Imagine a friend in your church group in Manchester recommends "someone who sorts visas fast." He has a WhatsApp number, a nice flyer and a price in cash. Before you send a single pound, you can find out in about five minutes whether he is allowed to give immigration advice at all. This guide shows you how, and what to do with the answer.
It covers the UK specifically. If you need a general approach to spotting scammers who operate from Nigeria or elsewhere, read our post on spotting a fake visa agent first, then come back here for the UK-specific check. (If that link does not open, search the blog for the title.)
The basic rule: who may give UK immigration advice
In the UK, giving immigration advice or services as part of a business is regulated. Broadly, you can lawfully get paid advice from two groups: advisers registered with the UK's immigration advice regulator, and regulated legal professionals such as solicitors and barristers. Doing it without either is a criminal offence under UK law.
The regulator was long known as the OISC (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner). Recent material describes it as now being called the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA). You will still see both names online and on adviser websites, so treat them as the same body when you search.
Two things follow for you. First, "I have a contact at the Home Office" or "I am experienced" counts for nothing without registration. Second, if an unregistered person ruins your application, you have no regulator to complain to.
Step-by-step: check an adviser before you pay
- Get the full details in writing. Ask for the adviser's full name, the name of the firm or organisation, and their registration number. A genuine adviser will not be offended.
- Search the official register. Go to GOV.UK and search for "find an immigration adviser", or go to the regulator's own site. Search by adviser name and by organisation name. Type the website address yourself rather than clicking a link the adviser sent you.
- Match the name, firm and number. The entry should show the same person and organisation you were given. A similar-sounding firm name is not a match.
- Read the level and any conditions. Registration is by level (explained below). Check that the level fits your case and that no restrictions are listed.
- If they say they are a solicitor, check that instead. Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and have their own public register. Barristers are checked with the Bar Standards Board.
- Ask for a written client care letter that states the scope of work, the total fee, what is and is not included, and how to complain. Keep it with your records.
- Pay by traceable methods (bank transfer or card), and ask for a receipt. Avoid cash.
If the person cannot be found on any register, do not proceed, however good the recommendation sounds.
Understanding the three levels
Registered advisers are authorised at one of three levels, and they must stay within theirs. The official OISC Guidance on Competence describes them as Level 1 (advice and assistance), Level 2 (casework) and Level 3 (advocacy and representation).
| Level | Broadly covers | Typical fit for you |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Initial advice and straightforward applications within the Immigration Rules | A clean first application or extension where you clearly meet the requirements |
| Level 2 | More complex casework, applications outside the Rules, representations to the Home Office | A previous refusal, an overstay, a character issue, or a complicated switch of route |
| Level 3 | Representing you at tribunal appeals and preparing the most complex cases | A refusal where you have appeal rights and a hearing is coming |
The exact boundaries are set out in the regulator's guidance, so check there if your case is borderline. The practical point is simple: a Level 1 adviser is the wrong person for an appeal, even if they are perfectly registered.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Take Ada, a Nigerian nurse already in the UK who wants help with a visa extension. She is given the name "Bright Path Immigration Services" by a coworker.
- She asks for the adviser's name and registration number and gets them by WhatsApp.
- She searches the official register for the firm. Nothing appears under that name, but a firm called "Brightpath Legal Ltd" appears. The adviser's name is not listed under it.
- She does not assume they are the same. She asks the adviser to explain the difference. He gets vague and says to "just trust me."
- Ada walks away and instead picks a registered Level 1 adviser from the official finder. She gets a written fee and scope, pays by bank transfer, and keeps the receipt.
The name mismatch is the lesson. Scammers sometimes use a real registered firm's details or one that sounds almost identical.
Who is exempt from registration
Some organisations can advise without being on the register, within narrow limits. Examples that appear in the regulator's framework include licensed sponsors advising the people they sponsor, educational institutions advising their own students or applicants, and certain health sector bodies advising healthcare workers they employ or recruit.
This matters for you in practice. If your university's international student team helps with your visa questions, or your sponsoring employer's HR team explains your Skilled Worker process, that is normally fine. But the exemption does not stretch to advising the general public. A "recruitment agent" who is not your actual employer and charges you for visa help is a red flag. For how sponsorship works, see our Skilled Worker visa step-by-step guide.
Red flags even when someone sounds registered
- A guaranteed outcome. No adviser can guarantee a visa decision. The Home Office decides.
- Pressure to pay today or to pay into a personal account rather than a business account.
- No written agreement or refusal to give a receipt.
- Offers to "improve" your documents. Fake or altered bank statements, forged certificates, or invented job histories are fraud. They can lead to refusal, a ban on future applications and, in some cases, prosecution. A real adviser will tell you to submit true documents only.
- A job offer plus a "processing fee." Genuine sponsored roles do not need you to pay an agent to obtain sponsorship. Check the employer on the official sponsor list on GOV.UK.
- Only online presence. A registered organisation should be able to give you a real office address and a registration number you can confirm.
- Using your login details. Never hand over passwords to your visa account or email. You can give an adviser your documents, but you should keep control of your own accounts.
When to use a solicitor instead of a registered adviser
Both routes are lawful. A registered Level 1 or 2 adviser is often a reasonable choice for straightforward work and may cost less, though that varies. A solicitor can be better where your case involves several areas of law, court action, or legal aid eligibility. Whichever you pick, verify first and ask for a fee quote in writing.
If you are applying for a student route, remember your university's advice team is usually free. Start there before paying anyone. If you are moving from study to work, our post on the UK Graduate visa change on 1 January 2027 explains what to prepare, and it is worth checking your plan with a regulated adviser if your timing is tight.
If you have already paid an unregistered person
- Stop sending money and stop sharing documents.
- Keep every message, receipt, transfer record and flyer.
- Check your actual application status through your own official visa account, not through the agent.
- Report the person to the regulator, and to Action Fraud if you are in the UK. If you paid from Nigeria, you can also report to your bank and to the police.
- Get a second opinion from a registered adviser or a solicitor before taking further steps, especially if anything false may have been submitted.
Do not try to fix a problem by adding more documents that are not true. That makes things worse.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Nigerian-based agent covered by this?
The register covers advice on UK immigration. If an agent in Lagos, Accra or Nairobi is advising on UK visas, ask whether they work with a UK-registered adviser or firm and verify that entity on the register. Local business registration alone does not show UK authorisation.
Can a friend or relative help me without being registered?
Unpaid help with your own paperwork from family is a different matter from running a business. The rules apply to people giving advice in the course of business. If someone is charging, or advertising, they need to be authorised.
Does being registered mean the adviser is good?
No. It means they are authorised, subject to a code of standards, and answerable to a regulator. Still ask about their experience with your type of case, and read reviews with care.
How much should I pay?
Fees vary widely, so we will not give a number. Ask for a total price in writing, covering what is and is not included, and compare two or three quotes. Government application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are separate, and are paid to the Home Office, not the adviser.
Your next step
Pick any adviser you are currently considering, write down their name, firm and registration number, and run the check on the official GOV.UK finder today. If they do not appear, or the level does not match your case, move on before any money changes hands.
Sources
Details checked against the official sources above on 31 October 2026. Things change, so confirm on the official site before you act.
This is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Rules change often, so confirm on the official government website or with a licensed adviser, and avoid agents who promise guaranteed visas.