The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) has published its first annual report following its transition from the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), setting out its performance, regulatory activity and enforcement work during the 2024/25 financial year. The report describes the year as a significant period of change for the regulator, combining organisational rebranding with increased regulatory demand, expanded enforcement activity and preparation for new statutory powers.
You can download the 118-page report here.
According to the report, the rebrand to the IAA was intended to clarify the organisation’s purpose and reflect a broader evolution in the regulation of immigration advice. The IAA states that the change was driven by its inaugural Corporate Plan, which runs to 2027 and sets four overarching aims: improving the availability of high-quality immigration advice, disrupting illegal activity, raising awareness among advice seekers, and becoming a high-performing organisation.
During 2024/25, the IAA regulated more than 3,800 individual immigration advisers and over 2,000 registered organisations through its system of registration, compliance and enforcement. Total revenue for the year through income from fees was £1,647,000 (up from £1,375,000 in the previous year), while the IAA’s expenditure for 2024/25 was £5,454,000.
The reporting year saw substantial regulatory activity. The IAA received 1,029 new adviser applications, compared with 1,117 the previous year. Of these, 599 were processed and approved during the reporting period. In addition, 1,220 continued registration applications were approved, broadly consistent with the previous year’s total. The IAA also reports a notable increase in organisational demand, with 206 organisations applying for registration for the first time, up from 140 in 2023/24. Alongside this, the Commissioner received 415 applications from advisers and organisations seeking to raise their level of regulation, and 22 applications from organisations seeking to register as new legal entities.
Competence assessment remains a core part of the IAA’s regulatory framework. The report states that 16 competence assessment events were held during the year, comprising 12 at level 1 and four at levels 2 and 3. A total of 851 applicants sat assessments, with 464 passing, resulting in a 55 per cent pass rate. The IAA notes that this is consistent with the previous year and reflects what it describes as the “consistently high standards” required for entry into the regulated immigration advice sector.
The report also outlines audit activity across regulated organisations. During 2024/25, the IAA completed 84 audits, conducted both in person and online, an increase compared to the OISC’s 79 in the previous year. The IAA describes audits as a key compliance tool for assessing the quality of advice and organisational standards. The most common breaches identified related to general service standards, particularly client care and record-keeping, followed by concerns about adviser competence and financial handling. A smaller number of audits identified more serious issues, including adviser fitness and unregulated advice, which the IAA says will result in closer monitoring and follow-up action.
Complaints handling activity increased significantly over the year. The IAA received 182 new complaints concerning regulated advisers, double the number recorded in 2023/24. During the same period, 110 complaints were closed. Investigations identified breaches of the regulator’s new Codes of Standards in 32 cases, while a further 10 complaints were resolved through the Commissioner’s redirection scheme. Although the IAA notes that it does not currently have statutory powers to compel fee refunds, it reports that mediation and advice resulted in £28,667 being refunded to complainants, more than double the previous year’s figure.
Regarding enforcement against illegal activity, the report details an accelerated strategy to disrupt unregulated advice. The IAA received 606 referrals regarding suspected illegal immigration advice, up from 501 in the prior year. This led to the opening of 62 new investigations, a substantial increase from the 13 opened in 2023/24. Of the 41 investigations closed this year, 12 were resolved through disruption or restitution, and two resulted in successful criminal prosecutions.
In one case, an adviser received a 16-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, for fraud and providing unregulated immigration advice, along with a compensation order of £8,832 to victims. In another, an adviser received a six-month suspended sentence for providing unregulated advice, alongside unpaid work and financial penalties.
Looking ahead, the report highlights the changes brought in by of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in December 2025. The Act is gives the IAA additional regulatory and enforcement powers.
The report states: “Our strategy is not just about action, it’s about ambition. This year, we have actively pursued an expanded set of powers to strengthen our ability to disrupt illegal activity. As part of this, we have sought legislative change via amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025. In 2025/26, we aim to secure new fining powers, as well as powers to compel the return of fees and payment of compensation where advice seekers have received immigration advice illegally from unregistered providers. Additionally, the Home Office intend to consult on the IAA having powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), further enhancing our enforcement capabilities.”
In his opening statement in the report, Gaon Hart, the Immigration Services Commissioner, reflected on the challenges posed by the riots of 2024, which led to a temporary suspension of the Adviser Finder and Adviser Register tools.
The report explains further: “One area which overlapped our stakeholder engagement efforts with our proactive external communications work was that of the 2024 riots. In light of the emerging threat to many of our registered advisers, due to unrest caused by far-right activists, we temporarily removed from the Adviser Finder and Adviser Register tools from the IAA website. We provided support to advisers and worked with them to establish how to reinstate the tools in a way that protected their identities and location. We engaged closely with other government departments to ensure we were informed of any changes to the threat landscape. We also engaged with a group of registered organisations who shared valuable insights from the sector. Later in the year we were able to reinstate the tools, and work continues to introduce a map function to our Adviser Finder, for use by advice seekers.”