The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) has kicked off its first UK-wide awareness drive advising migrants and employers to “check before you trust” when engaging immigration advisers. The press-release campaign, unveiled on 11 May, directs the public to the IAA’s free online register of authorised representatives and warns that unregulated advice can lead to rejected applications, financial loss and, in severe cases, removal from the UK. Pre-campaign research showed many applicants—particularly students and lower-income workers—assumed anyone advertising immigration services was licensed. The IAA, created in 2025 as an independent statutory regulator, has prosecuted 57 unqualified advisers in the past year alone. Sanctions range from unlimited fines to prison sentences of up to two years. For HR and global-mobility teams the message is clear: using an unauthorised consultant can invalidate a sponsorship licence or expose a firm to civil penalties if employee visas are later found to be non-compliant. Organisations should keep audit trails demonstrating that external advisers appear on the IAA register and that advice given matches Home Office guidance. The IAA is also translating campaign materials into twelve languages—including Polish, Urdu and Mandarin—to reach diaspora communities. Digital adverts will target search terms such as “Skilled Worker visa help” and “UK spouse visa.” Employers can embed a verification widget in their intranets so relocating staff can cross-check advisers in real time.
