UK visa agent asking for money: what the law actually says

Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, only certain people can legally charge a fee for UK immigration advice or services: advisors registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), and solicitors or barristers regulated by the SRA or Bar Standards Board. A handful of exempt organisations, such as charities offering free advice, sit outside this but aren't charging anyway. Anyone else asking for money for immigration advice is very likely operating illegally.

Red flags in how the money is requested.

Cash-only payment with no receipt. Guarantees of a visa or job offer — no one can guarantee either, the decision sits with the Home Office or the employer. Fees for standard government forms, which are free on gov.uk. Vague charges like an 'expedited processing fee' with no clear breakdown. Pressure to pay quickly. Payment requested into a personal bank account rather than a registered business account.

How to check who you're dealing with.

If someone claims to be an immigration adviser, search their name on the public OISC register — it shows their registration and what level of advice they're authorised to give. If they claim to be a solicitor, check the Solicitors Regulation Authority register instead. If you're being offered a sponsored job, separately confirm the employer holds a valid sponsor licence using SponsorShield's [employer check](/check-sponsor) — a legitimate immigration adviser being properly regulated says nothing about whether the job offer itself is genuine.

A common current pattern: the care worker 'processing fee'.

A frequent scam involves a 'guaranteed' care worker job offer, with a large upfront payment demanded for 'CoS processing' or 'sponsorship costs' before any formal offer or CoS is issued. Licensed sponsors are generally prohibited from passing CoS costs onto the applicant — any employer or agent asking for direct payment for a Certificate of Sponsorship is a serious red flag on its own.