Legally Speaking | Who is allowed to render UK immigration advice?

Who is allowed to render UK immigration advice?

Almost on a daily basis, the consultants at BIC hear stories from clients who have been advised incorrectly by unscrupulous immigration advisers, who are often not even allowed to render UK immigration advice.

BIC therefore wants to warn persons in the UK, seeking UK immigration advice, to please note the following before they choose a UK immigration adviser;

• In order to render immigration advice in the UK you have to be regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or OISC. They also have different levels of advisors, so depending on the complexity of a problem an advisor may assist you or not. All OISC advisers are required to display their certificates of registration or exemption. You can check whether somebody is registered at the OISC at the following website www.oisc.gov.uk
• The only exception to this rule is persons regulated by the Law Societies of England and Wales, and Scotland, the General Council of the Bar, the Institute of Legal Executives and some other highly professional bodies.

So unless someone is regulated as set out above, they are prohibited from rendering UK immigration advice in the UK, and are committing an offence if they do so.

If you are looking for UK immigration advice, please do some homework, check to see whether the person or company is regulated as above and ask for referrals from satisfied clients.

You will also be pleased to hear that BIC is registered with the OISC to Level 3, which means that we can provide you with immigration advice on all UK immigration matters.

For more information, please contact BIC at info@bic-immigration.com

JP Breytenbach

Director of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited.

www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com