Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme
Background to the scheme
The Law Society worked with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to introduce an accreditation scheme designed to incorporate all publicly funded immigration and asylum advisers; it is known as the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme.
The LSC requires all advisers (including solicitors) who conduct publicly funded immigration and asylum work to be accredited under the scheme; the LSC maintains a register of accredited representatives.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) now maintains the register for accredited solicitors and their employees, and publishes details of registered practitioners on Find a solicitor. You can download guidance and criteria for applying for registration, along with an application for registration, below:
- Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme: Criteria and guidance notes (PDF 50K)
- Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme: Application for registration (PDF 33K)
Other immigration and asylum practitioners are registered by the Immigration Services Commissioner or a designated professional body.
How does the scheme work?
Practitioners who have completed the appropriate assessments can apply to be registered as
- a probationary caseworker—LSC work restrictions apply,
- an accredited caseworker—work restrictions also apply,
- a senior caseworker—no work restrictions,
- an advanced caseworker.
Firms that undertake publicly funded work need to have at least one scheme member who
- is accredited either as a senior caseworker or as an advanced caseworker, and
- holds the additional supervisor's qualification (PDF 25K).
The SRA sets the standards against which assessments are made and validates and monitors the assessment processes. The standards are available to download below.
- Probationer standards (PDF 51K) – probationary registration allows advisers to do restricted work under close supervision for a limited period
- Accredited caseworker standards (PDF 63K)
The LSC has imposed restrictions on the type of publicly funded work that can be undertaken by probationer caseworkers and accredited caseworkers.
- Senior caseworker standards (PDF 142K) with or without supervisor status (PDF 25K)
- Advanced caseworker with or without supervisor status (PDF 25K)
The level of accreditation you achieve determines the type of publicly funded work you will be permitted to undertake.
If you plan to apply for accreditation at advanced caseworker, you first must satisfactorily complete the assessment for senior caseworker and, then, meet the additional requirements for advanced caseworker.
To achieve accreditation, you must demonstrate competence at your chosen level by successfully completing the assessments. Assessments for probationer, accredited caseworker and senior caseworker are administered by Central Law Training (CLT), and are based on the level-specific standards. The assessment for advanced caseworker is undertaken by the SRA.
CLT publishes the dates and locations of all assessments, and you must contact CLT to register for the assessment(s).
Advanced caseworker accreditation
Advanced caseworkers are accredited to the highest immigration and asylum standards.
You must achieve senior caseworker accreditation to the required standard before you are eligible to apply for advanced caseworker accreditation.
Please read the advanced caseworker criteria and guidance in full before you apply, and ensure that your application is complete before submission.
- Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme: Advanced caseworker criteria and guidance (PDF 47K)
- Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme: Application for advanced caseworker accreditation (PDF 31K)
- Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme: Application for advanced caseworker accreditation – Suggested case report form (PDF 28K)
Applications to be accredited as an advanced caseworker are considered by the Law Society's Advanced Caseworker Selection Panel.
Useful links
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) was created to develop and administer the Community Legal Service and the Criminal Defence Service in England and Wales.
Central Law Training (CLT) is the SRA-approved assessment organisation for the new accreditation scheme.
Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) registers immigration and asylum practitioners who are neither members of a designated professional body nor supervised by members of such a body.
The SRA operates a dedicated website for panel and accreditation scheme members; it provides secure access to the immigration law logo.
Re-accreditation
Accreditation under the Immigration and Asylum Scheme doesn't last forever. Every three years, it must be renewed; the process is called re-accreditation.
Re-accreditation provides assurance that practitioners continually meet the competence standards that have been established.
Information for scheme members
The SRA will not introduce re-accreditation before 31 December 2007.
The SRA will reaccredit everyone who wants to stay on the scheme by 31 December 2008.
Details of the re-accreditation process and important dates will be communicated to members in due course.