Regional Officers
Employer: Immigration Advice Authority - Civil Service vacancy
Location: IAA has no permanent offices. All staff are based at their home address with regular face to face meetings of teams, and the whole organisation usually every two months, at appropriate venues;
The jobholder will be based at their home address which must be within the United Kingdom. It is desirable to live in the region that you work.
Occasional Travel across the United Kingdom to attend in person team and office meetings will be required.
Working hours: Most of the roles available are full time, permanent roles, we also have a part-time fixed term maternity cover post available, working approximately 3-4 days a week.
Salary: The starting salary for the role is £40,162 per annum, increasing to £42,706 after successfully completing a 6 month probation period.
Closing date: Apply before 5 pm on Wednesday 23rd July 2025
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Location
Remote working (anywhere in the UK)
About the job
Job summary
Job summary
Those seeking immigration advice and services are often among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society. The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) is an Arm’s Length Body of the Home Office. We regulate the work of registered Immigration Advisers and tackle the illegal advice-giving activities of criminals that often exploit vulnerable and disadvantaged migrants and threaten the integrity of the immigration system.
We are recruiting for a number of Regional Officers who undertake our regulatory and enforcement work. Whilst they have a hybrid role, regional officers typically specialise in regulatory or enforcement activities. The IAA are looking for individuals for each specialism. In addition all our regional officers undertake engagement work with the immigration advice sector and other local stakeholders within regional areas.
These roles are being advertised at an exciting time for the organisation, as we look to put a growing focus on our enforcement work against illegal advisers, as well as strengthening our regulatory approach.
Most of the roles available are full time, permanent roles, we also have a part-time fixed term maternity cover post available, working approximately 3-4 days a week.
Job description
Key Responsibilities:
Individual responsibilities will be allocated by the Regional Operations Manager in line with the individual’s skills and experience and regional priorities.
Regulatory work: Quality advice is provided to advice seekers through well informed, highly regarded, professional immigration advisers with poor quality advice provision identified and addressed.
Consider and investigate complex applications for registration and continued registration, where there may be issues with fitness or competence, and liaising with the applicant organisation where required.
Approve or make recommendations to refuse complex applications and issue decisions.
Defend decisions, including representing the organisation in appeals or charges at the Immigration Service Tribunal.
Plan and carry out audits of registered organisations to ensure they are providing good quality immigration advice and services.
Investigate complaints against regulated organisation, gathering evidence to determine if a breach of the Code of Standards has occurred and taking appropriate regulatory action.
Produce identified issues reports, taking any necessary follow up action, including recommendations for regulatory action including cancelling from the organisation’s scheme where organisations are considered to be unfit or incompetent.
Providing support to regulated organisations to encourage high standards of compliance and development.
Enforcement work: Illegal, unregistered advice-giving is identified and disrupted.
Investigate unlawful advisers based on complaints or intelligence received including gathering evidence, conducting investigative interviews and ensuring compliance with legal provisions applicable to criminal investigations and disclosure.
Identify and take forward the most appropriate disruption technique for the activity, including desk-based activities (e.g. warning letters, cautions) and Court actions such as injunctions and prosecutions.
Applying for and executing search warrants.
Make a determination on investigations and make recommendations for appropriate next steps.
Undertake interviews, under caution, with suspects.
Where appropriate, prepare a case for criminal prosecution and if progressed represent the organisation at the criminal courts, working with prosecution solicitors and Counsel as needed.
Liaising with witnesses, including before, during and after trial.
Extensive liaison with regional partners, for example the other regulators, local Police forces and Immigration Enforcement to collect evidence and undertake enforcement activities.
Engagement work: Encourage and support immigration advice networks through understanding local advice needs and engaging with regional stakeholders
Assist with the delivery of regional engagement plans to increase knowledge of both legal and illegal advice provision in each regional area.
Representing the organisation at stakeholder events and working with migrant communities to raise awareness of legal and illegal advice provision.
Support applicant organisations within the regions seeking or considering registration.
Support complainants and victims through the complaints and sanctioning processes including signposting to support agencies.
Identifying and understanding advice seeker needs and issues within the region.
Other Responsibilities
Make full use of our case management system in all regulation and enforcement activities.
Contribute to the wider business plan objectives of the organisation, supporting team priorities and upholding organisational values and behaviours.
Undertaking any other work that is reasonably expected by the organisation.
Person specification
We are looking for positive, proactive and enthusiastic individuals who are motivated by the organisation’s mission of putting the advice seeker at the heart of what we do. We value individuals who go above and beyond and can work within and across team boundaries to make a positive difference.
The selection criteria for the role will be different for those with a regulatory background and those with an enforcement background. When completing your application please ensure that you explain how you meet the criteria relevant to your background, completing the appropriate application form.
For those with a specialism in regulation:
Essential Criteria:
Knowledge of UK immigration law, advice and practice; Or Practical experience in regulatory compliance.
Experience of investigating, collating, analysing, and communicating complex information, orally and in writing.
Experience of engaging effectively with customers, stakeholders, and partners.
Ability and experience of working to challenging targets and managing a diverse caseload.
Desirable Criteria:
Criminal prosecution experience, with a working knowledge of PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) and CPIA (Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996) and/or understanding or experience with RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000) and/or the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is beneficial.
Experience of working for a government body, regulatory body, ombudsman, or law enforcement agency.
Experience of auditing or conducting field investigations, either desk-based or in the field and/or experience in complaint investigation.
Experience in financial auditing or forensic accounting is an advantage, with experience or qualifications in financial investigations, such as ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) certification.
Experience of defending corporate decisions at Tribunal, giving evidence as a witness for your organisation, or experience in criminal prosecutions.
Experience of making presentations to a variety of audiences.
Experience of working remotely from home, with national travel to meetings and other events.
Experience of working in an enforcement capacity
Competencies Required:
Delivering at Pace.
Making Effective Decisions.
Communicating and Influencing.
Managing a Quality Service.
Working Together.
If a high volume of applications are received, we reserve the right to select for interview on the basis of the lead competency, which is Making Effective Decisions.
For those with a specialism in enforcement.
Essential Criteria:
Criminal prosecution experience, with a working knowledge of PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) and CPIA (Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996)
Experience of investigating, collating, analysing, and communicating complex information, orally and in writing.
Experience of engaging effectively with customers, stakeholders, and partners.
Ability and experience of working to challenging targets and managing a diverse caseload.
Desirable Criteria:
Knowledge of UK immigration law, advice and practice.
Experience of working for a government body, regulatory body, ombudsman, or law enforcement agency.
Experience of auditing or conducting field investigations, either desk-based or in the field and/or experience of complaint investigation.
An understanding or experience with RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000) and/or the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is beneficial.
Experience in financial auditing or forensic accounting is an advantage, with experience or qualifications in financial investigations, such as ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) certification.
Experience of defending corporate decisions at Tribunal, giving evidence as a witness for your organisation.
Experience of making presentations to a variety of audiences.
Experience of working remotely from home, with national travel to meetings and other events.
Experience of working in a regulatory capacity
Competencies Required:
Delivering at Pace.
Making Effective Decisions.
Communicating and Influencing.
Managing a Quality Service.
Working Together.
Please state how you meet the above competencies in your supporting statement.
If a high volume of applications are received, we reserve the right to select for interview on the basis of the lead competency, which is Making Effective Decisions.
Location - applicable to both roles:
IAA has no permanent offices. All staff are based at their home address with regular face to face meetings of teams, and the whole organisation usually every two months, at appropriate venues;
The jobholder will be based at their home address which must be within the United Kingdom. It is desirable to live in the region that you work.
Occasional Travel across the United Kingdom to attend in person team and office meetings will be required.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £40,162, Immigration Advice Authority contributes £11,634 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
An information pack on the IAA is attached to this advertisement.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply for this role please send your CV and an application form relevant to the role you are applying for i.e enforcement or a regulatory role, application forms attached below, regional maps are included in the recruitment pack. Team at recruitment@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk
These must be received by the HR team by 5pm on 23rd July 2025
Additionally, you are invited to complete an Equality and Diversity Questionnaire. This is to assist the IAA in ensuring its recruitment processes are fair to all. The questionnaire is not seen by anyone involved in the selection process. Completing the questionnaire is not mandatory but if you wish to do so, it should be sent in a separate email to: Kelly.Percival@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk
The proposed timetable for selecting a successful candidate is set out below. Candidates must be available for all interview dates:
Shortlisting completed and successful candidates invited to interview 30th July 2025
Interviews held 4th – 7th August 2025 online using Teams. Candidates must be available on all dates.
Candidates informed of interview outcomes by 9th August 2025.
Please note: If you have not received a response to your application by 31st July 2025 unfortunately you been successful and your application will not progress any further. Feedback will only be given to candidates who attend interview.
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