Hi, my name is Laura, and I am an Administrative Officer for the Civil Penalty Compliance team within Immigration Enforcement.
My role is very varied, and I help manage the process around civil penalties, which are fines issued to employers or landlords who breach immigration laws. I support caseworkers – who are responsible for reviewing and making decisions on immigration related cases. I do this by processing objections, updating penalty records, and ensuring all correspondence is handled and shared with caseworkers efficiently. It’s rewarding to know that my work helps uphold the integrity of the UK’s immigration system. And all this variety keeps the job interesting.
I joined the Home Office in May 2025 and am currently undertaking training. The training has been an exciting part of my development, helping me understand different roles in the Home Office and how my contribution supports the overall mission to keep UK safe and secure. I have enjoyed learning different aspects of my role and building my confidence to support decision making. It’s a supportive environment where the whole team tackles issues together and comes up with solutions.
I was actually inspired to join the Home Office after reading staff stories on the Home Office Careers website. I was motivated when hearing how many people felt happy coming to work, how the Home Office invested in its people and the opportunities for progression, including outside of your own team.
After leaving school, I went to university to do my degree in Education and then undertook a Postgraduate Certificate in Education to become a qualified teacher. However, I decided I wanted to switch career and learn new skills. I knew I wanted a role where I could make a difference and contribute to wider society. That’s how I found my way to the Home Office Immigration careers page – which sparked my interest further.
I have loved my first few months at the Home Office and no two days have been the same. One day I may be dealing with customer enquiries; another day I may be assisting caseworkers or inputting information into various complex systems, which has helped me gain a good understanding of the important work we do.
Often in my role we are the starting point for a civil penalty case, and it is vital we ensure information is processed accurately, at pace and that we also monitor for updates from caseworkers and external stakeholders.
One of the many positives of the role is flexibility. I work compressed, flexible working hours. This means I work my full-time hours over four days instead of five giving me a full day off each week. Alongside this, I work in the office and from home. This is great for when I have appointments, and I can fit my personal needs around my work. I also really appreciate that I always feel I can speak to my manager about any concerns and that I will be listened to.
The biggest benefit of working in the Home Office for me is the opportunity for progression and the staff investment. Even though I have only been here a short period of time I have already had a progression meeting, discussing what I want to get from my career. There are lots of opportunities to shadow colleagues in different positions to learn what is of interest. This is something I want to do in the near future to support my career progression aspirations.
If you are pondering whether to apply for a career in the Home Office, I would say go for it. I’m glad I made the move. It’s been a rewarding and exciting start to a new chapter. This is the most supportive workforce I have worked in. The work is varied so you will feel challenged, but the work is also achievable and not overwhelming. The opportunities for career progression make it a great place to work whether you’re starting your career in the public sector or looking for change and growth.
