Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)
The Immigration & Asylum Act 1999 makes the provision of Immigration law advice by an unregulated individual a criminal offence. For those who are not legally qualified lawyers, i.e. solicitors, barristers or chartered legal executives, and wish to practise in Immigration law and/or establish your own organisation, you will need to be regulated by the OISC.
What Is The OISC?
The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), is a Government body which was established to regulate the provision of immigration advice by individuals and organisations who are not legally qualified.
The OISC has its own Code of Standards which advisors and organisations who are regulated by it must comply with.
Applying for Authorisation
An application for registration as a new organisation to the OISC is done via their online system. It consists of the completion of the following documents;
- The Application Form
- New Advisor Application & Competence Statement
- A Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check (a fee of £39.60 is payable)
As part of the application, you will also be required to submit the following documents;
- A Business Plan
- Cash Flow Forecasts
- Template Documents
- Fee Scale
- Bank Account Details
- Professional Indemnity Insurance Quote
The fee payable to the OISC depends on the number of advisors in the organisation and the level at which they work.
How can we help?
We have Consultants with significant experience in assisting with OISC applications and who can provide advice and assistance with all aspects of running an OISC practice.
In addition to accepting ad hoc instructions, we also offer OISC regulated clients an ongoing retainer service. The purpose of the retainer service is to ensure that organisations are one step ahead of the game by maintaining a managerial system which meets or exceeds the requirements of the OISC.
We provide assistance from preliminary advice in respect of the application process and the required documentation and information to ongoing advice and support in respect of running the practice and maintaining ongoing compliance with the OISC requirements.
Our services include;
- Advising on and preparing OISC applications for new organisations
- Drafting and preparing Business Plans
- Drafting and preparing Cashflow Forecasts
- Drafting and preparing template letters
- Drafting OISC compliant plans, policies and procedures
- Advice and assistance with complaints
- Advice and assistance with OISC audits
We offer those seeking OISC registration packages depending on your needs and preferences;
Package 1
Advice on the process, completion of the application form, advice on required supporting documents, drafting the supporting documentation based on the OISC own templates.
Package 2
Includes all of Package 1 above, however, we will provide you with bespoke supporting documents, tailored to your needs.
Mock Audit
We also provide a mock audit service which includes;
- a review of the firm's policies and procedures
- a review of a small sample of files
- a comprehensive feedback report detailing areas of good practice and areas for improvement
- assistance with remedial action, if required
Contact us
To discover more about how we can help you and your firm, please call 01509 214 999, send us an email or complete our free enquiry form.