The problem
A complex application needs a cover letter and a numbered index of evidence, and both are assembled by hand before submission. If you prepare 8 a month and the letter and index take 90 minutes, that's 720 minutes, 12 hours a month.
What the AI does
You give ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini your firm template and a general description of the case structure and list of evidence types, with no names or numbers, and ask for a draft cover letter and a numbered index with placeholders. You fill in the real names, numbers and page references in your own document system, and check every statement against the evidence and the current Immigration Rules. The adviser signs the letter; the assistant does not decide what to argue or submit.
A worked example
An immigration firm in Leicester prepares about 8 complex applications a month. A caseworker drafts the cover letter and evidence index structure with an assistant, adds the facts in the firm's system, and the solicitor approves it before submission.
Before
90 minutes to write a cover letter and index: 12 hours a month
After
About 55 minutes to adapt and check: 7.3 hours a month
What it's worth
About 4.7 hours a month saved (35 minutes x 8 applications = 280 minutes), worth around £280 if caseworker and solicitor time is worth £60 an hour. Plans run from free to about £20 a month for one person.
How to set it up
- Save your firm's cover letter and index templates and a standing instruction: formal tone, placeholders only, no invented evidence.
- Describe the application type and evidence types in general terms. Do not paste names, dates of birth or reference numbers.
- Ask for a draft letter structure and a numbered index with placeholders.
- Fill in the facts and page references inside your own system and check every item against the bundle.
- A solicitor reads the final letter against the evidence and the current rules before it is submitted.
What goes wrong
- A letter that says the evidence shows something it does not can damage the application. Check every claim against the actual documents.
- Consumer AI plans are not suitable for identifiable client data. Immigration files hold passports, family details and sometimes asylum or protection information.
- Do not use the assistant to decide which arguments to run or what to leave out. That is legal judgement for the adviser.
- Check the output against the latest Home Office guidance before submitting.