Immigration Officer

Typical Salary

£21,500 To £36,000

Typical Hours

41 to 43 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Immigration Officer

You can get into this job through:

a college course
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You could do a college course which would teach you some of the skills needed in this role. After you finish your course you could apply for a trainee immigration officer post.

Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Public Services

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

You could join the Civil Service as an assistant immigration officer. Once working, you could apply for a post as an immigration officer when vacancies become avialable.

You could apply directly for immigration officer jobs with the Civil Service. The qualifications and experience you'll need will depend on the exact job you're applying for, but you’ll usually find it useful to have:

2 A levels at grade C or above
a degree for some jobs
customer service skills
the ability to speak another language

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

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 carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

You'll check visitors to the UK are allowed to enter and entitled to stay. You may:

watch people and check passports 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
collect statistics
write reports

Working Environment

You could work at an airport, at a border post or at a port.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding and you'll travel often.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could become a chief immigration officer or higher executive officer in the Civil Service.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find more details about working as an immigration officer from Civil Service Careers and UK Visas and Immigration.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

be over 18 years of age
be a UK citizen
pass security checks
pass enhanced background checks
pass a medical check
have a full driving licence