Immigration officer

Immigration officers and assistant officers make sure that people are eligible to enter the country under immigration rules. They check documents such as passports and work permits, and conduct interviews. They identify people already in the UK illegally and arrange for their removal.

Work activities

Immigration officers and assistant officers maintain a secure border at seaports and airports around the country, at the Channel Tunnel and international rail stations. They stop people from bringing in illegal items, which might be dangerous (like offensive weapons or drugs) or obscene, items that are banned for health reasons, such as meat products or plants from certain countries, or illegally copied goods such as fake designer items or pirated DVDs.

They deal with the arrival of passengers who want to enter the UK, checking that the passengers qualify to enter the country under immigration rules. They scan and inspect passengers’ passports and check documents such as visas, work permits and ID cards, making sure they are valid. They might also take or check fingerprints and other biometric information using technology such as iris recognition. Some officers control e-passport gates.

Sometimes, an immigration officer will interview a person in more detail. They might need to call in an interpreter if the person does not speak English. They might decide to conduct an interview because they have identified a passenger as seeking employment without a valid work permit under the points-based system, or because they suspect that the passenger has a forged passport. Immigration officers check the details that the passenger has given them, for example, they might contact hotels, employers, relatives or sponsors. They might search the passenger and their luggage to look for clues that indicate how long the person intends to stay in the UK. If a person is not qualified to stay in the UK, the immigration officer consults with a senior officer before giving the passenger written notice of the decision. They explain the reasons for the decision to the passenger. They must then make arrangements for the passenger’s departure. They manage caseloads, keep records and write reports.

Immigration frontline officers wear a uniform. Some immigration officers, who work in the law enforcement division, go with the police or in small teams to carry out surveillance, search premises and interview people who are suspected of being in the country without permission, or of working in the UK illegally. They can raid workplaces, inspect workers’ documents and arrest suspects. If they find people working or staying in the UK illegally, they arrange for them to go to a detention centre and then to leave the country. They also take legal action against the employers. Specialist staff work overseas on anti-smuggling programmes, as well as on board anti-smuggling patrol boats (called cutters) and in international parcel and post depots.

Personal qualities and skills

As an immigration officer, you’ll need:

To be observant, with practical common sense and sensitivity.
Good judgement.
To be able to manage difficult situations.
Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
To have an enquiring mind.
Problem-solving skills.
To be firm but fair, with the ability to make quick, objective and sensible decisions based on brief interviews.
To pay attention to detail and be able to work under pressure.
Planning skills.
To enjoy overcoming obstacles.
To be flexible and able to adapt to varied working situations.
To be tactful and have a calm, patient and polite manner.
Good written communication skills.
To be able to analyse and organise information.
To enjoy working with technology.
To be able to keep accurate records.
A full UK driving licence.
Number skills.
A wide knowledge of current affairs, especially of events and laws that affect immigration policy.
The potential to motivate staff and work as part of a team.
To be committed to continuous improvement.
A high level of fitness.
Knowledge of, or the ability to learn, foreign languages is desirable.

Pay and opportunities

Salaries vary depending on role and responsibilities. The pay rates given are approximate. Immigration officers start on around £21,500, rising to £36,000 with experience.

Immigration officers are required to work shifts, evenings and weekends depending on their duties. The number of hours worked each week might vary according to the needs of the service. Shift hours could change from day to day. Part-time work is available, working full shifts over a reduced number of days each week. Entry to become an immigration officer/immigration assistant officer is very competitive.

Immigration officers and assistant officers are civil servants who work for the Home Office. There are large offices in Croydon, Liverpool and Sheffield and smaller ones around the country. Several thousand frontline staff work at airports and seaports nationwide, ranging from Heathrow, Gatwick and Dover to other smaller locations throughout the country, plus international rail stations. Specialist staff work overseas on anti-smuggling programmes, as well as on board anti-smuggling patrol boats (called cutters) and in international parcel and post depots. Some officers work on secondment to British diplomatic posts or in other jobs overseas.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website, in local/national newspapers, on the Government’s Find a Job service. Vacancies for the Civil Service General Fast Stream are posted for online application on the Civil Service website, generally between September and November each year for a start date the following year.

Entry routes and training

You must be a UK national (or meet other Civil Service nationality requirements) with no restrictions on your stay in the UK. You should have lived in the UK continuously for at least five years. After completing an online application form and passing online tests, selection is through an assessment centre where candidates could be tested on things like judgement, conflict management, communication skills and awareness of diversity and equal opportunities. This is followed by a competency-based interview. You will need to gain security clearance and you might need to pass a medical examination as part of a personal safety, arrest and restraint techniques training course. You will need a full UK driving licence.

Immigration officers can progress to senior officer and manager posts after further training and experience.

It is possible to enter this role at the lower level by undertaking a level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship as a public service operational delivery officer, if they are offered by the Home Office.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Working as an authorised search officer is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

Applicants for immigration officer posts usually need two A-levels or a degree. You will need a full UK driving licence.

For entry to a degree course in any subject, the usual minimum requirement is:

Two to three A-levels
GCSEs at grades 9-4 in two to three other subjects.

Alternatives to A levels include:

Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications.
International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, course requirements vary so check prospectuses carefully.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Candidates without the required qualifications might be able to take a written test to make sure that they have a reasonable standard of literacy and numeracy.

If you don’t have the usual qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree course, a college or university Access course could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

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