An individual who wishes to obtain immigration advice can do so through a solicitor registered with the Law Society or through an advisor registered with the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). The OISC is a non-departmental public body of the Border and Immigration Agency. Organisations regulated by the OISC can be ‘for profit’ or ‘not for profit.’ In 2006-07 there were 673 ‘for profit’ organisations registered with the OISC and 976 ‘not for profit’ registered with the OISC of which 596 were Citizen Advice Bureaus (CABs).
Some of the ‘not for profit’ sector only provide immigration advice, but others such as CABs offer advice on a range of issues. As such, the actual funding the Government provides for immigration advice through the not for profit sector cannot be isolated.