The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) Annual Report for 2022-2023

recently released its Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year 2022 to 2023, highlighting key developments and challenges in the field of immigration advice.

Throughout the period, several trends were noted:

• There has been a continuous increase in demand for immigration advice, surpassing the available regulated services.
• The regulation of immigration advisers by the OISC has contributed to an enhancement in the quality of advice provided.
• The existing disparity between supply and demand has led to an increase in illegal provision of advice, often exploiting vulnerable individuals.
• Complaint levels remain consistent with previous years.
• Efforts have been made to enhance collaboration with other agencies to detect and disrupt illegal advice through improved intelligence sharing.
• The OISC has established three regional teams to better engage with local communities.

Immigration Services Commissioner John Tuckett emphasized the ongoing challenges posed by changes in the immigration system. While there's a growing number of individuals aspiring to become immigration advisers, the availability of appropriate advice remains insufficient to meet the widespread demand across the United Kingdom. A primary focus for the future will be ensuring the accessibility of immigration advice through regulated channels to effectively address the needs of advice seekers.

In terms of performance, notable achievements during the 2022 to 2023 period include:

• Decision-making on 832 new adviser applications, including those seeking to elevate their regulatory status.
• Completion of 70 investigations into complaints of illegal activity.
• Approval of 999 continued registration applications.
• Approval of 138 new organization applications, with 14 awaiting confirmation.
• Administration of competence assessments to 742 applicants, with 430 passing.
• Receipt of 193 applications from previously unregulated organizations.
• Initiation of two prosecutions in 2021 to 2022 and issuance of 11 formal warnings.

The full report, "OISC Annual Report and Accounts: 2022 to 2023," provides comprehensive insights into the OISC's activities and achievements during the specified period.