Checking and Advice Service Official-Sensitive

An Enhanced checking and advice service Why are we introducing new services? Ensuring that immigration status checks are conducted prior to an individual obtaining benefit or services is an essential part of ensuring illegal migrants cannot access public services to which they are not entitled, encounter a compliant environment which encourages voluntarily departure and limit the harm they cause to the taxpayer. As a Department, we already have a core offer of free (mainly online) guidance and checking services to private and public sector organisations. The majority of these extensive free services aim to provide a response within 2-5 working days. However, they do not always meet the needs of our customers. Over the last 18 months we have tested the benefits of placing Immigration Officials in a number of organisations. What was the role of the on-site Immigration Official? Conducting immigration status checks Training and assisting frontline staff Signposting individuals to the voluntary returns service These officials have delivered real benefits to our partners, including: Financial savings and projected cost savings Up-skilling partners to become better at making decisions on entitlement to services or benefits Enabling partners to charge for or deny services where appropriate Official-Sensitive

Checking and Advice Service: The Offer What services are available? How long will it take? How much? Standard Service Email Checking Services 5 days Free Online Guidance & Training Variable Enhanced Checking Service Telephone line Real-time 80p per minute On-site Immigration Official £58.20 per hour Bespoke training services Specific to requirements Variable according to number of delegates/length of session Official-Sensitive

Real time telephone-based immigration status checking service This is designed to give partner organisations the ability to conduct an instant immigration check. Partners will be able to call a dedicated team of highly knowledgeable and skilled immigration staff (who have access to relevant Home Office systems) between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday and request the immigration status of a person or persons. To date, the experiences of those organisations who have used this service has been positive with immigration status checks being completed, on average, within 7 to 8 minutes. Call to checking service Status check required by partner organisation Immigration staff provide immigration status information in real-time Partner makes informed decision Status check complete Official-Sensitive

An on-site Immigration Official This service can be tailored as required, but it centres on an Immigration official being located within an organisation and conducting the following core functions: providing immigration status checks and advice about those checks to support decision-making; supporting wider processes (for example attending interviews with staff) and process changes (helping to put new systems in place); and providing general immigration advice (for example on changes to legislation and policy). Legally in the UK – not entitled to support/services Legally in the UK Illegally present in the UK – not entitled to support/services Access to goods/services/ benefits/support considered by partner organisation Status check required by partner organisation Expedite any outstanding application where appropriate Ensure all relevant information is available to inform decision-making Meet/interview client Refer client to the voluntary returns service Apply other sanctions as appropriate Confirmation of status and advice provided by immigration official Official-Sensitive

Bespoke Immigration Training service Designed to enable partners to request a tailored face-to-face training session, or programme of sessions, from a trained member of Home Office staff. We envisage this service will be particularly useful where a partner organisation identifies a specific immigration knowledge gap and wishes to address it in a systematic manner. The training sessions provided are tailored with the length of the sessions and content designed to address each organisation’s particular needs. Official-Sensitive

Contact us If you are interested in any of these services, please contact the team: IEChecking&AdviceService@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Official-Sensitive