Q: I have recently visited a community website and there are a number of classified advertisements with people advertising their immigration advice services. Is there a body regulating immigration advisors in order to protect clients?
A: Yes, 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.
The only exception to this rule is persons regulated by the Law Societies of England and Wales, and Scotland.
So unless someone is regulated as set out above, they are prohibited from rendering UK immigration advice, and are committing an offence if they do so.
You will also be pleased to hear that Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants are registered with the OISC to Level 3, which is the top level and therefore we can provide you with immigration advice on all UK immigration matters.
JP Breytenbach
Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited
www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com