Immigration Advice Authority Advisers, Formerly OISC

The OISC is now the Immigration Advice Authority

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner — the OISC — became the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) on 16 January 2025. It is the same regulator, doing the same job, under a new name.

You will still meet the old name: on older adviser websites, in guidance written before the change, and in the web address of the adviser register itself. An adviser describing themselves as “OISC registered” is not out of date about their registration, only about the name. The rest of this guide uses IAA.

Who Can Provide Immigration Advice?

In the UK, immigration advice is regulated by law. These people and organisations are legally permitted to give it:

• Registered immigration advisers. Regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority.
• Solicitors. Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. See our solicitor costs guide.
• Barristers. Regulated by the Bar Standards Board.
• Legal executives. Regulated by CILEX Regulation.
• People working under supervision. Someone supervised by a person in one of the categories above.
• A short list of exempt people and bodies. People holding an office under the Crown, and people employed by a government department when acting in that capacity, are outside the scheme. The Home Secretary has also exempted licensed sponsors, some employers, and named education and health bodies for limited purposes; they still have to meet the Code of Standards. Being a charity or a not-for-profit is not by itself an exemption — those organisations normally have to register too.

Anyone else who provides immigration advice or immigration services is committing a criminal offence. Section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 says no person may do it unless they are a qualified person, and section 91 makes a breach punishable by up to 6 months in prison in the magistrates court, or up to 2 years on indictment, or a fine, or both. Note that this does not turn on charging a fee: section 82 defines immigration advice and immigration services as things given “in the course of a business carried on (whether or not for profit)”. It catches unregistered "consultants," people who run a form-filling service, and unregulated overseas agents. Helping a friend or a family member without running a business is not caught. For guidance on whether you need professional help, see our DIY vs solicitor guide.

Adviser Levels Explained

The Authority registers an adviser at a level, in one or more categories of work: immigration; asylum and protection; and judicial review case management. Each level includes the work of the level below it.

• Level 1 — advice and assistance. Straightforward cases, where the job is to present facts against a set of published criteria and there is no discretionary element and no adverse immigration history: standard Skilled Worker visas, spouse visas, visitor visas and settlement applications that meet the rules on their face.
• Level 2 — casework. Everything at Level 1, plus asylum claims and cases that are complex or turn on discretion: overstaying, illegal entry, trafficking, removal, and preparing an appeal after a refusal.
• Level 3 — advocacy and representation. Everything at Level 2, plus representing people at hearings before the tribunal, instructing a barrister through a licensed access scheme, and judicial review case management — assessing the merits of a claim and instructing counsel.

An adviser can only take on work within their registered level and category. If your case goes beyond it, they should refer you to a higher-level adviser or a solicitor.

How to Find a Registered Adviser

Use the adviser finder on GOV.UK. You can search by:

• Location (postcode or town)
• Name of adviser or organisation
• Type of immigration work

Always verify registration before paying for any immigration advice. If someone claims to be registered, check their details on the GOV.UK tool. This is especially important for complex applications like British citizenship or English language test exemption requests.

Registered Advisers vs Solicitors

• Cost. Registered advisers are often less expensive than solicitors, particularly for straightforward cases.
• Specialisation. Many focus exclusively on immigration, whereas solicitors may cover several areas of law.
• Complaints. Complaints about a registered adviser go to the Immigration Advice Authority. Complaints about a solicitor go to the Legal Ombudsman.
• Scope. Solicitors can handle cases at all levels of complexity. Registered advisers are limited by their level and the categories of work they are registered in.

Warning Signs of Unregulated Advisers

• They cannot give you an IAA registration number or an SRA number.
• They guarantee a specific outcome ("100% success rate").
• They ask for cash payments with no receipt.
• They pressure you to make quick decisions.
• They are not listed on the GOV.UK adviser finder.

If you suspect someone is providing unregulated immigration advice, report them to the Immigration Advice Authority.

Next Steps

Search for a registered adviser using the GOV.UK adviser finder. Check their level against the complexity of your case. For information about solicitor costs, see our immigration solicitor costs guide. You can also contact the Home Office directly for general queries about your application.

Questions and answers