Which should you use — lawyer, consultant, or DIY?
Start with what the endorsement actually tests. The Tech Nation Digital Technology assessment judges written evidence against published criteria — it is not a legal argument. That single fact reframes the decision: for a typical tech applicant, the choice is usually between a specialist consultant and doing it yourself, with a solicitor reserved for genuine legal or immigration-history complexity.
None of the three routes changes the criteria you must meet: a mandatory criterion plus at least two of four optional criteria, evidenced in up to ten documents alongside a CV and three recommendation letters. What differs is how much drafting, judgement and regulated advice you buy in. Below, each route is set out honestly, including where it is the wrong choice.
What does each route actually do?
The three routes solve different problems. A solicitor gives regulated advice and can handle legal complexity. A specialist consultant prepares and sharpens the written application but does not give regulated advice. Doing it yourself means you own every part of the case. Matching the route to your actual difficulty matters more than the price.
- Immigration solicitor or law firm. A regulated adviser who can give personal immigration advice, assess your legal position, and draft and handle the application. The right home for a refusal history, a complex immigration record, or any question that turns on the law. Typically £4,500 to £9,000 plus VAT, frequently billed by the hour.
- Specialist consultant (such as Endorsa). Application-preparation and educational support on a fixed fee: shaping and curating evidence, drafting the personal statement, structuring the three recommendation letters, and pressure-testing the case against the criteria. This is not regulated immigration advice. It suits a case that is borderline on presentation rather than on law.
- Do it yourself. You research the criteria, gather your own evidence, write your own personal statement, and brief your own referees. Free apart from the government fees. The right choice when your achievements are strong and obvious and you are a confident writer.
How do the three routes compare?
The table sets the three routes side by side on what they do, typical cost, whether they include regulated advice, how the fee is structured, and when each is the right choice. Read it as guidance, not as a rule — your own circumstances decide which column fits, and the routes are not mutually exclusive.
| Immigration solicitor | Specialist consultant (e.g. Endorsa) | Do it yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they do | Give regulated immigration advice; assess your legal position; draft and handle the application | Prepare the written case — evidence, personal statement and recommendation letters — against the criteria | You research, gather evidence, write, and brief your own referees |
| Typical cost | £4,500–£9,000 +VAT | £200–£4,500 fixed | £0 help |
| Regulated immigration advice | Yes | No — preparation and educational support only | No — you rely on your own research |
| Fee basis | Often hourly; sometimes fixed | Published fixed fee | Government fees only |
| Best when | There is genuine legal complexity, an immigration-history issue, or you need personal advice | Your case is strong but borderline on how it is presented | Your case is strong, obvious, and you write well |
Government fees are always separate: the endorsement fee is £561 and the visa fee £205 (checked 11 July 2026 on GOV.UK). The law-firm range is indicative of the wider market. Only an appropriately regulated adviser can give personal immigration advice.
When is an immigration solicitor the right choice?
A solicitor is the right choice when your difficulty is legal rather than presentational. If you have a previous visa refusal, an adverse immigration history, a status complication, or a question that genuinely turns on the Immigration Rules, you need regulated advice — and only an appropriately regulated adviser or solicitor can give it. For those situations, the fee is well spent.
Because the endorsement itself is an evidence exercise, a solicitor is not required simply to present a strong case. Where a firm adds most value is judgement on your legal position and the handling of anything that could affect your ability to remain in, or return to, the UK. Bear in mind that solicitors frequently bill by the hour, so ask for a clear scope and an estimate before you begin. A Stage 1 endorsement refusal, it is worth noting, is not itself an immigration refusal — there is no statutory appeal, only a free endorsement review within 28 days on process grounds, with no new evidence.
When is a specialist consultant such as Endorsa the right choice?
A specialist consultant is the right choice when your achievements are real but the case is borderline on how it is presented. The endorsement is decided on written evidence, so the difference between a pass and a near-miss is often framing: which two optional criteria to lead with, which evidence to include within the ten-document limit, and how the personal statement and three recommendation letters tell a coherent story.
This is preparation and educational support, not regulated immigration advice. Endorsa is the consultant option here, with published fixed fees so you know the cost up front. The ladder runs from a £200 Fit Assessment — a scored, written go or no-go report — to a £2,500 Done-with-you package where drafts are refined and evidence curated, to a £4,500 End-to-End package where the whole application is built for you. The law-firm range of £4,500 to £9,000 plus VAT is the anchor to weigh this against. If your difficulty is legal rather than presentational, a solicitor remains the better home, and the two can work alongside each other.
When should you do it yourself?
Doing it yourself is the right choice when your case is strong, obvious, and you are a confident writer. The application is a document exercise — a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form assessed by Tech Nation, up to ten evidence documents, a CV and three recommendation letters — so there is no access barrier a professional unlocks. If your evidence plainly clears the criteria, you can prepare it yourself for the government fees alone.
The honest caveat is that most applications fail on presentation, not talent. If you are unsure which two optional criteria are strongest, whether your evidence is compelling to an assessor who does not know your field, or how to brief referees, that uncertainty is exactly what a fixed-fee Fit Assessment is designed to resolve before you commit. Doing it yourself and buying a light-touch review are not mutually exclusive.
Frequently asked questions
Most Digital Technology applicants do not. The Tech Nation endorsement is won on written evidence against the criteria, not on points of law, so a solicitor is not required to present a strong case. A solicitor becomes valuable when there is genuine legal complexity — a prior refusal, an immigration-history issue, or a question that needs personal immigration advice. Only an appropriately regulated adviser can give that advice.
No, and Endorsa does not claim to. Endorsa provides application-preparation and educational support — shaping evidence, drafting the personal statement, and structuring recommendation letters. It does not provide regulated immigration advice. Where you need personal advice on your immigration position, you should speak to an appropriately regulated adviser or a solicitor. Always verify requirements on GOV.UK.
Yes, for the right person. The application is entirely a document exercise: a single GOV.UK Stage 1 endorsement form, up to ten evidence documents, a CV and three recommendation letters. If your achievements are strong and obvious and you write well, doing it yourself for the cost of the government fees alone is a sensible choice. The risk is presentation, not access.
Doing it yourself costs only the government fees — the £561 endorsement fee and £205 visa fee (checked 11 July 2026 on GOV.UK). A specialist consultant typically works on a published fixed fee; Endorsa ranges from a £200 Fit Assessment to £4,500 for the End-to-End package. Immigration law firms typically charge £4,500 to £9,000 plus VAT, often on an hourly basis. Government fees are separate in every case.
A consultant can help with how a borderline case is presented, but not with the legal question itself. If your difficulty is a refusal history, a visa-status complication, or anything requiring advice on your immigration position, that is regulated immigration advice and belongs with a solicitor or an appropriately regulated adviser. A consultant and a solicitor can also work alongside each other.
Endorsa publishes fixed fees: a £200 Fit Assessment (credited to any package within 14 days and including a 45-minute review call), a £2,500 Done-with-you package, and a £4,500 End-to-End package. The £200 Fit Assessment is fully refundable if you are unhappy with the report. The packages carry support rather than a cash refund — for example, free reattempt support on the End-to-End package. Government fees are non-refundable.
Related reading: consultant vs lawyer, DIY vs consultant, are consultants worth it?, full cost breakdown, endorsement criteria and our services & pricing.
Last reviewed: 11 July 2026. Verified against GOV.UK on 11 July 2026.