I’m a Visas & Citizenship Officer in the Home Office, joining the Home Office in July 2017.
On an average day I’m given a list of visa applications, I work through these assessing the visas and making decisions where possible, requesting additional information or checks when required. Most cases require me to simply check the Certificate of sponsorship and the documents the applicant has submitted to then decide if they meet the rules. If I – or another colleague – have concerns about an application, I might have to dig deeper by checking if I need to read any reports and factor their contents in, looking more closely at the sponsor, or checking if the applicant needs to provide more information.
I enjoy the analytical nature of the work I do, and it’s genuinely nice to know that sometimes you are able to change people’s lives in a positive way. It’s also good to know that the Home office offers both stability and job security, as well as opportunities for personal and professional development.
I honestly don’t think I had even considered working as a civil servant before I got this job as I had a very outdated idea of who – and what – a civil servant was. In reality, the Civil Service – and the Home Office in particular – is a really diverse and interesting place to work. I work with a great group of people doing a job that has an actual impact in the world and allows me to do something genuinely important and helpful.
