• Air Traffic Control Assistant
• Air Traffic Controller
• Air Traffic Engineer
• Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
• Aircraft Refueller
• Airfield Operations
• Airline Pilot
• Airport Cleaner
• Aviation Security Officers
• Baggage Handler
• Cabin Crew
• Cargo Agent
• Customs and Excise Officers
• Firefighter
• Immigration Officers
• Information Desk Assistants
• Passenger Service Agents (check-in)
• Retail Sales Assistants
• Terminal Duty Manager
• Working at Airports

Immigration Officer

The Work

The Immigration Service is part of the Home Office and is responsible for ensuring that only legitimate travellers, with appropriate documentation enter the UK.

The Service operates the passport control desks for passengers arriving from overseas and occasionally checks departing passengers too.

Where necessary Immigration Officers will conduct interviews at passport control and refer the individual case to a more senior officer as required.

Immigration Officers are on a 'mobile grade' which means they can be moved to where they are needed. For example, Immigration Officers working in regional airports are often required to undertake their duties at other airports.

The post requires Officers to work shifts, including nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Entry Requirements

Entry is usually at graduate level with a degree in any discipline, but it is possible to transfer to the post from the mainstream of the Civil Service at Executive Officer (EO) level.

• Minimum requirements for EO are 2 A Levels.
• Alternatively entry is possible through the Assistant Immigration Officer grade
• Entrants require a minimum of 4/5 GCSEs at A-C. Most employed are of A Level ability.
• Other applicants with relevant knowledge of working with people from overseas are looked on favourably.
• Candidates for the post of Immigration Officer will be required to complete a competency based application form, on successful completion you will then be required to sit a written selection test.
• Immigration Officer posts are only open to UK Nationals and you should normally have been resident in the UK for 3 years preceding your application.
• You will need to pass a full and strict criminal record check.

Skills and Personal Attributes

• Team working
• Observant
• Good Listener
• Fluent in English
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Language skills
• A strong commitment to equal opportunities
• Open minded
• Confident

Opportunities

The service deals with over 90 million passengers each year - a substantial proportion of these being at airports.

This number requires a consistent number of recruits. Graduates with a first or second class degree under the age of 41 may also be eligible for the fast track graduate entry programme.

More information can be found on the website www.faststream.gov.uk.

After working as an Immigration Officer there is the opportunity of promotion earned on merit to Chief Immigration Officer and then to Inspector.

There are also opportunities to be posted abroad and to work with police officers in the community.

Training

There is an intial 6 week intensive training programme followed by a 6 month probationary period. Training will be ongoing to meet the needs of the job.

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