Immigration Barrister Direct Access
Public Access immigration counsel for appeals, asylum, human rights and judicial review across England and Wales. Instruct a barrister directly, on a fixed fee, without a solicitor in the middle.
Direct access, also known as the public access scheme, lets a member of the public instruct a barrister directly for immigration work without first having to instruct a solicitor. The scheme was opened up by the Bar Standards Board so that experienced counsel can be engaged on a defined piece of work, at a price agreed in writing, rather than only through a referral from a regulated firm.
For most appeal-stage immigration matters in England and Wales this is the fastest and cheapest way to get specialist tribunal advocacy in front of your case. You deal with the barrister directly. You pay one professional, not a solicitor file plus a counsel fee on top. And the amount of money involved is fixed up front in a BSB client care letter, not metered against open-ended hourly rates.
What public access immigration counsel actually do.
Public access barristers are qualified to advise and represent clients on the full range of immigration, asylum and human rights work that can be handled by counsel without solicitor support. Barristers can advise on the merits of an application or appeal, draft grounds of appeal, settle witness statements, prepare skeleton arguments and appear at the First-tier and Upper Tribunal. They can also draft pre-action protocol letters and grounds for judicial review in the Administrative Court.
Direct access is well suited to a wide range of immigration matters: refusals of leave to remain, EU Settlement Scheme refusals, family and spouse visa appeals, deportation appeals, asylum and humanitarian protection, human rights claims under Article 8, deprivation of citizenship and entry clearance appeals. It is also commonly used for one-off legal advice, a written merits opinion before issuing an appeal, or settling a complex set of grounds where the client wants senior counsel without funding a full file.
The scope and the fee vary depending on the work. A written advice or a drafted statement is a small, fixed-fee piece of work. A full tribunal hearing is a separate fixed fee. Every stage is set out in writing under the BSB client care letter so there is no ambiguity about what is being done or what it costs.
Direct access is not right for every immigration case.
You should instruct a solicitor instead of, or alongside, direct access counsel where the case needs heavy evidence-gathering, country expert reports, contested disclosure, ongoing Home Office correspondence over many months, or a fast-moving judicial review with multiple parties. Equally, if you qualify for legal aid — which in immigration is now restricted mainly to asylum, detention and certain trafficking and human rights categories — a legal aid solicitor will usually be the right starting point and they can brief counsel from there.
For everyone else, particularly clients funding the matter privately who already understand their case and want specialist tribunal advocacy without paying for a full solicitor file alongside, direct access is the more efficient route. Where the clerks think the matter genuinely needs a solicitor they will say so up front rather than take on work that should not be done on a public access basis.
Send your Home Office decision letter for a fixed-fee quote.
A clerk will come back within 24–72 hours with shortlisted public access immigration counsel, a fixed fee in writing and a realistic view on whether direct access is the right route for your matter.
Immigration direct access by city.
London
Taylor House and Hatton Cross hearing centres.
Read more →Manchester
Piccadilly Manchester IAC hearing centre.
Read more →Birmingham
Sheldon Court Birmingham IAC hearing centre.
Read more →Glasgow
Eagle Building Glasgow IAC hearing centre.
Read more →Bradford
Phoenix House Bradford IAC hearing centre.
Read more →Common questions.
Can a member of the public instruct an immigration barrister directly?
Yes. Under the BSB Public Access scheme any member of the public can instruct a barrister directly for immigration advice, drafting and tribunal advocacy across England and Wales, without having to instruct a solicitor first.
How much does a direct access immigration barrister cost?
Direct access immigration work is usually quoted as fixed fees rather than hourly rates. As a guide, a written merits advice is £500–£1,200, drafted grounds of appeal £650–£1,800 and a First-tier Tribunal hearing £1,200–£3,000. Every fee is agreed in writing before the work starts and the actual amount of money varies depending on counsel, seniority and the complexity of the appeal.
Do immigration barristers do legal aid work?
Some immigration barristers undertake legal aid work, but legal aid in immigration is now restricted to asylum, detention and very limited categories of human rights work. Public access is the most common route for clients who do not qualify for legal aid but cannot justify a full solicitor file alongside counsel.
When should I instruct a solicitor instead?
If your case involves heavy evidence gathering, expert reports, complex disclosure or a fast-moving judicial review with multiple correspondence threads, you may be better off instructing a solicitor to lead the file with counsel kept in reserve. The clerks will tell you up front if that is the right call.
What can a public access immigration barrister do?
Barristers can advise on the merits of an appeal, draft grounds and skeleton arguments, settle witness statements, conduct conferences and represent you at the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal. They can also draft pre-action protocol letters and grounds for judicial review in the Administrative Court.
The main differences at a glance.
Direct access (Public Access) lets you instruct a barrister without a solicitor in the middle. The traditional model uses a solicitor to manage the file and instruct counsel. Both are regulated and both have their place. The table below sets out the practical differences for a typical private client matter.
| Direct access barrister | Solicitor instructed barrister | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you instruct | The barrister directly, through the clerks. | A solicitor, who then instructs a barrister on your behalf. |
| Professionals you pay | One: the barrister. | Two: the solicitor and the barrister. |
| Fee structure | Fixed fee, agreed in writing before any work begins. | Solicitor on hourly rates, barrister on brief fee. Costs build over time. |
| Typical overall cost | Lower. One specialist, one fee per piece of work. | Higher. Two firms, two sets of overheads, hourly billing on the file. |
| Time to instruct | 24 to 72 hours from brief to client care letter. | One to three weeks for file opening, AML checks and counsel selection. |
| Who runs the file day to day | You do, as litigant in person. The barrister advises and represents. | The solicitor manages the file, correspondence and court filings. |
| Court filings and correspondence | You file documents and deal with the court office. Counsel tells you what to file and when. | The solicitor files documents and corresponds with the court and other side. |
| Advice, drafting and advocacy | Done by the barrister you instruct. | Drafting often shared between solicitor and barrister. Advocacy by counsel. |
| Best suited to | Defined pieces of work: advice, drafting, hearings, negotiation. | Heavy disclosure, safeguarding, complex multi party litigation and ongoing case management. |
| Regulation | Bar Standards Board. Counsel carries professional indemnity insurance. | Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board. |
If the case is unsuitable for direct access, for example public law children work or matters needing heavy ongoing case management, the clerks will say so up front and point you to a solicitor.