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Foundations of UK immigration law: IAA Level 1

This online course covers UK immigration law and the work of a Immigration Practitioner. It’s ideal if you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;re interested in UK immigration law and want to deepen your knowledge of the UK immigration system, or if you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;re aiming to become a Level 1 Immigration Practitioner with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), formerly the OISC. You&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll learn about the sources of immigration law, the structure and operation of the UK’s Immigration Rules and consider immigration routes, nationality, asylum and appeals. You&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll gain the skills required to use the UK’s Immigration Rules, identify relevant immigration routes, provide advice, interview clients, make immigration applications for clients and how to work in an ethical and professional manner.

This course has been developed through a unique partnership between 快猫视频 and HJT Training professionals who are sector leading specialists in immigration law and practice.

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Standalone study only

You will not be awarded credits for studying this course. It is available for standalone study only and cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Short course

Short course code

WG001

Credits

This is a non-credit bearing course.

Study method

Distance Learning

Short course cost

See Registration

Entry requirements

See Entry requirements
Course details Entry requirements Registration Study materials

What you will study

There are 15 units in which you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll explore key aspects of the IAA Level 1 syllabus and competencies. Each unit contains self-assessed activities designed to develop both knowledge and skills, to provide points for reflection on progress and to enable you to assess your own progress.

The course provides an opportunity for you to develop highly sought-after legal skills and offers advice and guidance on examination preparation alongside practical exercises. You&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll explore and learn about aspects of the UK’s Immigration Rules, including applications to leave to enter or remain in the UK, visitors to the UK, applications under Appendix FM and Private Life, Worker and Business applications, Protection and Human Rights Applications, Nationality Law, Administrative Reviews and Appeals.

There is also an opportunity for you to develop relevant casework skills, including legal problem-solving, communication, ensuring the use of the relevant Immigration Rules and managing changes to the law. You&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll learn and get to practice applying suitability and eligibility criteria, gathering evidence, choosing the appropriate rules and immigration route, interviewing clients, time management, letter drafting, identifying resources, and managing immigration applications appropriately and efficiently. Also considered are the features of ethical practice.

The course is designed to be studied flexibly and at a time of your choice. The teaching materials are delivered online through a course website with an online Immigration Law Manual, regular updates in the course news section and relevant IAA materials such as the Level 1 examination resource book. Access to regular updates forms part of your own skills development in keeping up to date with legal changes and the ability to research current Immigration Rules.

Please note that immigration law is a complex and fast-changing area. Therefore, the course content is updated annually. Emphasis throughout the course is placed on assisting you to develop the skills required to work with the Immigration Rules as they change and develop, to update your own knowledge and to work within a constantly changing and complex environment.

For individuals seeking to qualify as an IAA Level 1 adviser, you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll have a unique opportunity to explore and practice the knowledge and skills required by the IAA Level 1 examination. There are units that guide you through the examination process, with reference to the IAA Level 1 online examination resources provided by the IAA.

You will learn

On successful completion of this CPD course, you will have gained knowledge of:

  • key areas of UK immigration law
  • the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) Level 1 syllabus and required competencies
  • the permitted work of an IAA Level 1 Immigration Adviser
  • personnel and terminology relating to immigration law
  • the role of the IAA
  • IAA examination resources.

You will also have developed several legal, practical, and professional skills including those relevant to:

  • practise as a Level 1 IAA Immigration Adviser
  • working with the Immigration Rules
  • working with clients
  • the IAA Level 1 examination
  • becoming an IAA Level 1 qualified adviser.

Vocational relevance

This course is designed to assist you to qualify as an IAA Level 1 Immigration Advisor by exploring aspects of the knowledge and skills required in this role and provide opportunities to practise important examination skills. Its design has been informed by the requirements of the IAA.

Professional recognition

The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) sets entry requirements, examination dates and is the assessor of the Level 1 examination papers. Further information about these can be found on the IAA website.  

Learner support

This course is designed for independent study. Other support is available via StudentHome, the computing helpdesk and by contacting OU-immigration-courses@open.ac.uk.

Work-based activity

The course has activities to develop your knowledge and skills, to assess your progress and to reflect on your studies. The activities generally have feedback sections. The course has no formal assessments. To gain a certificate of completion you must complete all the consolidation activities. The course explores examination skills and provides opportunities for examination practise and self-assess whether you meet the Level 1 knowledge and competency requirements set by IAA. If you are intending to apply to practice as an IAA Level 1 Adviser, please read the following paragraph.

For those studying as part of their preparation for becoming an IAA Level 1 Adviser

The syllabus, competencies, and examination for IAA Level 1 practice are set by the IAA. The IAA sets the examination dates, examination entry requirements and registration requirements. The IAA provides an examination resources booklet. You need be familiar with all of these before applying to sit and then when sitting the examination. The IAA also sets the application criteria which applicants for IAA Level 1 must meet (in addition to passing the IAA Level 1 examination).

You should contact the IAA directly to ensure your understanding of their requirements is correct before making your application to become an IAA Level 1 Immigration Adviser and applying to sit the Level 1 examination.

Please note the law on which the IAA Level 1 examination is based is the law as set out in the relevant IAA Level 1 exam resource book. This may not reflect the law at the time of the examination. More details can be found on the IAA website.

Regulations

As a student of 快猫视频, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our website.


Entry requirements

This course assumes some knowledge of the UK’s legal system and law-making processes. If you are new to the study of law and immigration law, or want to refresh your knowledge, is a free 15 hour course designed to prepare you for the Foundations of UK immigration law (IAA Level 1).

Course length

This course should take approximately 60 hours of study depending on your familiarity with immigration law and practice. It has been carefully designed to allow you to work at your own pace and with the flexibility to study at the times that suit you. Completing the course in a more intensive period is possible but you will benefit more if you take your time to complete all the activities, the course reading in the associated online Immigration Law Manual (prepared by our partner institution and referred to as the Course Reader) and the consolidation activities.

The course is open for registration from January to December. You can register and begin your studies at any time during the life of this course. Depending on the date you register, you have a maximum of 18 months and a minimum of six months to complete your studies (this includes the unit activities and consolidation activities). If you feel six months may be insufficient time for you to complete the course, you can register in the following January.

You&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll have access to the course for six months after registration closes in December. Following this you have access to a read only version of the course for three years.

Preparatory work

As the course builds on the free Open University OpenLearn resource  we recommend looking at this before you start. 

Register

Start End England fee Register
At anytime before registration end date Jun 2026 - see Entry requirements for more detail 拢249.00

Registration closes 31/12/2025

Ways to pay

Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Sponsorship – If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.

The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;s fee policy, visit our .

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ve started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;re unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;t worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;ll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

The course is delivered entirely online through a website specifically designed to support you as you study. You&/courses/short-courses/wg001/39;l  have access to an online Immigration Law Manual. This important resource is provided as an integral part of your learning. The Immigration Law Manual (referred to as the Course Reader) is updated annually by our partner, HJT, a sector leading specialist in UK immigration law (some of whose lawyers you will hear from in course videos). The course website has regular updates covering the latest immigration law news and you will be invited to bi-annual online webinars.

Each unit is designed for interactive study with activities and links to other relevant materials. There are opportunities for self-reflection, assessment of your own progress and the Learning Outcomes are things you should be able to do on completion of the unit. Several of the units have audio and video resources.

On completion of your studies you can obtain a certificate of completion as evidence of your studies. To gain this certificate you must attempt the consolidation activities. If you are seeking to qualify as a Level 1 IAA Advisor this will assist you in providing evidence as part of the IAA Level 1 application process.    

Computing requirements

  • Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
  • Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
  • Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
  • Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
  • Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
  • Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to about support which can be given to meet your needs.

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying WG001 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.