This guide cannot assess your circumstances or tell you what to do. Sources checked 15 September 2026. Professional editorial review is still required before promotion.
Start by checking regulation
GOV.UK explains that immigration advisers must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or belong to an approved professional body. Solicitors can be checked through the relevant legal regulator or professional directory.
Define the route or decision
Write down the visa category, status question or decision you are asking about and the outcome you want to understand. If you have a Home Office decision, keep the complete notice because it may explain review or appeal rights and a time limit.
Prepare a clear chronology
List previous applications, grants of permission, refusals, travel and important changes in date order. Include gaps or facts you are unsure about rather than guessing. Do not send passports, status documents or a detailed immigration history to Solicitors Cost.
Questions worth asking
- Are you regulated to provide this advice?
- Have you handled this type of matter before?
- What work will you do, and what is not included?
- How will you explain fees and possible extra costs?
- Who will update me and how often?
Understand the proposed service
Confirm whether the adviser will assess eligibility, provide a written opinion, review evidence, prepare forms or representations, submit the application, communicate with the Home Office or represent you at a hearing. Ask what happens if the facts or rules change.
Watch for warning signs
Be cautious if someone will not explain their regulator, promises a guaranteed result, asks you to use false information, keeps original documents without a clear reason or wants payment without setting out the work. GOV.UK provides a route for complaints about immigration advisers.
If you have received a decision
Read the whole letter and seek advice promptly if you do not understand it. Not every refusal carries the same rights. The decision should say whether an appeal or administrative review is available and what deadline applies.