Immigration officer
Immigration officers make decisions on whether people have the right to visit or stay in the UK.
Typical Salary
£28,000 – £34,000
per year
Working Hours
41–43
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As an immigration officer, you could:
- watch people and check documents and visas in passport control areas
- interview people to check they are entitled to stay
- arrange for people to go back to the country they came from
- organise places in holding centres, for example for people claiming asylum
- monitor people and gather information through surveillance work
- work on joint operations with police and Border Force officials
- visit and interview people who are suspected of not having the right to remain in the UK
Skills needed
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- knowledge of English language
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- excellent written communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
Career progression
With experience, you could become a senior immigration officer or manager in the Civil Service.