UK immigration adviser check: Regulator launches national campaign to encourage migrants to check immigration advisers
The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) has launched its first UK-wide awareness campaign to tell migrants and employers to ‘check before you trust’ when using immigration advisers. The campaign, which started on May 11, invites the public to use the IAA’s free online registry of authorised agents and cautions that getting advice from unregulated sources can result in rejection of application, financial loss and, in the most serious circumstances, expulsion from the UK. Research done before the campaign found that many applicants, especially students and low-income workers, assumed that anyone promoting immigration services was licensed. The IAA, an independent statutory agency established in 2025, has prosecuted 57 unqualified advisers in the past year alone.
The penalties might be infinite fines or a jail term of up to two years. The message is clear for HR and global mobility teams – use an unauthorised consultant and a sponsorship licence might be rendered void or a corporation is at risk of civil fines if employee visas are later discovered to be non-compliant. Organisations should retain audit trails to show that external advisors are included on the IAA register and that the advice provided is consistent with Home Office instructions. The IAA is also translating advertising materials into twelve languages including Polish, Urdu and Mandarin to reach expatriate communities. Digital advertising will target searches such as “Skilled Worker visa help” and “UK spouse visa”. Employers can also place a verification widget on their intranets, so relocated staff can cross-check advice in real time.