Immigration Practice Rights

Transcription

1 Immigration Practice Rights

2 Immigration Practice Rights Immigration Practice Rights Under the Legal Services Act you must be authorised to provide immigration advice and services. CILEx Regulation enables you to gain that authorisation. Our scheme of authorisation and regulation is open to all Chartered Legal Executives. Upon authorisation you will become a CILEx Immigration Practitioner. Professional Standards Our rigorous assessment process assures your clients that you can provide immigration services to a high standard. As a CILEx Immigration Practitioner you will compete equally with other immigration lawyers and can set up your own practice (subject to entity regulation).

3 Authorisation To be authorised as a CILEx Immigration Practitioner you must be a Chartered Legal Executive and we ask you to provide information to demonstrate your competence in the full range of immigration practice. You will need to show: Knowledge of immigration law and immigration practice to honours degree standard or equivalent. Alternatively, if you do not have these exams, you can rely on your work experience, demonstrated through portfolios of five cases you have dealt with; Experience of at least two years in immigration practice, demonstrated by producing three portfolios of cases; and Skills in legal research, client care and immigration practice, demonstrated by either a logbook and supporting evidence or skills courses you have completed. If you are an Immigration Practitioner in a law firm regulated by CILEx Regulation you will also need to show your accounts and practice management knowledge, experience and skills.

4 Immigration Practice Rights Your Application To apply you need to: complete our immigration rights application form; give details of your immigration law and practice qualifications; and submit evidence of your experience and skills. External assessors will mark your portfolios and logbooks. When your application is approved we will issue you with your Immigration Practice Certificate. Once issued with a practising certificate you can describe yourself as a CILEx Immigration Practitioner. Application forms, fee details, guidance notes and course details can be found at

5 Immigration Practice Rights CILEx Regulation Benefits As a CILEx Immigration Practitioner you can: provide the full range of immigration and asylum services to your clients without supervision; be recognised as a competent practitioner; use the title CILEx Immigration Practitioner; apply to CILEx Regulation for authorisation to set up your own regulated business offering immigration services (see our Regulating Legal Practices flyer for further details); and be part of a recognised and regulated community, with the assurance that your clients, you and your business are protected by independent regulation.

6 CILEx Founded in 1963 the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives is the professional association for more than 7,500 qualified Chartered Legal Executive lawyers and 12,500 paralegal and other legal practitioners in England and Wales. CILEx Regulation CILEx Regulation sets the standards of conduct and qualification for those it regulates and assesses compliance with these standards. CILEx Regulation takes proportionate and risk-based action in cases of non-compliance. CILEx Regulation is the regulator of Chartered Legal Executives and other members of CILEx. CILEx Regulation also regulates practitioners and legal practices authorised to provide reserved and regulated legal services. For further information about practice rights and entity regulation please contact: CILEx Regulation Limited Kempston Manor, Kempston Bedford MK42 7AB T +44 (0) F +44 (0) E practicerights@cilexregulation.org.uk CILEx Regulation March 2015 Information correct at time of going to press.