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Free immigration advice in the UK: who offers it

Advice at no charge comes mainly from two places: legal aid, for the immigration matters the law lists (asylum, detention, trafficking, domestic abuse and a few others) if you pass the means test; and IAA organisations registered as non-fee-charging. Paid advice at law firms typically starts with a consultation costing a few hundred pounds.

If money is tight, the first question is whether you can get immigration advice without paying for it. You often can, but it depends on what your matter is and where you are, and the help may not be immediate.

This page lists who gives immigration advice at no charge (£0), what each source covers, its limits, and the rules that protect you. For comparison, one law firm's published price for an initial consultation on 9 October 2026 was £350 plus VAT.

Legal aid (England and Wales)

Legal aid pays a legal adviser for you. For immigration, it only covers the matters listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), including asylum and protection claims, immigration detention, applications by victims of trafficking or modern slavery, and settlement applications by victims of domestic abuse. Ordinary work, study, visit, family and citizenship applications are not on that list.

You usually also need to pass a means test. Gov.uk says you will normally need a joint monthly income of £2,657 or less before tax, or a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit, and you will not usually be eligible with assets over £8,000.

Where a matter is outside the list, exceptional case funding can apply if refusing legal aid would breach your human rights. Gov.uk names immigration cases as one of the types where this can be granted.

You cannot apply for legal aid yourself; a legal adviser applies for you. You can check eligibility on gov.uk ("Check if you can get legal aid") or by calling Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 (Monday to Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday 9am–12:30pm). Our legal aid guide has the full list and the forms. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legal aid rules.

Non-fee-charging IAA organisations

The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly the OISC) registers organisations as either fee-charging or non-fee-charging. Code 2.7 of the IAA Code of Standards says a non-fee-charging organisation must not charge clients "directly or indirectly a fee for the provision of immigration advice".

The IAA's guidance adds two points worth knowing:

  • An organisation registered as non-fee-charging that demands donations from clients is "likely to be non-compliant with Code 2.7".
  • Organisations with legal aid contracts must register as fee-charging, because legal aid payments count as charging clients indirectly. So a "fee-charging" label does not always mean you will pay.

These organisations are usually charities and community groups, and they hold IAA levels just like paid advisers. Level 1 covers straightforward applications; Level 2 adds casework such as administrative review and asylum claims; Level 3 adds tribunal representation. Check the level on the IAA Adviser Register, because a no-fee service still has to stay within its level.

Charities that advise individuals on immigration still need to be registered. The IAA's Immigration Assistance practice note says it is "irrelevant if the organisation only provides advice to its members or does not charge".

Other places gov.uk points to

When legal aid is not available, gov.uk's legal aid guide says you may be able to get advice at no charge from the Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice or AdviceNow. Whether any particular local office gives immigration advice, and at what IAA level, varies; ask, and check the register.

The IAA's practice note also gives these examples of help that does not need IAA registration:

  • Some bodies are exempt by ministerial order. The IAA's example is a university that "may be able to help and does not need to be registered". Students can ask their university's international student advice service.
  • A friend or family member may help occasionally, without charging, if they make clear they are not a qualified adviser.
  • Community groups can publish general information, help you gather documents, translate letters from your adviser, or go with you to meetings, without registration. They cannot advise you on your own case unless registered.
  • Local authorities acting under a court order for a child in care or a vulnerable adult can assist without IAA regulation.

The IAA itself does not give immigration advice. Gov.uk guidance is general information and costs nothing to read.

What advice at no charge usually cannot do

  • It rarely covers Home Office fees. Those are paid separately: for example £2,064 for a partner visa from outside the UK, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge. Gov.uk notes that a fee waiver may be available on the family route in certain situations, for example if you cannot afford a place to live or your essential living costs.
  • Waiting times can be long. Capacity at no-fee services is limited, and refusal deadlines do not stop running while you wait: 14 days to request administrative review inside the UK (28 days if refused outside, 7 if detained), and 14 days to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal from inside the UK (28 from outside).
  • A service may only work at Level 1, which the IAA describes as straightforward cases.

If you are on a deadline, ask on first contact whether the service can act before it expires.

A typical route through legal aid, step by step

Gov.uk describes the route this way, as read on 9 October 2026:

  1. Use the "Check if you can get legal aid" service, or call Civil Legal Advice. You are asked about your legal problem, income and savings. You are not charged for checking.
  2. Depending on your answers, you may be put through to someone who can arrange phone advice, or told how to find a legal adviser or mediator near you.
  3. The phone adviser or legal adviser tells you whether you can get legal aid. A legal adviser applies for it on your behalf. You cannot apply on your own, apart from the exceptional case funding route.
  4. If you cannot get legal aid, gov.uk points to the Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice and AdviceNow, and says you can also pay for advice from a legal adviser or solicitor.

Legal aid is not always free in the sense of costing nothing at the end. Gov.uk says it might not cover all the costs of your case, and you may have to pay some costs upfront or pay back some of the cost if you win money or property in the case. Your legal adviser should explain whether that applies to you.

Protections that apply even when you pay nothing

A service that costs nothing is still bound by the rules that apply to its register. Codes in the IAA Code of Standards 2024 that apply to every registered organisation, including non-fee-charging ones, give you these rights:

  • A client care letter before work starts (code 5.3), setting out what will be done, and a record of your agreement (code 5.4).
  • Written updates on your case (code 5.5).
  • Return of your documents without delay (code 5.7).
  • A closure letter when your case ends (code 5.8), and transfer of your file to another adviser on request (code 5.9).
  • Confidentiality about your affairs, unless the law requires disclosure or you authorise it (code 4.5).
  • A written complaints procedure (code 3.5) and the IAA's online portal if you need to escalate.

A volunteer or caseworker who is not covered by an IAA registration, a solicitor's firm or a supervised arrangement cannot lawfully advise you on your own case. The practical test is the same whether you pay or not: ask for the organisation's IAA number and check it on the Adviser Register before you hand over your documents.

Your adviser should tell you about legal aid

IAA code 2.8 requires registered advisers to "inform your client(s) of the availability of Legal Aid and free legal advice where appropriate". The IAA's guidance gives an example: a client appealing a deportation decision can afford the adviser's fee but not a psychological report about their child, and "the adviser should advise the client that legal aid may be able to pay for the report".

If you are paying for advice and think your matter might be in scope for legal aid, ask.

Be careful with "free" offers from unregistered helpers

Giving immigration advice without being qualified is an offence under section 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, whether or not a fee is charged. A helper who is not on the IAA register or a lawyers' register cannot lawfully advise you on your case, even at no charge, unless an exemption applies. If someone offers to advise you, check them first. Our guide to checking an adviser's registration takes a few minutes.

When paying for advice is worth considering

If your matter is outside legal aid scope and no-fee services cannot take it in time, a paid consultation is the next option. Law firms must publish immigration prices on their websites (SRA Transparency Rules); one firm listed a consultation at £350 plus VAT on 9 October 2026. IAA advisers must have a fee scale and confirm costs in a client care letter before work starts.

The Migratio UK directory lists IAA-registered organisations and SRA-regulated firms with their registration numbers. If you think you may qualify for legal aid, check that first.

Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work in general. It is not advice on your own case.

Questions people ask

Where can I get free immigration advice in the UK?

Mainly through legal aid, for listed matters such as asylum, detention, trafficking and domestic abuse settlement if you pass the means test, and through IAA organisations registered as non-fee-charging. Gov.uk also points to the Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice and AdviceNow. Home Office fees are still payable.

Is there a free immigration advice charity?

Many charities give immigration advice at no charge (£0), but they must be registered with the IAA to advise you on your case. Non-fee-charging IAA organisations cannot charge you or demand donations (IAA Code 2.7 and guidance). Check the charity's level on the IAA Adviser Register.

Can I get legal aid for a spouse visa?

A standard partner visa application is not one of the immigration matters listed in LASPO Schedule 1. Settlement applications under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse are listed. Otherwise, exceptional case funding is possible where refusing legal aid would breach human rights; a legal adviser can apply for it.

Does the Immigration Advice Authority give free advice?

No. The IAA regulates advisers and runs the Adviser Register and Adviser Finder, but it says it does not provide immigration advice directly. Use its register to find and check advisers.

Is a free first consultation with an immigration solicitor common?

It varies by firm. Firms must publish their immigration prices online; one firm listed a telephone or online consultation at £350 plus VAT on 9 October 2026. Ask before booking whether the first meeting is charged and what it costs.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Legal aid for immigration: what is covered — In England and Wales, legal aid covers only the immigration matters listed in LASPO 2012 Schedule 1: mainly asylum and protection, detention, trafficking and modern slavery, domestic abuse settlement, and some judicial reviews. Most other matters need exceptional case funding. You usually also have to pass a means test.
  • IAA adviser levels 1, 2 and 3: what each can do — The IAA registers immigration advisers at three levels. Level 1 covers straightforward applications, Level 2 adds casework such as complex applications and administrative review, and Level 3 adds representation at immigration tribunal appeals. Advisers must not work above their authorised level.
  • How to check a UK immigration adviser is registered — In the UK only a "qualified person" may give immigration advice: an IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive, or someone working under their supervision. Ask for the regulator and registration number, then check it yourself on the IAA Adviser Register or the SRA Solicitors Register.
  • How much does an immigration solicitor cost in the UK? — On the price pages of four SRA-regulated firms read on 9 October 2026, legal fees for a spouse or partner visa application started between £2,000 and £8,000 plus VAT, and hourly rates ran from £175 to £800 plus VAT. Home Office fees and the healthcare surcharge are paid on top.
  • Unregistered immigration advisers: how to spot one — In the UK it is a criminal offence to give immigration advice or services without being registered with the IAA or authorised by a legal regulator such as the SRA. You can check any adviser on the IAA Adviser Register or the SRA register, and report unregulated advice to the IAA. GOV.UK warns that you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated.