United Kingdom Immigration

The United Kingdom Immigration Service, also known as UKIS, was from 1906 to 2008 the distinctive operational arm of the UK Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) of the Home Office. It was responsible for the day to day administration of the United Kingdom’s Border control and the operation of in-country enforcement against immigration offenders such as illegal entrants and overstayers as well as prosecutions for various associated offences.

Organisation

The Border and Immigration Agency is now divided into regional structures with a Director in charge of each. Border security and internal law enforcement operations are managed by three Senior Directors, one with responsibility for external controls including overseas visa issuing posts, one with responsibility for UK Borders and one with responsibility for all internal immigration control including asylum, applications to remain and enforcement. These Senior Directors are members of ‘The Board’, the senior management group that runs the BIA. Although the term UK Immigration Service is still widely used to describe the operational arm of BIA the UK Immigration Service officially ceased to exist as a distinct entity when the former Immigration and Nationality Directorate was re-branded to become BIA and, although the above grades remain, they have no unifying command structure.

UKIS grades are/were reflective of the legislation that controls the immigration function that stipulates that the decision to refuse a person leave to enter the United Kingdom is taken by an Immigration Officer only with the authority of a Chief Immigration Officer or an HM Inspector (immigration inspector). The decision that a person inside the UK is in breach of immigration law and liable for administrative removal or deportation can be taken by an Immigration Officer or a caseworker of Executive Officer grade or above acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, with the authority of a Chief Immigration Officer or Higher Executive Officer. The removal of such offenders may only be enforced with the authority of an HM Inspector (immigration inspector) or Senior Executive Officer.

The full range of BIA warranted grades are

• Assistant Immigration Officer (equivalent to an Administrative Officer)
• Immigration Officer (Executive Officer)
• Chief Immigration Officer (Higher Executive Officer)
• HM Inspector (Senior Executive Officer)
• Assistant Director (Grade 7)
• Deputy Director (Grade 6)

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