Immigration Lawyer vs Immigration Solicitor: What Is the Difference?
In the UK, immigration advice can come from IAA regulated immigration lawyers and advisers, from solicitors and from barristers. All three can be the right choice. This guide explains who regulates each one, what they are allowed to do and how to decide which you need for your application.
Quick answer
Anyone who gives immigration advice in the UK must be regulated. Immigration lawyers and advisers are regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), solicitors by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and barristers by the Bar Standards Board. For most visa, settlement and citizenship applications made within the Immigration Rules, an IAA regulated immigration lawyer can handle the whole case. Appeals and court work need a higher IAA level, a solicitor or a barrister.
Who can give immigration advice in the UK?
Immigration advice is a regulated activity. GOV.UK states that all immigration advisers must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or be a member of an approved professional body. In practice that means three main groups:
- IAA regulated immigration lawyers and advisers. They are registered with the Immigration Advice Authority, which was called the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) until January 2025.
- Solicitors. They are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and can advise on immigration as part of their wider legal practice.
- Barristers. They are regulated by the Bar Standards Board and usually represent people in tribunals and courts, often instructed through a solicitor or directly under the Direct Access scheme.
If someone offers immigration advice and is in none of these groups, do not use them. The IAA takes action against people who operate outside the scheme, and GOV.UK warns that you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated.
What the IAA levels mean
The IAA registers each immigration lawyer or adviser at a level that controls the work they can take on:
| IAA level | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Advice and applications made within the Immigration Rules, such as spouse, family, visit, work, study, ILR and British citizenship applications. |
| Level 2 | Casework, including more complex applications and cases that need more detailed representations to the Home Office. |
| Level 3 | Advocacy and representation, including appeals before the immigration tribunal. |
You can check any adviser’s registration and level on the IAA Adviser Finder before you pay them.
Immigration lawyer, solicitor and barrister side by side
| IAA immigration lawyer | Solicitor | Barrister | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Immigration Advice Authority | Solicitors Regulation Authority | Bar Standards Board |
| Focus | Immigration only | Immigration alongside other areas of law | Advocacy in tribunals and courts |
| Visa and settlement applications | Yes, at Level 1 and above | Yes | Usually through a solicitor or Direct Access |
| Appeals | Level 3 only | Yes | Yes |
| Judicial review and higher courts | No | Yes | Yes |
Which one do you need?
Start with the kind of case you have rather than the job title.
- A first application or an extension within the Rules. Spouse and partner visas, visit visas, Student and Graduate visas, Skilled Worker visas, ILR and naturalisation are all applications made within the Immigration Rules. An IAA Level 1 immigration lawyer can advise on and prepare these from start to finish.
- A refusal you want to reapply after. If the refusal can be answered with better evidence, a fresh application within the Rules is often the quickest route, and a Level 1 immigration lawyer can prepare it.
- An appeal, a removal case or judicial review. You need a Level 3 adviser, a solicitor or a barrister. A good Level 1 immigration lawyer will tell you this at the first appointment instead of taking work they cannot do.
Cost and the way you are charged
Charging methods vary. Many immigration lawyers and advisers quote fixed-fee packages for each type of application, while many firms of solicitors charge by the hour or quote a fixed fee per stage. Ask for the price in writing before any work starts, and check what is included, such as document review, the cover letter and help after you submit. Home Office application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are paid to the Home Office and are separate from any professional fee.
How Immigration Inn fits in
Immigration Inn is run by Basharat Hussain, an immigration lawyer with an LLB and an ACCA accountancy background. He is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1 (Ref F201800051). He is not a solicitor or barrister, and his work is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
That means Immigration Inn handles applications made within the Immigration Rules, from spouse visas and ILR to British citizenship and sponsor licences, on packages priced in writing before work begins. If your case needs an appeal or court work, Basharat will say so at your first appointment and refer you to a solicitor or barrister.
You can see every service and its starting price on our services page.
Check before you pay
- Find the adviser on the IAA Adviser Finder, or the solicitor on the Law Society register
- Confirm their level covers your type of case
- Get the fee and what it includes in writing
- Ask who will actually work on your file