OISC registration is a twin-track process. Both your ORGANISATION and its ADVISORS need to get registered.
"Hi folks! We are going to talk about immigration advice and registering with the OISC."
Find out what steps are advised for OISC registration for managers and students.
Before applying for Office of the Immigration Service Commissioner (OISC) registration you’ll need to read these:
The OISC forms can seem daunting. Don't be deterred! The OISC are very supportive of the charity sector. They actively want to increase the number of charity sector advisers and the provision of free immigration advice. They can be flexible, particularly around experience, if you can reassure them of the steps you are taking to protect your clients.
At the point of application your organisation will need:
Application for OISC registration is free for non fee-charging organisations.
There are other investments your organisation will need to make:
The Application for registration with the OISC is for unregistered organisations applying to become registered. It must be accompanied by at least one new adviser application. Both the organisation's application and the adviser's applications are to be done online via the 'Applications' tab at the top of the OISC Portal.
If both the organisation and the adviser are unregistered, the applications must be submitted at the same time. This is because organisations cannot be OISC-registered without employing a registered adviser and advisers cannot be OISC-registered without working for a registered organisation.
In order to register in the Level 2 Immigration category, both organisation and adviser will need to already be registered in the Level 1 Immigration Category or applying for registration in that category. To raise your level to the Level 2 Immigration you will need to complete the 'Registered organisation raising levels: application' and an 'adviser raising levels application'.
You can jump to the Level 2 Asylum and Protection Category, without first being registered in the Level 1 Asylum and Protection Category. If you are jumping to Level 2 in this category, both organisation and adviser simply need to apply to register in the same way you would if you were applying to register in any Level 1 category. If you are already registered at Level 1 in the Asylum and Protection category, you need to apply to raise your level.
All of these applications can be made, saved and managed via the 'Applications' tab at the top of the OISC Portal.
OISC 'One Login'
The OISC application for registration system is accessed via personal logins set up via the OISC 'One Login' system.
When you go to make your first application via the OISC portal, you will be invited to set up a personal, One Login account. You will need ID, such as a passport, Biometric Residence Permit, or Work Permit to do this.
Once set up, you will use this account to manage all current and future OISC applications and registrations, so we recommend using your personal email and contact details, rather than the ones tethered to you employer.
Everybody involved in an organisation's application to register with the OISC will need to register on the OISC portal with their one One Login, including organisations owners, such as Trustees.
OISC registration lasts 12 months. It must be renewed annually through an Application for continued registration via the 'Applications' tab at the top of the OISC Portal. This is straightforward, but must list all current owners and all advisers. We recommend applying three months before registration is due to expire.
Once your organisation has been accepted onto the Frontline Immigration Advice Project (FIAP) programme we can help you get trained and ready to sit the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) Level One (Immigration) assessment (or a Level Two assessment if that’s what you need).
Passing an OISC assessment takes commitment, support from your organisation and a willingness to study and revise before sitting a 2.5hr exam.
Your organisation also needs to be committed. If it is not yet registered or wants to increase its registration level then it must prepare registration documents and submit them to the OISC at the same time as you submit your ‘New Adviser’ application. Then, if you pass the assessment both you and your organisation become registered at that level.
Note: Although no assessment is required for Level One (Asylum and Protection) the rest of the registration process is the same as Level One (Immigration).
To apply for registration you must:
In addition, if you are not a British Citizen or an EEA national, you will need:
The OISC may waive this requirement where they consider it appropriate.
Some people who have already qualified under the Law Society’s ‘Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme’ (IAAS) may not need to sit an assessment.
What work can I do once registered?
This depends on your registration. There are three levels and two categories.
Level One (Asylum & Protection)
Allows a very small amount of advice work. No assessment required.
Level One (Immigration)
Allows you to make straightforward immigration applications for regular migrants and people outside the UK.
Level Two (Asylum and Protection)
Permits you to work on initial asylum applications and further submissions or fresh claims up until a decision is received and the applicant needs to appeal or apply for judicial review. It also allows you to work on applications for refugee family reunion.
Level Two (Immigration)
Permits you to work on all kinds of immigration applications up until the point when an appeal may be necessary.
Level Three in either category
Permits you to work on appeals to the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber.)
Judicial review applications require a solicitor and cannot be done under OISC regulation.
The Guidance on Competence provides more detail on what work can be done at each level.
Are there any restrictions on how I work?
You are only permitted to give immigration advice on behalf of an organisation you are registered with.
However, you can be registered with more than one organisation at the same time, as long as the organisations are registered.
You must complete a New Adviser application and competence statement form. Here's a helpful resource that gives detailed instructions on what to expect when you fill out the forms, send them off and more.
This must be accompanied by:
If you do not have a recent DBS check then your organisation can submit a DBS application form and fee to the OISC with your application. The OISC will begin processing your application while the DBS check is pending. It’s quicker.
We recommend you apply for level 1 OISC registration as soon as possible after training, while it’s content is still fresh and you have it’s momentum behind you.
OISC assessments usually take place at the end of the month. We recommend submitting no sooner than 5 weeks before your preferred assessment date. The OISC will then usually offer you that date, giving you five weeks to revise.
Should you fail the assessment the OISC will invite you to sit the next one. As Level One assessments happen monthly you may only get 1-2 weeks notice of this.
If you do not pass the second time around your application will be refused and you will need to wait six months before re-applying.
You must be registered at Level One in both ‘Immigration’ and ‘Asylum and Protection’ categories before proceeding to Level Two.
Submit an Adviser Raising Levels Competence Statement form.
Sometimes it is possible to sit a Level One assessment and a Level Two assessment on the same day. You’ll need to already have your other Level One to do this. You’ll also need to ask the OISC for permission first. They will want to know more about your knowledge and previous experience before agreeing.
At Level Two or Three, if you apply to register in both categories, you will only be required to sit one assessment paper. However you will not know which paper until you enter the assessment room. If you fail that paper, you will not be registered in either category.
Level Two and Level Three assessments are held every three months, usually towards the end of February, May, August and November.
It’s usually best to time your application at least five weeks before an assessment. That allows you time to revise well. If you leave it too late the assessment may be full.
No resits are allowed at levels Two and Three. The OISC normally expects you to wait six months before re-applying.
In general, if you fail to attend assessment(s) without a reasonable explanation, your application will be rejected.
You can transfer adviser registration to another organisation within six months of leaving your old organisation. The new organisation must inform OISC that you are working for them.
If more than six months have passed then the OISC will require a new DBS check and an assessment resit.
Registered advisers who have left their job sometimes volunteer with registered organisations as a means of retaining registration for longer than six months.
For more detailed information on the assessment process, you can find it at OISC competence assessments.
