Border Force and immigration
Research careers and find opportunities in the Border Force and immigration
About
Careers in border forces and immigration are open to graduates from any degree discipline. Degree subjects in languages, legal studies, business or finance may be helpful.
Border Force officers work in UK airports and ports checking arrivals and imported goods. You could specialise in an area such as forgery detection, safeguarding, mobile response or commodity search teams.
Immigration officers work with the Border Force. They monitor people entering the UK and make decisions on entitlement to stay.
According to statistics from the Home Office, around 10,000 people work in Border Force. Most people work in frontline roles in airports and seaports across the UK and overseas. You could be based in one location or work across a number of ports or other locations.
Job profiles
Have a look at the National Careers Service and Prospects to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:
Salaries
According to the National Careers Service, a starting salary for an immigration officer is £21,500, rising to £36,000 with experience.
Starting salary for a Border Force officer is £21,400, rising to £31,500 with experience.
Inspiration from people working in the industry
- browse our NCL Graduate Employment Outcomes directory. See examples of what our graduates were doing 15 months after their studies
- use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13]
- search our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank
- attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates
- sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting
- attend events, including recruitment events and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions
Online reviews
Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.
Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:
- RateMyPlacement placement year reviews written by students.
- The Job Crowd – graduate job reviews
- Glassdoor – company reviews from employees
Not sure what you want to do?
If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.
Attend events
Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry. The Civil Service regularly host on and off campus information events for students and graduates.
See our events page for upcoming events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights.
Social media
Use social media to find industry insights
Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.
Find out more about how to use social media for your career.
Guide to finding opportunities
There are a wide range of options for gaining related experience for the Border Forces and immigration.
You could apply for advertised work experience and graduate opportunities. Voluntary experience is also available. You could contact central or government departments directly to ask about opportunities.
There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.
- search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
- look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities
- use Researching employers to help you gain insights into companies
- attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights
- contact employers speculatively – see to help you find organisations to approach
- follow companies on Social Media for latest news and updates
- consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
- register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners
- consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
- create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance
Advertised work experience
Placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students.
Some advertised internship opportunities are available in the Home Office. Internship opportunities are usually aimed at students from diverse backgrounds and criteria apply. For more information see the Home Office Careers website.
Work experience in the following settings and areas could also be useful for gaining relevant skills and experience:
- security and protection
- administration and customer service
- local or central government
- sea ports
- airports
Work experience in the armed forces or police and emergency services is useful. Some advertised internships are available. See our Explore Occupations pages for more information.
Search for internships and placement years
Use our resources to get started:
- MyCareer - search for internships and placements in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
- Internships, placements & shadowing - links to vacancy sites
- Global work experience - for internships or placements abroad
NCL internships
The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.
Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.
You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.
Worldwide experience
Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:
- additional vacancy websites
- CV, application and interview advice
- advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Looking for ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.
Advertised graduate opportunities
You can apply for job vacancies at:
It is possible to enter through the Civil Service Fast Stream route. This involves placements in several departments, but an immigration posting is not guaranteed.
When to apply
For the Civil Service Fast Stream applications typically open and close in October.
Graduate jobs in the Civil Service tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.
Non-advertised work experience
Not all work experience is advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through networking and making contacts.
A speculative approach is common for finding work experience. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.
How to access hidden opportunities
Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:
- Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
- Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
- Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
- If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
How to find organisations
- find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
- use the business directories and databases on our page
- search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working
- browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide.
UK organisations
- see Working for the Civil Service. There is a list of government departments for contact details.
- targetjobs - search employers by sector
Other ways to gain relevant experience
We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.
- complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships
- sign up for free online courses to develop new skills such as short law courses offered by Future Learn
- attend events and network to make contacts and connections
- enter an competition - prizes can often include internships
- volunteer. See Volunteering for more opportunities
Work for yourself
Working as self-employed or freelance is not common in the Border Forces or immigration. However, you could gain related skills and experience from self-employment that could support you.
Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:
- support with idea generation
- provide tailored advice
- help you develop your skills
- introduce you to like-minded peers
- refer you to further support from mentors
- award grant funding up to £3,000