It is a criminal offence to provide immigration advice or immigration services in the UK in the course of business, whether paid or unpaid, unless the person is legally qualified to do so. This matters in investor migration because the Tier 1 (Investor) route is still sometimes promoted even though it closed to new applications at 4pm on 17 February 2022. Qualifying existing holders may apply for settlement before 17 February 2028, but the UK currently has no visa granting residence solely in return for passive investment.
A migration consultant, wealth adviser, property agent or investment promoter may explain general commercial matters. However, they must not assess your personal immigration position, recommend a visa or prepare an application in the UK unless they are appropriately regulated, professionally authorised or covered by a statutory exemption.
Why investor applicants face particular risks
Investor migration involves substantial funds, cross-border intermediaries and sensitive personal and financial documents. Those conditions can attract unregulated operators who promise guaranteed visas, privileged access to decision-makers or a new investor route that does not exist.
Current options depend on the applicant’s circumstances. The Global Talent visa is based on recognised talent or promise in eligible fields. The Innovator Founder visa requires an endorsed business that is innovative, viable and scalable. Self-sponsorship through your own UK company is not a separate visa category. It usually refers to a genuine UK business obtaining a sponsor licence and sponsoring its founder under the Skilled Worker route.
Who can legally provide immigration advice?
The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 restricts immigration advice and services to qualified people. The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner was renamed the Immigration Advice Authority in January 2025.
| Who may provide advice | Regulation or authorisation |
|---|---|
| IAA-registered advisers | Immigration Advice Authority, at the appropriate advice level |
| Solicitors in England and Wales | Solicitors Regulation Authority |
| Barristers in England and Wales | Bar Standards Board |
| Authorised CILEX practitioners | CILEx Regulation, within their authorised scope |
| Professionals in Scotland or Northern Ireland | The relevant designated professional regulator |
| Certain exempt people or organisations | An exemption recognised under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 |
Not every charity, overseas lawyer, accountant, financial adviser or migration consultant is automatically authorised to advise on UK immigration. A person’s job title, qualifications in another country or association with a regulated professional do not prove that they can lawfully handle your case.
How to protect yourself
Before paying, check an adviser through the government’s find an immigration adviser service. You can confirm an England and Wales solicitor through the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor register. Our guide on how to choose the right immigration lawyer explains the practical checks to make.
Ask for the adviser’s full name, organisation, registration details, permitted advice level and written terms of engagement. The fee agreement should distinguish professional fees from Home Office fees and other charges. No adviser can guarantee that an application will succeed.
Warning signs include:
- Promises of guaranteed approval or special Home Office influence
- Large cash payments or transfers to personal accounts
- No registration details or written client-care documents
- Refusal to return passports or original records
- Claims that regulation is unnecessary because the adviser is only completing forms
- Promotion of a current UK investor visa based only on transferring money
Regulated advisers must follow professional standards and provide a complaints process. The Immigration Advice Authority specifically warns against advisers claiming they can predetermine an application’s outcome or arrange preferential processing.
If you have already received poor or unlawful advice
Act promptly and preserve copies of messages, receipts, application forms and documents submitted to the Home Office. You can report an unregulated adviser to the Immigration Advice Authority. Complaints concerning a solicitor should normally begin with the firm’s complaints procedure, followed by the appropriate regulatory or ombudsman route where necessary.
Ask a regulated professional to review what was submitted. Depending on the decision, your options may include an appeal or a fresh application, administrative review, a human rights appeal or a challenge through appeals and judicial review. These remedies are not available in every case, and strict deadlines can apply.
A review may identify a lawful route such as a Skilled Worker visa or help you compare self-sponsorship compared with the Innovator Founder visa. It should also explain the genuine requirements for British citizenship after ILR rather than promising a shortcut. Someone visiting only to marry or form a civil partnership may require a marriage visitor visa, which is not a settlement route.
Get lawful advice you can rely on
Garth Coates Solicitors Limited is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. For advice on an existing Tier 1 Investor case or a current immigration route, speak to the immigration solicitors in London at Garth Coates.
