PERN Legal and Info would like to invite you to apply for a £1300 scholarship to support you to qualify at IAA Level 2 (Asylum and Protection).
We are a small Cumbria-based legal and information advice centre regulated to Level 3 in Asylum and Protection with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA). We have a dedicated team of staff who work with clients across our offices in Carlisle and Barrow. Alongside this, we run weekly drop-ins supported by our amazing volunteers. We act in casework involving asylum claims, lodging appeals, family reunion, and asylum rights. We’re a friendly, multi-language team committed to empathy and support for vulnerable members of our society.
Throughout your scholarship we ask you to:
- Study for the IAA Level 2 Asylum and Protection examination, aiming to take the exam in February or May 2026.
- Volunteer for PERN – this could be remote interpreting and/or casework, or attending the weekly drop-in.
You should expect to do approximately 40 hours of studying. Time needed for study and revision will vary person by person.
We will support you with:
- Access to Refugee Action’s online learning materials.
- Access to Refugee Action’s 5-day virtual training course (capacity permitting)
- 1-to-1 study support with our experienced advisers, or group support alongside your fellow trainees.
It is likely that you will have studied at College or University level. If English is not your first language you will need to have a good standard of English but do not need to be perfect. You will start by completing your IAA Level 1 course, for which there is no exam. We can support you with this too.
The scholarship will be split into three equal payments – an initial payment, one part way through study, and one at completion of the IAA Level 2 exam. Some people may feel they do not need the financial scholarship but still wish to fully participate in the training. Please still apply – but let us know in your application that you wish to participate as a non-scholarship volunteer. Non-scholarship participants still receive free training, exam fees paid, and travel reimbursed. This would enable someone else to have the financial scholarship.
Once you are qualified you can continue to volunteer or seek to make a career as a professional immigration adviser. There may be jobs locally and there are many opportunities across the country.
To apply please send a CV and short covering letter to James by 23:59 on Monday 6th October 2025.
If you would like to discuss anything before applying, please do enquire at any time.
A special note to people with asylum seeker status:
You are welcome to apply for this scholarship and, if successful, you can fully participate in all the learning. We can assist you with access to technology for study but cannot pay you the scholarship award of £1300. You may not be able to take the exam, but we will make case by case applications to lift the restriction on asylum seekers taking the exam. We are sorry for these restrictions and hope that will not put you off studying.
