UK pauses foreign lawyer applications amid surge from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan

Britain has temporarily stopped new applications from foreign lawyers seeking to qualify as barristers in England and Wales, following a sharp rise in applications from professionals in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, The Telegraph reported.

The Bar Standards Board (BSB), which regulates barristers in England and Wales, has paused its Transferring Qualified Lawyer (TQL) scheme to tackle a growing backlog of applications.

Under the new arrangement, overseas lawyers will generally be unable to submit new TQL applications unless they have already secured a position at an authorised barristers’ chambers in Britain.

Lawyers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan now account for more than half of all TQL applications, according to the report.

The number of applications has nearly doubled in three years, rising from 325 in 2021-22 to 634 in 2024-25. The increase has contributed to delays in processing applications, with the BSB also saying overseas candidates were more likely to challenge decisions.

The regulator has raised concerns that some applicants may have no intention of practising as barristers in Britain and instead continue working in their home countries after obtaining the qualification.

“We need to make changes to our processes and rules to ensure the system is more focused on those who will practise in the jurisdiction,” BSB director general Phil Golding said.

The move follows previous concerns over malpractice in British legal examinations. In 2023, the BSB barred candidates in Bangladesh and Pakistan from taking online exams after raising concerns about cheating.

The regulator subsequently suspended all online exams for overseas candidates in 2024, requiring them to sit examinations in person at approved examination centres.

The BSB said it remains unclear why applications from the Indian subcontinent have risen so sharply, particularly among lawyers who ultimately do not practise in the UK.

Some law schools have promoted dual legal qualifications as a way for lawyers to strengthen their CVs even when they intend to continue practising in their home countries.

The Bar Council also sponsors visas for foreign barristers who secure pupillage or positions at British chambers.