We are contracted with the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) to provide Public funding to clients who are eligible to receive this type of financial support. Public funding (formerly known as legal aid) is a system of government funding, administered by the LAA, for those who cannot afford to pay for legal advice and representation. Contracts are granted by the LAA for practising in specific areas of law and are an endorsement of our quality system, client commitment and legal skills in those areas.
We will automatically assess your entitlement to Public funding at your first appointment.
Our private work is carried out on a fixed fee basis. This means that you can be informed of our costs at your first appointment. You will not be charged any further costs on your file no matter how long the matter takes to conclude or how much work we do on your behalf.
In addition to our costs, you will also be responsible for any additional disbursements that may be paid to third parties, such as Barristers, the Home Office or Medical and/or other professionals. All of our charges (and many of the other expenses incurred, such as disbursements) may be subject to VAT at the rate in effect at the time. This is not a charge over which we hold any discretion and if you are subject to pay VAT, then we expect this to be paid at the outset of your instructions to ourselves.
Many household and motor insurance policies include cover for legal costs. We will gladly check your Insurance policy wording of your existing insurances at your first appointment to find out if this is an option in your case.
The government is responsible for setting the rate for VAT which is currently 20%.
Virgo Consultancy Services Limited is incorporated as a Private Limited Company Registered in England & Wales, Company Registration No. 6639295 and is regulated as an Alternative Business Structure by the SRA under Registration No. 533850.
COSTS INFORMATION
England Fixed Fees – applications/appeals made within the UK
| Application type | Standard Fee From | Premium Fee From |
| General Home Office applications* | £1728 | £2592 |
| Points Based System application – student | £2760 | £4140 |
| Points Based System application – professional | £3450 | £5178 |
| Immigration application appeals to First-tier Tribunal | £3000 | £4500 |
England Fixed Fees – applications/appeals made outside the UK
| Application type | Standard Fee From | Premium Fee From |
| General Home Office applications* | £2070 | £3108 |
| Points Based System application – student | £3450 | £5178 |
| Points Based System application – professional | £3972 | £5958 |
| Immigration application appeals to First-tier Tribunal | £3000 | £4500 |
Wales Fixed Fees – applications/appeals made within the UK
| Application type | Standard Fee From | Premium Fee From |
| General Home Office applications* | £1500 | £2250 |
| Points Based System application – student* | £2400 | £3600 |
| Points Based System application – professional* | £2800 | £4500 |
| Immigration application appeals to First-tier Tribunal | £3000 | £4500 |
Wales Fixed Fees – applications/appeals made outside the UK
| Application type | Standard Fee From | Premium Fee From |
| General Home Office applications* | £1800 | £2700 |
| Points Based System application – student* | £2700 | £4050 |
| Points Based System application – professional* | £3450 | £5175 |
| Immigration application appeals to First-tier Tribunal | £3000 | £4500 |
England & Wales Fixed Fees – complex applications/appeals
If your case is complex or later becomes complex, there may be additional fees for the additional work which will depend on the specific features of your case.
This could include such things as where there are previous refusals which may mean that we must consider previous applications and address any issues raised in such applications.
| Features that could make a case complex |
| Unusual or exceptional circumstances |
| Previous negative decision/s on the case, their number and nature |
| The number of different types of claims that could be/have been made |
| The number of dependants, witnesses and documents |
| Whether expert evidence is needed |
| Whether the decision-maker requires further information or documents |
| Whether your situation changes or develops importantly |
| Whether the law changes in a way that affects your case |
The fixed fee is made up of: (1) legal fees and (2) VAT on legal fees.
The Premium Fee applies when you want an application sent to the Home Office at short notice, for example within 7 days.
*General Home Office applications mean applications under the Immigration Rules including applying to visit the UK, to join a partner or wife/husband in the UK, to bring a dependent relative to the UK, to reunite with a family member in the UK, to stay in the UK as the grandchild of someone born in the UK and applying in other categories, such as living in the UK a long time; applying as a European Economic Area citizen or relative and; applying to become a British citizen.
*There is an additional fixed fee of £600 for each dependent on a Points Based System application.
Disbursements
Disbursements are expenses to do with your case that are paid to others, for example, a court fee. We can remit disbursements for you once you have paid them to us to make your case easier for you.
| General Home Office applications | Immigration Rules applications | Appeals | Other |
| Home Office application fee | Immigration Health Surcharge | Court fees | Expert’s fee |
| Counsel’s fees | Interpreter’s fee | ||
| Translation fees |
Services
The fixed fee includes the following services:
- taking information from you about your case
- giving advice on the type of application to make, application requirements, meeting application requirements and, if necessary, other options besides applications
- considering your documents and selecting appropriate documents to send with your application
- completing the application form, drafting an argument supporting your application and sending your application
- communicating with the Home Office on your application for you
- giving advice on the outcome of your application
The fixed fee does not include:
- Any Home Office fees
- Attending a Home Office interview with you
Timescale
| Application/appeal type | Examples | Time estimate |
| Simple | A straightforward application for an extension of a visa, involving no dependants or witnesses, a small number of case documents and with all the necessary case information and documents being provided within 5 days of the start of the case | 1 month |
| Complex | A complicated first application involving 1 or 2 dependants and witnesses, a large number of case documents, and with all the necessary case information and documents being provided within 1 month of the start of the case | 2 – 3 months |
| Highly complex | An extremely complicated first application, involving a need for an interpreter and translations, many dependants and witnesses, a very large number of case documents and with all the necessary case information and documents being provided within 3 months of the start of the case | 3 – 6 months |
Please note that the above timescales are estimates only. The actual timescale will depend on the circumstances of your case. The estimates do not include how long it will take the Home Office or a court to decide your case.
STAFF INFORMATION
Our 4 member immigration team has over 40 years of combined experience in delivering high quality work in all matters relating to immigration and immigration appeals. All immigration cases will be supervised by Hilary Brown, CEO and Head of immigration.
| Hilary Brown – Director |
| Hilary is the founder of Virgo Consultancy Services Ltd which was incorporated in 2008. Hilary is the CEO and head of our immigration team and has over 30 years’ experience in all areas of immigration work. Hilary has helped thousands of families and individuals and heads our Immigration and Asylum Department. Hilary is Law Society accredited as the Immigration and Asylum Supervisor. |
| Raymond Amoakwa-Buadu – Director |
| Raymond qualified as a solicitor in 2014. He attended Brunel University and completed the Legal Practice Course at the University of Law in London Bloomsbury. Raymond has over 8 years experience in immigration and in is particularly skilled in appeals and judicial reviews. Raymond became a director in December 2014. |
| C. Victor F. Mmegwa- Associate |
| Victor trained with us and qualified as a solicitor in 2017. He attended Hertfordshire University and completed the Legal Practice Course at the BPP law school in London Holborn. Victor did seats in family, immigration, crime and probate. Victor has extensive experience in applications to the Home Office, successfully advising on over 100 immigration and asylum matters. |
| Megan Wiggins – Trainee Solicitor |
| Megan has a degree in law from Aberystwyth University and has completed the Legal Practice Course at Cardiff University. Megan began her training contract with us in October 2017 and will work in immigration, housing and public law. |
COMPLAINTS INFORMATION
We aim to provide all our clients with an efficient, effective and friendly service but if there is something you become unhappy with please let us know and we will do our best to deal with the problem. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case. We will investigate your complaint and provide an initial response then a final response.
If you are unhappy with the our final response, then you may take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is a free, impartial and independent service set up by the Government which deals with complaints about lawyers.
Deadlines
If you have received our final response to the complaint, a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be received by them within 6 months of receiving it.
In any case, a complaint to the Ombudsman must be made not more than 6 years after the thing being complained about happened or not more than 3 years from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was reason to complain.
Contact details
| Address: | Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806 Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ |
| Phone: | 0300 555 0333 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Website: | www.legalombudsman.org.uk |
