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How to complain about an immigration adviser

Complaints about IAA-registered advisers, and about advice from unregulated people, go to the Immigration Advice Authority. Service complaints about solicitors and other legal professionals go first to the firm and then, after 8 weeks or an unsatisfactory reply, to the Legal Ombudsman. Serious misconduct by a solicitor can be reported to the SRA.

If an immigration adviser has let you down, the right place to complain depends on who regulates them. Getting that first step right saves months, because a complaint sent to the wrong body is usually passed on or turned away.

This guide sets out the three main routes (IAA, Legal Ombudsman, SRA), what each will and will not look at, the time limits and contact details published on 9 October 2026, and what to do in the meantime if your immigration case is still live.

Step one: work out who regulates the adviser

Check the adviser's registration. An IAA-registered organisation shows an IAA registration number; you can confirm it on the IAA Adviser Register. A solicitor will be on the SRA register (England and Wales) or the Law Society of Scotland or Northern Ireland register. If the person is on neither, they may be giving advice unlawfully: see the section on unregulated advisers below.

  • IAA-registered adviser: complain to the adviser if you want, then to the IAA.
  • Solicitor, barrister or other legal professional: complain to them first, then to the Legal Ombudsman. The rules are different in Scotland (GOV.UK links mygov.scot).
  • Not regulated at all: report to the IAA.

Complaining about an IAA-registered adviser

Every IAA-registered organisation must have an effective written complaints procedure (IAA Code 3.5), and its client care letter should explain it. The IAA publishes a model letter to help you complain directly to your adviser first. You do not have to complain to the adviser first to use the IAA scheme, but it can resolve simple problems faster.

According to GOV.UK, you can complain to the IAA about:

  • poor advice or service;
  • unreasonable fees;
  • an adviser claiming you'll be successful;
  • an adviser charging for work not done;
  • an adviser missing deadlines or failing to appear in court.

You cannot complain to the IAA about:

  • how long your immigration application has taken;
  • something already part of ongoing legal action;
  • a refund or compensation;
  • Home Office staff;
  • a person or organisation outside the UK.

You usually cannot complain about something that happened more than 12 months ago; the IAA decides whether to investigate depending on the situation. Someone else, such as a friend, solicitor or voluntary organisation, can complain for you.

How to send an IAA complaint

GOV.UK gives these routes:

  • Online through the IAA complaints portal, where you can upload documents.
  • Complaints form (available in different languages) sent with your documents to complaints@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk.
  • By post to: Immigration Advice Authority, Complaints Team, PO Box 567, Dartford, DA1 9XW.
  • By letter or email, giving as much detail as you can about who you are complaining about and what happened.

The IAA's phone number on GOV.UK is 0345 000 0046. IAA staff can help you fill in the form but cannot write the complaint for you. Your complaint can be translated if needed.

What happens next: GOV.UK says you will get a letter with a decision "within 5 months of making your complaint". The IAA may take action against the adviser (for example a warning about their conduct) or refer the complaint elsewhere, for example if it is about a solicitor or barrister.

Support with a complaint is listed on GOV.UK from Refugee Council England, the Welsh Refugee Council, the Scottish Refugee Council and Citizens Advice Northern Ireland.

Money: what the IAA can and cannot do today

As at 9 October 2026, GOV.UK lists "a refund or compensation" among the things you cannot complain to the IAA about. That will change when new powers start. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 gives the IAA power to order repayment of fees and compensation to clients of up to £250,000, and to fine advisers up to £15,000. The IAA's factsheet says it will announce implementation and timescales, so check its website before relying on these powers.

Separately, IAA advisers must already promptly return unused client money and agreed refunds (Code 9.5 to 9.7), so a fee dispute can be part of a service complaint even before the new powers start.

Complaining about a solicitor or other legal professional

Solicitors must tell you in writing at the start how to complain to them and about your right to go to the Legal Ombudsman (SRA Code 8.3), and must deal with complaints "promptly, fairly, and free of charge" (8.5). If your complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, they must tell you in writing about the Legal Ombudsman, the time frame and how to contact it (8.4).

The Legal Ombudsman's own steps:

  1. Complain to your legal service provider, ideally in writing, and keep a note of what you said and when.
  2. The provider has up to eight weeks to put things right.
  3. If you are unhappy with the final response, or get none within eight weeks, bring the complaint to the Ombudsman using its online complaint checker and form. You will need copies of your complaint and the provider's response.

Timescales published by the Ombudsman: up to 12 weeks for initial checks, up to 5 weeks before an early-resolution review, and 9 to 12 months for most cases to be accepted for investigation; most investigations then take 3 to 6 months. If the Ombudsman finds poor service, it can recommend the firm pays compensation, reduces your bill, apologises or takes other steps. There is no appeal from an ombudsman's final decision.

The Legal Ombudsman's contact details on GOV.UK: 0300 555 0333, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. Its scheme rules set the time limits for bringing a complaint; check them on the Ombudsman's website.

When to report a solicitor to the SRA instead

The SRA is the regulator, not a complaints service for individual clients. It investigates "serious or repeated cases of poor behaviour or conduct", such as dishonesty or fraud, misuse of client money, misleading the court and scams. It says it investigates around one in five concerns reported to it.

The SRA does not usually investigate delays, communication problems, bill disputes or isolated mistakes, and cannot make a solicitor apologise or pay compensation. For those, it points you to the firm and then the Legal Ombudsman. You can do both: a service complaint to the Ombudsman and a misconduct report to the SRA.

Unregulated advisers

If the person who advised you is not registered with the IAA or another approved body, GOV.UK says to email the IAA at info@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk. Giving immigration advice without being qualified is an offence under sections 84 and 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. GOV.UK also warns that you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated, so gather every receipt and message you have.

Your immigration case comes first

A complaint does not pause Home Office or tribunal deadlines. If your adviser missed a deadline or you have just received a refusal, the time limits keep running: for example 14 days to apply for an in-country administrative review or appeal, 28 days from outside the UK. You can ask your current adviser for your file; IAA Code 5.9 requires them to transfer it as soon as possible "irrespective of whether any payment is outstanding".

Many people instruct a new regulated adviser to deal with the live case while the complaint runs separately. That typically starts with a review of the file and the decision letter, then a written client care letter setting out what the new adviser will do and the fee.

You can find IAA-registered advisers and SRA-regulated solicitors, each shown with their regulator and registration number, in the Migratio directory. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

How do I make a complaint to the IAA (OISC)?

Use the IAA's online complaints portal, or send the complaints form and your documents to complaints@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk or by post to IAA Complaints Team, PO Box 567, Dartford, DA1 9XW. You can also write a letter or email with as much detail as possible. GOV.UK says you will get a decision letter within 5 months.

Can the IAA get my money back from an adviser?

As at 9 October 2026, GOV.UK lists refunds and compensation among the things you cannot complain to the IAA about. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 gives the IAA power to order fee repayment and compensation of up to £250,000, but the IAA has not yet announced when those powers start.

Who do I complain to about an immigration solicitor?

Complain to the firm first. If it does not resolve your complaint within 8 weeks, or you are unhappy with its final response, you can go to the Legal Ombudsman. Serious misconduct, such as dishonesty or misuse of client money, can be reported to the SRA.

Is there a time limit for complaining about an immigration adviser?

For the IAA, GOV.UK says you usually cannot complain about something that happened more than 12 months ago, although the IAA decides depending on the situation. The Legal Ombudsman sets its own time limits in its scheme rules.

How do I report an unregistered immigration adviser?

Email the IAA at info@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk to report someone giving immigration advice who is not regulated by the IAA or another approved body. Include any adverts, messages and payment records.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Unregistered immigration advisers: how to spot one — In the UK it is a criminal offence to give immigration advice or services without being registered with the IAA or authorised by a legal regulator such as the SRA. You can check any adviser on the IAA Adviser Register or the SRA register, and report unregulated advice to the IAA. GOV.UK warns that you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated.
  • How to check a UK immigration adviser is registered — In the UK only a "qualified person" may give immigration advice: an IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive, or someone working under their supervision. Ask for the regulator and registration number, then check it yourself on the IAA Adviser Register or the SRA Solicitors Register.
  • Questions to ask an immigration adviser before you pay — Before you pay, a UK immigration adviser should be able to show you their registration, their level, a fee scale and a written client care letter. IAA advisers must invoice you, give a receipt, keep money paid in advance in a separate client account, and wait seven days after an invoice before taking a pre-authorised card payment.
  • Immigration solicitor or IAA adviser: the difference — Both are allowed to give UK immigration advice. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and must publish prices for immigration applications; IAA advisers are registered at Level 1, 2 or 3 and limited to that level. The differences are in scope, where they can practise, how they handle money and where you complain.
  • UK visa refused: appeal, administrative review or reapply? — Your refusal letter says whether you can ask for an administrative review (£80; 14 days in the UK, 28 days outside, 7 if detained) or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (£82 or £144; 14 or 28 days). Appeals are only for refused protection or human rights claims and a few other decision types. Making a new application withdraws a pending administrative review.