Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online Application form including the employment, educational details, behavioural and technical/ professional skills questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only with all the required details and the shortlisting is not basis CV/ cover letter. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Main purpose of job:

UKVI International Verification Support Team works closely with HOIO, Global Decision Making Hubs and Central Service Teams in the UK to deliver a world-class visa service that supports UK economic growth & prosperity and keeps the UK border safe & secure. 

We are seeking a flexible colleague who will work well in a busy IT-based office environment, who can deliver their work on time and to a high standard. You will need to be adaptable and show a willingness to undertake a variety of tasks. 

This role is embedded within the International Network and you will work closely with teams at post such as HOIO to tackle UK Visa abuse. You will also have the opportunity to work with and support colleagues tackling organised immigration crime, by enhancing visa decision quality through knowledge sharing and the identification of visa abuse.

You will need an eye for detail, a positive attitude, good communication skills and the ability to work as part of a busy and focused team. We also want you to enjoy working with us – so please bring your sense of fun too – and enjoy getting to know your new role and your new colleagues.

The successful candidate will be a self-starter who can successfully work in a small but busy team. They will have an inquisitive mind, strong administration ability and be a team player with excellent interpersonal and time-management skills. 

Due to the sensitive nature of this role, work will be routinely sampled for quality assurance by your Line Manager and audit checks carried out by the Integrity Team. The Successful Candidate must familiarise themselves with local guidance and integrity policies prior to carrying out the main responsibilities set out below. Training, including on Risk Management principles, will be provided.

We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.

Roles and responsibilities that a jobholder will be expected to achieve:

Enrichment activity: To deliver country specific enrichment activity by undertaking information enquiries with internal and external partners, undertaking document checks and conducting visa customer interviews – all within agreed priorities, deadlines and customer service-standards. Working closely with Enrichment Teams in Decision Making centres and helping support new tasking processes across VSI and Immigration Enforcement as applicable. Additional Enrichment activities include:

• Notifying UKVI Enrichment Teams and HOIO Colleagues of adverse outcomes for potential further investigation
• Updating all partners on new trends identified from verification activity by attending regular meetings with HOIO, regional teams and Visa Hubs for sharing best practices and local knowledge on enrichment activities.

Generating new enrichment capabilities: exploring new approaches to new or existing document checks, including smarter, more reliable and where possible digital options. Establishing new contacts to broaden existing capabilities. This may include working with the Visa Outreach Officer to strengthen UKVI’s verification capabilities in Pakistan.

Generating statistics/ Admin support: To generate monthly visa statistics and all other relevant administration/logistical support to the UKVI team. You will also provide additional admin and logistical support where required, to aid with the running of the office and contribute to the wider mission. 

Contributing to improved Decision Making: Work closely with existing Verification Support Officers Overseas to produce country context documents and document library to enhance decision making capabilities for those who process Pakistan casework. 

Operational Cover: Where required you will be asked to assist in tasks related to the Direct Visa Application Process

Translating: Translating documents into English (if appropriate).

Field visits: Where required, being able to work flexibly outside of the office to conduct in person enrichment and verification through field visits within Islamabad with travel outside the capital requiring post security authorisation. 

This is a demanding and challenging role, which is also rewarding. You will need to be resilient, proactive, flexible and be able to develop very strong relationships/partnerships at pace

The successful individual will:

• Be expected to work efficiently and at pace and respond flexibly to changing demands, prioritising, and managing the workload effectively.
• Complete written reports, verification checks to an excellent standard and meeting tight deadlines.
• Have the ability to show initiative in finding new ways to verify documents and log verification results
• Work as part of a growing team in Islamabad but make contributions towards achieving the objectives of a larger international team and work under pressure to meet challenging targets
• Be able to communicate well with others across the operation.
• Be confident speaking in public.

Working patterns:

Staff are required to take at least 30 minutes break per day. The 41hrs per week includes 30minute lunch break Monday to Thursday as per CBS Handbook. This role is office based, full-time Monday to Friday.

Learning and development opportunities:

Staff have access to a wide variety of online resources through the Diplomatic Academy and Civil Service Learning. Staff are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all the available opportunities. 
The job-holder will be required to take some specific training courses and be provided with other possible development opportunities related to their role.

All new staff undertake a workplace induction and there are a number of mandatory e-learning courses covering areas such as diversity, health and safety, and information management.

Essential on arrival:

• 1.5+ years relevant admin experience required
• education: must be a university graduate 
• An excellent command of English and Urdu (written and spoken). This will be tested at interview.
• Experience in Microsoft Office, accessing databases and web based applications
• The ability to produce informative reports using a wide range of sources and data analysis
• Work as part of a growing team in Islamabad but make contributions towards achieving the objectives of a larger international team and work under pressure to meet challenging targets
• A positive, can-do attitude with attention to detail

Language Requirements:

• Language: English, Urdu and Punjabi
• Level of language required:
  
  • English & Urdu : Expert in written & spoken skills 
  • Punjabi : Proficient in written & spoken skills