What is ILPA (Immigration Law Practitioners' Association)?

Updated

ILPA is the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association, a professional association and registered charity founded in 1984 by leading practitioners in the field. It serves lawyers and other practitioners working in immigration, asylum and nationality law, and its website (ilpa.org.uk) is the main entry point for its training programme, member resources, member forum and blog.

Who ILPA is for

ILPA's focus is the practitioner community rather than the general public. Its training programme covers "all aspects of immigration, asylum and nationality law," and its resources, forum and blog are aimed at people working in that field. If you are looking for personal advice on your own immigration case, ILPA's own materials are not framed as an advice service; the site is organised around professional training, member resources and sector commentary.

What the site offers

Section What it provides
ILPA Training A comprehensive training programme covering immigration, asylum and nationality law
ILPA Resources A large online archive of resources plus regular updates on news and developments, available to members
ILPA Member Forum An online community space where members post questions and share expertise
ILPA Monthly Blog Insights and thought leadership from experts in the sector

The site also carries ILPA documents and statements, such as its response to the 24-week statutory timeframe for determining appeals in the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber, which it notes comes into force on 12 August 2026 for qualifying appeals lodged from that date.

Events and training

Upcoming events and training are listed on the homepage. Examples from the listing include the ILPA Sponsorship Law Conference, offered both in person (at Friends House) and online, both starting at 10:00 AM on Thursday 15 October, alongside other sessions such as an ILPA Courts and Tribunals event.

Membership and access

Some parts of the site are explicitly member-only: the resources archive and the member forum are described as available to members. The homepage links to a "Become a Member" page, which is where you would check current categories, fees and any eligibility conditions — the homepage itself does not state pricing.

Practical starting points

  • To understand the organisation's aims and background, use the "Who We Are" and "Objectives and History" links.
  • To browse training, go to the ILPA Training section or the upcoming events list.
  • To read sector analysis without joining, the monthly blog and ILPA documents are publicly listed on the homepage.
  • To search the wider collection, use "Search all resources."