If you need immigration advice for your company, whether that is sponsoring overseas staff, applying for a sponsor licence, or managing compliance, you should only use an adviser who is authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or regulated by a recognised legal body such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You can check this in under a minute using the free IAA Adviser Register at portal.immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk/s/adviser-register, or by checking the SRA's Find a Solicitor tool if the adviser is a solicitor.
Why "regulated" matters for your business
Immigration advice is a controlled activity in the UK. Under section 84(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, it is a criminal offence to provide immigration advice or services unless you are authorised to do so. For a business, using an unregulated adviser is not just a compliance risk to the adviser, it is a direct risk to you. A poorly handled sponsor licence application, a badly evidenced Skilled Worker application, or mishandled right to work checks can lead to licence suspension, revocation, or civil penalties, on top of the financial and reputational cost of getting it wrong.
IAA registration versus SRA authorisation, what is the difference
Two separate routes allow someone to lawfully give immigration advice in the UK.
The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), formerly the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), regulates immigration advisers directly. Advisers are registered at one of three levels, each covering a different scope of work, from basic advice up to complex representations and appeals.
Solicitors do not register with the IAA separately. Instead, they are authorised through the SRA (or the equivalent regulator in Scotland or Northern Ireland) as members of an approved professional body, which under the same legislation exempts them from IAA registration while holding them to the SRA's own professional conduct rules, indemnity insurance requirements, and complaints procedure.
Both routes are legitimate. The practical difference for a business is that a solicitor-led firm sits under a second layer of professional regulation on top of immigration-specific standards, which matters if a matter escalates into a dispute, an appeal, or anything with legal complexity.
How to verify an adviser's credentials, step by step
- Ask for the firm's IAA reference number, or their SRA number if they operate through a solicitor.
- Search the IAA Adviser Register directly at portal.immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk/s/adviser-register, or the SRA's Find a Solicitor tool, rather than relying on a badge or logo on the firm's website.
- Confirm the registration is current and covers the level of work you need. IAA Level 1 advisers cannot handle the same complexity of case as Level 2 or 3.
- Check the firm carries professional indemnity insurance. This is a mandatory condition of IAA registration and SRA authorisation, and it protects your business if something goes wrong.
- Ask how long they have been regulated and whether they have handled matters like yours before, such as sponsor licence applications or compliance audits in your sector.
A genuinely regulated adviser will not hesitate to give you this information. Reluctance, vague answers, or an inability to produce a registration number is a warning sign in itself.
Questions to ask before you instruct an adviser
- What is your IAA or SRA registration number, and at what level or category are you authorised?
- Do you carry professional indemnity insurance, and at what level of cover?
- Who specifically will handle our matter, and what is their individual qualification?
- Have you handled sponsor licence or compliance work in our industry before?
- What is your complaints procedure if something goes wrong?
Red flags to watch for
- No IAA or SRA number provided, or one that does not match when checked on the official register
- Guaranteed outcomes on visa or sponsor licence applications, no properly regulated adviser will promise a result
- Pressure to pay large sums upfront before any advice has been given
- No written client care letter or engagement terms
- Reluctance to put advice in writing
A regulated firm, in practice
Visa Professionals Ltd is authorised by the IAA (reference F201000109) and led by Irfan Khan, a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. That combination means the firm operates under both IAA immigration standards and SRA-level professional conduct, which is worth understanding as an example of what "regulated" looks like in practice when you are comparing advisers for your business.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use a solicitor for sponsor licence applications, or is an IAA-registered adviser enough?
No. Either route is lawful, provided the adviser or firm is properly registered at a level that covers the work involved. What matters is verified, current authorisation, not the specific route.
Is it illegal for a business to use an unregulated immigration adviser?
The offence sits with the person or firm giving unauthorised advice, not with the business receiving it. But the practical risk to your business, a mishandled application, a compliance failure, wasted fees, sits with you either way.
How do I check if a firm's IAA registration is still active?
Search the firm or individual directly on the IAA Adviser Register at portal.immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk/s/adviser-register. Registration must be renewed annually, so an out of date search result is not reliable.