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Who can represent you at an immigration appeal

At the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) you can be represented by anyone not prohibited by section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999: in practice a Level 3 IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor, a barrister or another authorised lawyer. You can also represent yourself. Judicial review in the Upper Tribunal needs a representative with rights of audience in the High Court.

An immigration appeal is a hearing in front of an independent judge, with a Home Office presenting officer arguing the other side. Who stands up for you matters, and the law limits who that can be.

This guide explains who can represent you at each stage (First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal, judicial review), what representing yourself involves, and what a representative typically does. Fees and deadlines are from GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk, read on 9 October 2026.

The rule: tribunal procedure rule 10

Rule 10(1) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Rules 2014: "A party may be represented by any person not prohibited from representing by section 84 of the 1999 Act."

Section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 says no one may provide immigration advice or services unless they are a qualified person. That covers:

  • advisers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), within the level they are registered at;
  • people authorised by a designated professional body or qualifying regulator, which includes solicitors (SRA), barristers and CILEx-authorised lawyers, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland the relevant Law Societies and Bars;
  • people working on behalf of, and under the supervision of, one of the above.

One geographic limit: authorisation by an England and Wales regulator (the SRA, CILEx or the Bar Council) does not extend to providing immigration advice or services other than in England and Wales (section 84(3A)(b)).

If you appoint a representative, the tribunal must be sent written notice of their name and address (rule 10(3)), after which the tribunal and Home Office send documents to them.

IAA advisers: only Level 3

IAA advisers are registered at three levels, and IAA Code 3.3 forbids working above your authorised level. GOV.UK is explicit: "Only a level 3 adviser can appear on your behalf at an immigration tribunal."

  • Level 1 (advice and assistance): straightforward applications. Cannot represent you at the tribunal.
  • Level 2 (casework): more complex applications, human rights claims, administrative reviews, overstayers and removal cases. The IAA says Level 2 advisers "cannot represent you in court".
  • Level 3 (advocacy and representation): can do everything above and appear for you at an immigration tribunal.

The level is shown on the IAA Adviser Register. If an adviser offers to take your appeal, check the register shows Level 3 for the right category.

Solicitors and barristers

Solicitors regulated by the SRA can prepare and present immigration appeals in England and Wales. Firms that advertise First-tier Tribunal appeal work (excluding asylum appeals) must publish their prices on their website under SRA Transparency Rule 1.3(d), including what is included, likely disbursements and timescales, which makes comparison easier.

A solicitor will often instruct a barrister to present the case at the hearing. GOV.UK also notes you can go to a barrister directly if you are managing your own case: through the Bar Council's Direct Access scheme in England and Wales, the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland, or the Bar of Northern Ireland.

When a solicitor or immigration adviser lodges the appeal, GOV.UK says they must use the MyHMCTS online service.

Representing yourself

You do not need a representative. GOV.UK lets you appeal online yourself, or by post or email using form IAFT-1 (you cannot appeal online yourself if you are detained). The tribunal publishes a guide for unrepresented appellants. Key points from it:

  • Hearing centres include Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow, Hatton Cross, London (Taylor House), Manchester, Newport, Nottingham and North Shields.
  • Tell the tribunal if you need an interpreter, including language and dialect.
  • Send copies of the documents you want the judge to see to the Home Office and the tribunal no later than the date in your notice of hearing, and bring the originals.
  • Only documents in English will be looked at, so arrange translations.
  • Hearings are listed at 10am; be available all day.

The tribunal staff can answer procedural questions but cannot give legal advice. Your sponsor, if you have one, can normally attend the hearing.

A family member or friend who is not qualified can come with you and support you. Whether they can act as your representative is governed by section 84: the IAA's immigration assistance practice note allows occasional, unpaid help to close family and friends, but distinguishes helping as a friend from acting as a legal representative. Ask the tribunal if you are unsure who may speak for you.

What a representative typically does

For a First-tier Tribunal appeal, a regulated representative will usually: check the decision letter and whether there is a right of appeal; lodge the appeal within the time limit (14 days from the decision letter if you are in the UK, 28 days if outside, or 28 days from leaving if the letter says you must leave first); prepare a bundle of evidence and witness statements; write the grounds and skeleton argument; and present the case and question witnesses at the hearing.

The tribunal fee is £82 for a decision without a hearing or £144 with a hearing. GOV.UK says you may not have to pay if you get asylum support or legal aid, or get local council services and are under 18, and you can apply for help with court fees on a low income. If you win, the judge may order the Home Office to pay a fee award up to the amount of the tribunal fee.

The representative's own fee is separate and is set out in their client care letter (IAA advisers) or published prices and engagement letter (solicitors).

Legal aid

Legal aid covers some immigration matters, including asylum and trafficking cases. For other immigration cases, GOV.UK says you may be able to get exceptional case funding if you are financially eligible and refusing legal aid would breach your rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. There are separate application forms for immigration cases that go to a court or tribunal. Use GOV.UK's check-legal-aid tool, and see our guide to legal aid for immigration.

After the First-tier Tribunal: Upper Tribunal and judicial review

If you lose, you can ask the First-tier Tribunal for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal on a point of law: within 14 days of the written reasons if you are in the UK, or 28 days if outside. If the First-tier Tribunal refuses, you can ask the Upper Tribunal itself (14 days in the UK, one month outside). GOV.UK says there is no fee to appeal to the Upper Tribunal.

Judicial review is different: it challenges whether a decision was lawful, not whether it was right. Applications to the Upper Tribunal must arrive no later than 3 months after the decision. The fee is £179 to apply, and £897 for a final hearing if permission is granted. Representation is narrower here. GOV.UK says legal representatives must declare that they hold rights of audience in the High Court, and "if you do not hold right of audience, you will not be able to represent clients in immigration judicial review proceedings in the Upper Tribunal."

Finding a representative

Appeal deadlines are short, so people often start looking the day the refusal arrives. When you contact someone, ask: are you Level 3 IAA-registered or a solicitor, and for which categories; who will present the hearing; what is the fee for preparation and for the hearing; and what is not included.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

Can an IAA Level 2 adviser represent me at an immigration appeal?

No. GOV.UK says only a Level 3 adviser can appear on your behalf at an immigration tribunal. Level 2 advisers can prepare casework, including administrative reviews and human rights applications, but cannot represent you at the hearing.

Can I represent myself at an immigration tribunal?

Yes. You can appeal online or with form IAFT-1, and the tribunal publishes a guide for unrepresented appellants. Tribunal staff can help with procedure but cannot give legal advice.

Can a family member represent me at my immigration appeal?

Rule 10 lets you be represented by anyone not prohibited by section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which restricts immigration advice and services to qualified persons. A sponsor can normally attend the hearing. The IAA's guidance allows occasional, unpaid help to close family and friends but distinguishes this from acting as a legal representative, so ask the tribunal before relying on an unqualified relative to present your case.

How much does it cost to appeal an immigration decision?

The First-tier Tribunal fee is £82 without a hearing or £144 with one. You may not have to pay if you get asylum support or legal aid. Appealing to the Upper Tribunal has no fee. A representative's fee is separate.

Who can represent me in an immigration judicial review?

Only a legal representative who holds rights of audience in the High Court and declares it to the Upper Tribunal on form UTIAC17. GOV.UK says representatives without rights of audience cannot represent clients in immigration judicial review proceedings.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Immigration appeal to the First-tier Tribunal — You can only appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) if the decision carries a right of appeal, mainly a refused protection claim, a refused human rights claim, or a revoked protection status. The fee is £82 without a hearing or £144 with one, and the notice of appeal must reach the tribunal within 14 days if you are in the UK or 28 days if you are outside it.
  • 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.
  • Immigration solicitor or IAA adviser: the difference — Both are allowed to give UK immigration advice. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and must publish prices for immigration applications; IAA advisers are registered at Level 1, 2 or 3 and limited to that level. The differences are in scope, where they can practise, how they handle money and where you complain.
  • 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.
  • UK visa refused: appeal, administrative review or reapply? — Your refusal letter says whether you can ask for an administrative review (£80; 14 days in the UK, 28 days outside, 7 if detained) or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (£82 or £144; 14 or 28 days). Appeals are only for refused protection or human rights claims and a few other decision types. Making a new application withdraws a pending administrative review.
  • 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.