IAA Registration Explained: How UK Immigration Advisers Get Regulated (Formerly OISC)

What changed: OISC is now the Immigration Advice Authority

The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) is the current name for the body that regulates who can lawfully give immigration advice in the UK, formerly known as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Fresh guidance published by the IAA on 14 July 2026 sets out, in a single consolidated document, how registration now works: who needs it, what it costs, and how the assessment process runs. The change in name has not changed the underlying law - immigration advice and services in the UK are still governed by the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 - but anyone searching for OISC registration, or checking an adviser's OISC number, should know the register, portal and Code of Standards all now sit under the IAA.

Who actually needs to register

Under the Act, immigration advice covers guidance given to a specific individual about matters including asylum claims, applications for entry clearance or permission to stay, nationality and citizenship, deportation, and related appeals or judicial review. Anyone providing this advice, or making representations to a court, tribunal or government department on someone's behalf, in the course of business and whether or not for profit, must be a qualified person under Section 84(2) of the Act. This includes solicitors and barristers regulated by their own professional bodies, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board, CILEX Regulation, and the equivalent bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Everyone else must register with the IAA before giving advice, including sole traders, charities, and community organisations that only occasionally assist people with immigration matters.

The three levels, and what each one allows

Level 1 (Advice and Assistance) covers straightforward, non-discretionary applications such as visa applications, permission to stay, EU Settlement Scheme applications and sponsor licence applications. Level 2 (Casework) adds asylum applications, Human Rights Act matters, and representations in cases involving overstayers, illegal entry, or deportation, plus lodging, but not arguing, appeals. Level 3 (Advocacy and Representation) is the only level that allows an adviser to actually represent a client at a tribunal hearing, prepare full grounds of appeal, or instruct a barrister for judicial review. An adviser can only work at the level their organisation is also registered for, and moving up a level requires a fresh, formal application and a harder competence assessment, with a 65 percent pass mark against 60 percent for Level 1.

The three exemptions that let you skip registration

Three ministerial exemptions, set out in statutory instruments, let specific organisations give free immigration advice without IAA registration. Licensed sponsors, meaning employers and educational institutions holding a Home Office sponsor licence, can give Level 1 advice free of charge to the people they sponsor and their immediate family, but only about the sponsored work or study route itself. Relevant employers can advise employees or prospective employees free of charge about a work permit application tied to that specific job. A third exemption covers specific educational institutions and health sector bodies named in the relevant statutory instrument. All three groups must still comply with the IAA's Code of Standards even though they don't need to register.

What registration actually costs

Initial registration starts at £733 for Level 1, with no distinction by adviser numbers at that level. For Level 2 and 3 organisations, the fee scales with the number of advisers: £2,232 for 1 to 4 advisers, £2,500 for 5 to 9, and £3,023 for 10 or more. A similar banded structure applies to raising an organisation's level and to annual continued registration, though those fees are somewhat lower, from £1,646 up to £2,698 for Level 2/3, than a first-time application. On top of the IAA's own fees, individual advisers typically pay around £40 for a criminal record check through the IAA's approved provider, Due Diligence Checking, unless they arrange their own DBS, Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI check directly.

The competence assessment

Every new adviser, and any adviser applying to move up a level, must sit a timed, invigilated online competence assessment testing knowledge of immigration law, ability to analyse a scenario, and written English. Level 1 assessments run monthly and take 1 hour 15 minutes; Level 2 and 3 assessments run quarterly and take 2 hours 15 minutes and 3 hours respectively. Candidates get one attempt per application: failing Level 1 means the whole registration application is refused, and a new application, with evidence of further training, cannot be submitted until at least four weeks later. Scores within 8 percentage points of the pass mark are automatically remarked by a second, independent examiner before a final result is issued.

How to check if your adviser is genuinely registered

Anyone using an immigration adviser, rather than becoming one, can check whether they are genuinely authorised by searching the IAA register directly, or by looking for the IAA's official digital verification badge on an adviser's website, which performs a real-time check against the register rather than displaying a static logo. Providing immigration advice without being a qualified person is a criminal offence under Section 91 of the Act, punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment, and advertising immigration services before an application has actually been approved is a separate offence under Section 92(B). Checking registration before paying for advice remains the single most reliable protection against unregulated or unlawful immigration advice, in much the same way as checking a trader against an official register before paying them protects against any other unlicensed service.

Frequently asked questions

Is OISC still the immigration adviser regulator?

No. OISC (the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner) is now called the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA); the underlying law and register are the same body under a new name.

Do I need to register with the IAA to give immigration advice?

Yes, unless you're already regulated by the SRA, Bar Standards Board, or an equivalent legal regulator, or you fall under one of three narrow ministerial exemptions.

How much does IAA registration cost?

From £733 for Level 1, rising to £2,232-£3,023 for Level 2/3 organisations depending on adviser numbers.

What happens if I give immigration advice without being registered?

It's a criminal offence under Section 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.

How can I check if my immigration adviser is genuinely registered?

Search the IAA register directly, or look for the IAA's official real-time digital verification badge on the adviser's website.