For UAE residents applying for a UK visa, the one requirement that matters most is an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) - the regulator that replaced OISC on 16 January 2025 - or a solicitor, barrister, or chartered legal executive. Cosmos Immigration holds IAA registration in-house and is based in Dubai, operating since 2014, with a 4.9/5 rating across 1,200+ verified Google reviews - and every registered adviser is verifiable on the IAA's public register.
Last updated: July 2026, reviewed against current IAA and Home Office guidance.
The right one is registered with the IAA at the individual level, names the adviser who will run your file, discloses which advice level (1, 2 or 3) their registration covers, assesses your route honestly before selling a package, and never promises the outcome. Apply the criteria below to us and to every other firm you are considering.
The UK regulates immigration advice through individual registration, not company branding. The firm should name the IAA-registered adviser who will handle your case and give you a direct link to the official register. "We are UK-regulated" without a named, searchable adviser is not enough.
Verify: search the adviser's name on the IAA adviser register and confirm it is current.
IAA registration comes in three levels. Level 1 covers straightforward matters, Level 2 covers most work and family casework, and Level 3 covers appeals. A credible adviser tells you which level covers your case, and if your matter needs a higher level or a solicitor, says so in writing before proceeding - not after fees are paid.
Skilled Worker, Family, Student, Graduate, Global Talent and Innovator Founder each suit different profiles, sponsors and evidence. A credible adviser checks your job offer, sponsor licence status, relationship, or endorsable achievement against current Home Office requirements before recommending a route - not the package that is easiest to sell.
Fees should be quoted per stage against defined deliverables - eligibility review, document preparation, and submission - in an engagement letter you sign before paying. An "all-in" quote before your profile is reviewed is a sales hook.
No adviser can guarantee a visa grant or ILR; the Home Office decides. An adviser who puts a promise in writing is signalling the wrong thing. The honest deliverable is an eligibility assessment that shows where your profile stands today against the current Immigration Rules.
Apply these criteria to every firm on your list, including Cosmos. The firm that survives them is the one to engage. Request a UK visa eligibility review.
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