To join the ISU, please print and complete an ISU application form and Direct Debit form. We will require both forms to be completed with a handwritten signature. All forms must be sent to ISU HQ by post. We cannot accept forms by fax or email. Once received, we will process your application and place a welcome pack in the post to you which will include an ISU pocket diary, membership card and welcome letter.

You have the right to join any Trade Union you wish to; but many employers, including the Home Office, will only speak to certain Trade Unions for things like Pay Negotiations.

The ISU formally negotiate pay, terms and conditions for grades AO to SO within Border Force, Enforcement and UKVI. However, we represent the needs and interests of any member regardless of their grade and employer. 

We also have a number of members who are at different grades or who work in different areas, or indeed other Government departments. For those members we cannot participate in formal collective bargaining processes but can otherwise offer the full range of membership benefits and services, including personal representation. We frequently represent members in many different locations and roles and will happily support members wherever they might be

ISU membership is £14.00 per month for all grades. We do not have part-time rates or a sliding scale system for payments. All our membership benefits are available to all members equally, there is no restriction on services because of the rate you pay. 

If you are already a member of the ISU and paying at an incorrect rate, this can affect the services available to you from the ISU as you will not be a fully paying member of the ISU. If you have any questions please contact HQ.

ISU subscription payments are deducted from your account by Direct Debit on the first of each month, or the nearest working day, if this falls on a weekend or bank holiday.

We require a hand written signature on the Direct Debit form part of your application as, once processed at HQ, they will be sent to the bank for processing who will only accept the original hand signed form.

Banks can take up to two weeks to process Direct Debit forms, so there is a two week cut off date each month. This means that a member who sends in application form after the cut off date will not make a subscription payment until the first of the next month. e.g if the cut off date for April is the 14th of the month, all members who have applied to join after this date will make their first subscription payment on 1st June.

You will become a member of the ISU from the day that your application is processed at HQ. This covers you for basic membership benefits until you make your first subscription payment. You must be a fully paying member to qualify for assistance.

The ISU do not guarantee assistance with personal representation with an incident that predates ISU membership. Union membership is like an insurance scheme, you cannot claim for an incident that has happened before the scheme was taken out.

If are requesting immediate assistance, this MUST be disclosed either before or with your application and full details must be provided. Your request will then be placed before the General Secretary and Head of Personal Casework for consideration.

To qualify for any financial ISU benefits i.e. SDA/AHW/AAA payments, personal accident claims, members must have made full subscription payments for a minimum of 6 months before being eligible to claim.

Please contact HQ if you wish to change or update your account details.  We can advise you on how to make the switch and have as little disruption as possible to your monthly payments. The process of changing your account details may vary depending on the way you pay your monthly subscription payments. 

If you wish to cancel your ISU membership, please contact HQ.

We can advise the best course of action for cancelling your membership.  This may not be straightforward depending on your circumstances for cancelling your membership and your payment method.

Members leave for different reasons and we would like to help you from start to finish with your ISU membership.  This will also speed up your cancellation process.