Tier 1 Investor Applications - Points Based Pricing

Notice: 17 February 2022: The home office has taken decisive action to shut the Tier 1 Investor visa route to all new applicants from all nationalities with immediate effect. You may wish to consider Self Sponsorship as an alternative route.

We ensure our immigration pricing is fully transparent, including for points based Tier 1 investor applications. Any costs related to your case will be agreed in advance and once we have had the opportunity to assess your requirements and the level of work needed.

The following information is provided in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Transparency Rules and in order to provide a good estimate of the sort of level of fee you will pay if you were to instruct us to assist with a points based Tier 1 investor application.

Other costs may be needed to be covered in addition to our fees and we have provided further information on those below. Our aim is to ensure that you fully understand what the overall costs are likely to be for your individual application.

Type of work and costs involved

Type of work: Fixed fee points based Tier 1 investor application

Costs involved: Average cost of £8,750 + VAT

On average, this type of work takes approximately 35 hours to complete.

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

• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants
• Complexities such as past refusals, criminal convictions, adverse immigration history

If you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules, the cost is likely to be at the lower end of this range.

All the figures given exclude VAT unless explicitly stated. VAT is charged at 20% unless specifically stated. However, charging VAT in relation to immigration matters may depend on where you live and what immigration permission you have. We will confirm whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable when you instruct us and we can work out if VAT is properly chargeable.

Please note: our fixed fees are non-refundable.

Our fixed fee includes us acting for you in the following key stages:

• Initial attendance and discussion of available options
• Assessing the most appropriate course of action and application based on specific circumstances
• Advising on requirements of the immigration rules/guidance related to points based Tier 1 investor applications and specific evidence
• Advising on method of submission priority
• Assessing and advising on supporting evidence
• Sourcing and obtaining further evidence. This might include engaging with third parties where permitted, such as medical experts, banks and employers
• Collating and preparing supporting evidence
• Preparing detailed representations with index and finalising application submission.
• Further submission/providing updates on progress
• Advising on outcome of application/implications of status/application and next steps

If you can provide sufficient evidence and clearly meet the applicable immigration rules, the costs are likely to be at the lower end of the range.

Additional costs:

• Any Home Office Fees for making the points based Tier 1 investor application. This is paid to the Home Office directly as part of the application process. You can find an updated list of Home Office Fees here.
• Advice and assistance in relation to appeals for refused points based Tier 1 investor applications.
• Disbursements paid to third parties.

These fees can range from £15 - £2389 on average for general applications. Home office fees are exclusive of VAT, at the time of writing this article.

Please see the link to the home office page with the list of all fees.

It must be noted that not all immigration cases attract Value Added Tax (VAT). However, if VAT is applicable, 20% will be added to our fees, as well as any expenses or disbursements. All the figures given exclude VAT unless explicitly stated. VAT is charged at 20% unless specifically stated.

Potential expenses and disbursements are listed below:

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. It is not possible to estimate the value of disbursements at this stage as it is dependent on each case. We will let you know as soon as we know the cost of disbursements. Examples of disbursements include the below and are exclusive of VAT:

• Translations from £20 per page
• Interpreting from £25 per hour
• From £20 per hour attendance
• Travel from £15
• Waiting from £15
• Plus travel expenses (will depend on distance)
• Non-standard postage(will depend on quantity)
• Medical reports (will depend on work needed)
• Country reports (will depend on work needed)
• DNA reports (will depend on work needed)
• Printing and photocopying (will depend on work needed)
• Any Home Office fees (You will pay this to the Home Office directly as part of the application process. The fees change as advertised by the Home Office so we will always confirm the fees on the Home Office Website)/Interpreter fees/Independent expert reports. You can find an updated list of Home Office Fees here.

We will let you know as far in advance as possible when these additional fees are due to be incurred.

Please note: some experts and professionals charge VAT and others do not if they are not registered for VAT. If VAT is charged it will be at the standard rate of 20%. VAT is not chargeable to non-UK citizens.

Factors that affect our fixed fees

• The type and amount of supporting evidence that is being considered
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether any other dependants are included in an application
• Additional issues that may affect an application such as past refusals, criminal convictions and/or adverse immigration history

If you can provide sufficient evidence and clearly meet the applicable immigration rules, the costs are likely to be at the lower end of the range.

Will your fees increase?

This could occur if the work agreed in the fixed terms or quoted hours is exceeded because more work arises or work required was not anticipated. This can happen for several reasons e.g., you require more meetings and work than we had estimated for, or new or further evidence arises requiring consideration and instructions from you. Sometimes new material arise(s), requiring more extensive work. Delays caused by any matters can also increase time and costs.

How long does work for points based Tier 1 investor applications take to complete?

On average, the work involved in a points based Tier 1 investor application takes 35 hours to reach completion.

Who completes work for points based Tier 1 investor applications?

Kam Dhanjal (Head of Immigration) supervises Pritesh Davdra and Pritesh Davdra (Immigration Solicitor) supervises Kam Dhanjal. Both are qualified solicitors and accredited (Supervising Senior Caseworker)

How long does it take to make a points based Tier 1 investor application?

Timescale to submit an application for a points based Tier 1 investor applications

Applications for points based Tier 1 investor applications from the start of instructions take up to three to six months on average. The exact time it takes will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the applicant's immigration history.

Timescale on return of points based Tier 1 investor applications

It is not possible to guarantee exactly how long the Home Office will take to process your application. You can learn more about the current processing times here.

Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. Each individual points based Tier 1 investor application is unique, which means the hours and fees can vary from case to case. Our team will be able to give you a more accurate estimate of hours and fees once we have more information about your specific case and what actions need to be taken.

Key stages:

• Obtain instructions
• Advise on relevant law/legal requirements to meet the criteria and whether you meet the criteria
• Assist you to collate relevant paperwork to support your application
• Complete and submit your application to the Home Office
• Liaise with Home Office on your behalf
• Advise on the outcome of your application