Hi, my name is Olu and I’m a Presenting Officer working in the Appeals, Litigation and Administrative Review team at the Home Office.
I’ve worked in this team for just over a year and chose to join the Home Office because I wanted a change of career.
I joined the Civil Service originally as a Universal Credit Case Manager with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and I later became a work coach. Following this, I joined the Fraud Investigation Service department of the HMRC. This role afforded me the chance to be involved in casework for the legal team that prosecutes those involved in tax fraud. I then became aware of the Presenting Officer role at the Home Office, which was a perfect fit for me and the type of role I’ve always had in mind.
The work of a Presenting Officer is very interesting, and with the support of experienced colleagues and senior caseworkers, I was able to adapt fully in this environment. I had one month of intense, informative training followed by a period of court mentoring tailored to my development pace. The learning is continuous as laws and background information regarding countries is updated frequently. These updates are simplified and shared with Presenting Officers regularly.
No two days are the same and although cases can be similar the facts and issues are often not. There is a preparation day before the actual hearing at the Immigration Tribunal to allow you to review the case and pick up the relevant issues, statutes and case laws to assist the immigration judge in making a decision.
On the court day, the case is heard by the judge, the Appellant and their representative and the Presenting Officer (representing the Secretary of State). If required, witnesses to the case will also be present, and an interpreter for non-English speaking Appellants. Sometimes, these parties may appear to hear the case via a video call depending on the circumstances.
As a Presenting Officer, I enjoy the continuous learning and coming into contact with many different people. For anyone who likes a challenge and enjoys working with a lot of new people, I would recommend this role.
