent, Partner)
Settlement (other) £2500.00 / £3500.00
EEA/Family Permit £2500.00 / £3000.00
EU Settled Status £1000.00 – £2000.00
PBS – Tier 1 and Tier 2 £2500.00 / £3500.00
PBS – Tier 4 £1000.00 / £1500.00
Sponsorship Licence £2000.00 / £3000.00
Other Managed Migration £1500.00 / £3000.00
Complex business applications £ per hour/negotiable
In-Country Applications
Asylum & Human Rights
Asylum Application £2500.00 – £3000.00 (including attending the substantive interview
Settlement Application £1500.00 – £2000.00
European Based Applications
EEA – Registration Certificate £500.00
EEA – Residence Card £1000.00 – £2000.00
EU Settled Status –
EU National Pre-Settled £500.00
Non EU Pre-Settled £500.00 – £1000.00
Settled Status £750.00 – £1500.00
Immigration Rules Applications
Appendix FM – Partner/Parent £2000.00 – £3000.00
Appendix FM – Other dependent relative £3000.00 – £3500.00
Long Residence (private life) £2000.00 – £3000.00
Other complex/discretionary applications £2500.00 – £3500.00
Indefinite Leave to Remain –
Partner/Parent £1500.00 – £2500.00
Long Residence £1500.00 – £2500.00
Discretionary £2000.00 – £2500.00
Other, complex/discretionary applications £2500.00 – £3500.00
Points Based System Applications
Tier 2 General £2500.00 – £3000.00
Tier 2 ICT £2500.00 – £3000.00
Tier 1 Applications £3000.00 – £5000.00
Tier 4 Student £1000.00 – £2000.00
Other PBS Applications £2500.00 – £5000.00
Nationality Law
Naturalisation (British – Adult) £1250.00 – £1750.00
Registration (British – Child) £750.00 – £1750.00
Declaration of Nationality £1000.00 – £2500.00
Overseas British Passport £1000.00 – £1500.00
Challenging Deprivation £1000.00 – £1500.00
Correcting Certificate of Naturalisation £500.00 – £1000.00
Miscellaneous Immigration Law
General Chase up/Date Protection Request £500.00
Deportation Representations £1500.00
Prison Visit (Inside M25) £1250.00
(outside M25) £1500.00
Bail Application (Inside M25) £1250.00
(Outside M25) £1500.00 (plus travel costs)
Appeals
The following fees include in-house counsel. If counsel is instructed from chambers, the fees may vary, depending on fees charged by counsel. All fees will be agreed prior to instructing counsel through chambers.
Entry Clearance Appeals
Appendix FM (partner and parent) £2500.00 – £3000.00
Appendix FM – Other dependent relative £3000.00 – £3500.00
EU Family Permit £2500.00 – £3000.00
EUSS Family Permit £2500.00 – £3000.00
In-Country Appeals
Asylum Appeal £2500.00 – £3000.00
Case management hearings £500.00
Appendix FM Partner and Parent £2500.00 – £3000.00
Appendix FM – Other dependent relative £3000.00 – £3500.00
Appendix FM – Private life/long residence £2500.00 – £3000.00
Refusal of a Residence Card £2000.00 – £3000.00
EUSS Refusal £2000.00 – £3000.00
Deprivation of Citizenship £2500.00 – £3000.00
Deportation £3000.00 – £5000.00
Karis Solicitors charges privately for the legal services that we provide. Public funding has been withdrawn from many areas of immigration law over the past few years. Public funding is still available for certain immigration matters, including asylum and deportation. You will be informed, when attending for the initial consultation, if public funding may be available in your particular matter. If your matter can be financed by public funding you will be provided a list of local providers for you to contact in order that your circumstances may be assessed.
If you do instruct Karis Solicitors to act for you regarding your immigration matter, a payment plan will be agreed. An initial payment will initially be paid to retain our services. This will allow your caseworker to open your file and start work on your matter. We will aim to open your file within two to five days of the deposit being paid. You would then normally be asked to pay a second stage payment when the substantive work is to be completed and submitted to the Home Office. Depending on your case and in order to spread costs, we may also leave the final payment to be made at the conclusion of your matter.
For example, if you instruct Karis Solicitors to act for you regarding an application for leave to remain based on your relationship with a British national, you will initially be asked to pay a deposit. On the basis that professional fees are agreed of £2000.00, the initial deposit would be £500.00. The application would then be prepared and further fees of £1000.00 would be paid when it is ready to be submitted. All Home Office disbursements would also be paid at this stage. Final fees of £500.00 would then be paid upon receiving a decision from the Home Office.
When a fee has been agreed, you will be fully aware as to the scope of work that the fixed fee covers. It will cover all letters sent and received on your behalf, all telephone calls made and received on your behalf as well as all other modern means of communication. It will cover all attendances and preparation time spent on the matter, irrespective as to how much time is spent on your matter. The fixed fee will cover reasonably foreseeable work completed on your matter, as discussed in the initial meeting until its conclusion. If, as the matter progresses, further fees may need to be paid, for work outside of the scope of the initial agreement, you will be informed immediately. An example of this could be if an individual is unexpectedly detained, whilst instructing us on a separate matter. Further fees would be applicable in order to affect that persons’ release.
The fixed fee will usually be for the substantive application or representations. If the matter is one that could potentially attract a right of appeal, this will attract separate fees; however you will be informed of potential appeal fees at the initial diagnostic appointment so that you are fully informed as to the potential costs involved in your matter from start to finish.
In the vast majority of cases we are able to offer our clients a fixed fee to prepare and submit their applications. However, in circumstances where this is not possible our fees will be calculated on the following hourly rates:
- Scott Harris – Director, Solicitor – £350.00 plus VAT
- Stuart Kerr – Director, Barrister – £350.00 plus VAT
- Natasha J-Gobin – Senior Caseworker – £250.00 plus VAT
- Charlotte Moon – Senior Casworker – £250.00 plus VAT
Telephone calls received** 1/10 of the hourly rate.
Telephone calls made** 1/10 of the hourly rate.
Letters composed and sent** 1/10 of the hourly rate.
Letters received** 1/20 of the hourly rate.
*Attendance is to be defined as any time spent on a particular matter. This will include attending upon the client, preparation time, advocacy and travel and waiting time.
**These fees do not apply to telephone calls or letters made or received that are purely administrative.
We will provide you with a cost estimate based on the number of hours we reasonably expect to spend on your case and the disbursements that are likely to be incurred.
Typical Disbursements
We will advise you at the outset of all government fees relevant to your application.
The Home Office publish a comprehensive list of their application fees which it would not be appropriate to publish here, but which can be accessed here.
Please note, the list does not include the Immigration Health Surcharge which we will calculate according to your personal circumstances and include among the disbursements payable.
In addition, where translation and/or interpretation services are required, we will provide you with a quote for you to consider before we engage their services on your behalf.
Typical Timescales and Key Stages
In our experience most out of country applications are decided within 8 weeks, although some family-based applications can take longer (up to 12 weeks).
Processing times for in-country applications can vary depending on whether they are submitted as standard (up to six months, though usually no more than 3 months) or priority (within a few days, with payment of an additional Home Office fee).
Some complex matters may take longer than six months. In these circumstances we will continue to contact the Home Office to ensure that a decision is made on your matter as soon as possible. In some circumstances, we would advise a client to contact their local Member of Parliament to intervene, when the delay is considerable.
Your caseworker will keep you informed as to all developments in your case as it progresses and all key stages reached.
Experience and Qualifications of Immigration Department Staff
- Scott Harris is a founding Director and the Senior Solicitor at Karis Solicitors. He qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and has been a joint owner and director of the company since it commenced trading in 2005. He has expert knowledge of all areas of family, EU free movement, Asylum and nationality based immigration law.
- Stuart Kerr is a Barrister who was called to the Bar in 1995. He has been a joint owner and director of the company since it commenced trading in 2005. He is the head of the advocacy department with responsibility for all appeal work. He has expert knowledge in commercial, family, EU free movement, asylum and nationality based immigration law.
- Natasha J-Gobin joined the team at Karis Solicitors in June 2013 and is a senior caseworker. She is Level 2 Accredited with the Law Society in Immigration and Asylum law. She has completed the Bar Vocational Course and joined the Mauritian Bar in 2007. She has expert knowledge in family, commercial, EU free movement, asylum and nationality based immigration law.
- Charlotte Moon joined the team at Karis Solicitors in May 2012 as a legal secretary. She transferred into the fee earning department in 2016 and has continued to progress to become a senior caseworker. She is a Graduate Member of the Chartered Institute of Lega Executives. In addition to working in the family law department, Charlotte has expert knowledge of family, EU free movement, asylum and nationality based immigration law.
Karis Solicitors aim to be transparent regarding professional fees and disbursements. However, should there be any aspect of our service with which you are unhappy, and which we cannot resolve to your satisfaction we refer you to our internal complaints procedure that can be found on this website.
The Legal Ombudsman advises that you initially set out the terms of the complaint to the company in the first instance. The complaint will be investigated by a senior member of staff who has had no previous dealings with your matter. The company will provide a full response as soon as possible and in no circumstances later than eight weeks after receipt of the complaint and within 14 days of obtaining all relevant information.
It is hoped that the complaint will be adequately addressed; however, should you remain dissatisfied you are then entitled to submit a complaint directly to the Legal Ombudsman, whose contact details can be found in the complaints section in this website.