Legal Services Board (LSB) Issues Publication to Reform UK Visa and Immigration Advice Services

A recent consultation paper released by the LSB has proposed that dramatic reforms need to take place regarding the regulations placed on companies that offer UK Visa and Immigration advice and services. The changes are likely to have a massive effect on the industry sector and for the general public, as the Government looks to shutdown bogus operations that scam people out of thousands of pounds by claiming to be able to obtain UK Visas for vulnerable and desperate people.

What does this mean for the general public?

The LSB says that current regulators are not doing enough to protect the public from bogus companies claiming to provide UK Visa and Immigration advice and services, who actually go on to take money from a number of clients never to be heard from again often leaving people in desperate situations, severely devastated and out of pocket.

Since the collapse of regulatory agencies such as the RLC and IAS, much of the responsibility for regulating advisory services has fallen on the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). The LSB report claims that the OISC is a flawed system and needs a dramatic overhaul or disbanding altogether.

Other qualifying regulators across England and Wales, available to the public at present, include: the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and ILEX.

Should any of The LSB's proposed changes get passed by officials the outlook of the regulatory system could be completely transformed. The paper put forward by the LSB has proposed a number of options such as making UK Visa and Immigration and advice a reserved legal activity. To the general public this means that all UK Immigration work would be restricted to Solicitors, Barristers and ILEX members.

Under these regulations the OISC would effectively become obsolete. However, the LSB would prefer to avoid this as it would also eliminate a number of services that provide genuine guidance on all matters concerned with UK Visa and Immigration.

The LSB would prefer to maintain consumer choice and a range of different options, rather than excluding companies based on who their accredited regulator is. What this could mean though is that the OISC becomes a qualifying regulator as opposed to a general regulator.

Abolishing the OISC altogether would have a dramatic effect on the industry sector, resulting in a number of organisations losing accreditation and being able to offer their services to the public without any regulatory measures in place to protect the public. In effect this would play more into the hands of bogus companies and individuals who look to exploit those who are desperate to obtain a UK Visa.

Perhaps a more sensible solution for the general public to report complaints is to reform or unify complaints procedures by referring people straight to the Legal Ombudsman in all UK Immigration cases. This seems like a more viable option put forward by the LSB.