| What is the difference between individual and organisation membership? | If you are part of an organisation working in the Immigration sector and you think your colleagues would also benefit from ILPA membership, an organisation membership could be cost effective. Anyone registered at that organisation is considered a full member of ILPA. However, many people retain an individual membership as a way of supporting our objectives and charitable aims. Some also like to retain an individual membership so that they (individually) can advertise their membership using our ILPA member logo, and get their own listing in our Directory of Members. |
| So is becoming an organisation member better value? | There’s no difference in benefits, but I would note that if you were to employ anyone in the near future an organisation membership would allow your potential future employees to become ILPA members under that membership. The half price discount on training for anyone at the organisation (and further discount for trainees) is a big incentive for many. |
| Who can I list as a referee in my application? | We ask for two named individuals who would be willing to act as a referee for you, or your organisation, in a professional capacity. We will send them a simple email to confirm that they know you and would support your application for membership. They do not need to be existing members of ILPA, one of them should be a legal advisor (not necessarily in immigration) but if you have any questions about this then do get in touch. If you are applying as an organisation your references should not be internal employees of that organisation because this could be considered a conflict of interest. |
| Why do I see reference to ILPA's articles of association? | Our Articles of Association set out the rules by which ILPA as a Ltd company and charity must operate. In relation to membership, Articles 3 and 4 set out the criteria against which we can accept ILPA members. In summary, they specify that an individual or organisation can be accepted as a member if they are sufficiently interested in immigration law, and crucially, that if they are giving immigration advice then they are regulated to do so. |
| I'm not based in the UK, can I still apply? | Yes, we have a number of overseas members; we even have a New York working group! The application process is the same; If you are giving immigration advice we would need to see evidence of your regulation to do so, but you do not have to be registered in the UK. |
| Who else is a member? | Take a look at our directory of members (under Find Immigration Advice) for a selection of members who have chosen to be listed. |
| What is 'GoCardless'? | GoCardless is our provider of Direct Debit services. It is a quick and simple process that asks you for a few details. It is a secure server and we have had good feedback so far. Once signed up to Direct Debit you can take the hassle out of ILPA membership invoices. Payment is not split monthly, but rather a one off annual fee that is taken directly from your bank. This avoids any unintentional lapsing, and means you will retain access to ILPA resources and benefits all year long. You can cancel at any time. |
| We are a large firm but only a few of us do immigration, what category do we fit? | The organisation categories and fees are split by fee earners. ILPA does not charge based on how many people might use the membership, but on the number of fee earners in your organisation this is an attempt to charge those who can afford it more thereby allowing us to keep the fees low for the smaller organisations, the less experienced, students, small not for profits etc. We regularly review the fees so get in touch with any questions or comments. |
| Can I get listed in your directory of members? | For reasons of data protection we do not automatically add all members to the directory – you will need to create your own entry if you wish to be listed. If you are registered as an Individual Member you will show up in our Directory of Members under your own name. However all contact details you provide in your listing can be your organisation name, number and address. Organisation members can get a listing under the organisation name and can list any individuals as key contacts under that listing. |
| Is the cost of organisation membership charged on a person by person basis? | No, ILPA does not charge based on a person-by-person basis, but we calculate according to how many fee earners work in your firm, as a way to determine size of organisation and ability to pay. We aim to keep our fees low for new starters, trainees, students, retired members and smaller organisations and this is a way of managing this. |
| Am I eligible for your further concessionary rate on training sessions? | All members get 50% discount on training. We have a further discount for some categories of membership: If you are employed by a charity member under our category A, if you are a pupil barrister or trainee solicitor employed by a member organisation, if you are a sole practitioner member, if you are a retired, or full time student member – full details on our training pages.. |
Interested?
Get in touch at any time, our membership team will be happy to talk you through the benefits and application process. 020 7251 8383 info@ilpa.org.uk