Who can advise
Who is actually allowed to charge you for immigration help
This is the cheapest risk control available to anyone applying for a visa, and almost nobody does it. In most destinations the right to give paid immigration advice is licensed, the licence has a number, and the register is public and free.
Regulators by destination
| Destination | What the licensed role is called | Regulator | Check here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Registered migration agent | OMARA Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority | mara.gov.au |
| United Kingdom | Regulated immigration adviser | IAA Immigration Advice Authority | gov.uk |
| Canada | Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) | CICC College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants | college-ic.ca |
| New Zealand | Licensed immigration adviser | IAA NZ Immigration Advisers Authority | iaa.govt.nz |
| Singapore | Employment agency / in-house filer | MOM Ministry of Manpower | mom.gov.sg |
| Ireland | Solicitor (no separate immigration-adviser licence) | LSRA Legal Services Regulatory Authority | lsra.ie |
| Germany | Rechtsanwalt, or another provider authorised under the RDG | RDG Legal Services Act (Rechtsdienstleistungsgesetz, RDG) | gesetze-im-internet.de |
| United States | Attorney or EOIR-accredited representative | EOIR Executive Office for Immigration Review | justice.gov |
Only four of these destinations run a dedicated register of licensed immigration advisers: Australia (OMARA), the UK (IAA, formerly OISC), Canada (CICC) and New Zealand (IAA). The others have no separate immigration-adviser licence — Germany and Ireland route paid work to lawyers, the United States to attorneys and to representatives accredited by EOIR, and Singapore files work passes through employers or licensed employment agencies rather than through immigration consultants. Where there is no dedicated register, the check to run is the legal profession regulator instead.
Before you pay anyone
Five checks, about ten minutes
- 01
Ask for the number, not the badge
A logo, an award graphic or a "certified" line on a website proves nothing. Ask for the registration or licence number and the exact name it is held under.
- 02
Look it up on the regulator’s own site
Search the official register linked below — never a directory the adviser sent you. The name on the register must match the person who will actually do your work.
- 03
Check who is doing the work, not who signs it up
A registered adviser may front an office where unregistered staff prepare the case. Ask which registered individual is responsible for your file.
- 04
Get the fee agreement in writing before you pay
It should state the services covered, the fee, what is excluded, government charges you pay separately, and the refund and complaint process.
- 05
Never let anyone keep your original documents or portal login
You should hold your own passport, originals, and the account the application is lodged from. Losing control of either is the single most common way people get trapped.
Walk away
Signals that end the conversation
- Guarantees a visa, a result, or a processing time.
- Quotes a price only after asking how much you can pay.
- Asks you to sign a blank form or a form you cannot read.
- Tells you to give false information, or says a small untruth is normal.
- Wants payment in cash, crypto, or to a personal account with no receipt.
- Refuses to give a registration number, or gives one that does not match the register.
- Keeps your passport, original documents, or your immigration portal login.
- Will not put the fee, the scope, or the refund terms in writing.
None of these are borderline judgement calls. Each one is either an offence, a professional-conduct breach, or a practice that leaves you carrying a risk the adviser created.
Stuck on a case?
Ask about your case
Tell us what you are applying for and where you are stuck. You will get a plain answer about what the application has to prove — not a sales pitch.
Ask MigrationAgent.orgGeneral information, not immigration advice for your case.