Immigration advice and services
IPS regulates ILEX members who are authorised
to provide immigration advice and services.
Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 it
is a criminal offence for a person to provide immigration advice
and services unless they are regulated in accordance with section
84 of the Act. That section states that a person may be
regulated by a designated professional body or by the Office of
Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). ILEX was one of the
designated professional bodies. ILEX, as an approved
regulator, is now referred to as a designated qualifying regulator,
under the Legal Services Act.
ILEX's rules relating to accreditation of
advisers state that only those members who were members of ILEX on
or before 1 April 2001 and had applied by May 2004 to enter the
immigration register may be authorised. The register is now
maintained by IPS. At present IPS is not in a position to
authorise new members to enter the register.
Other organisations such as the Law Society
and Bar Council are also designated qualifying regulators.
Under section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act any member
working under the supervision of a person registered with a
designated qualifying regulator, designated professional body or
the OISC is able to continue to provide immigration advice and
services. Any new member who wishes to provide immigration
advice and services in independent practice should register with
the OISC.
The list of advisers authorised by IPS appear
on the immigration register maintained by IPS. The register
can be found here.
IPS is working on developing accreditation arrangements that
advisors registered with ILEX will have to comply with.