Senior Immigration Compliance Officer

Ref Number

B01-05584

Professional Expertise

Administration and Business Support

Department

Vice-President (Operations) (B01)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

£43,981-£52,586

Contract Type

Permanent

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

09-Jul-2026

About us

University College London (UCL) is one of the world's leading universities, recognised globally for its research excellence, innovation and commitment to making a positive impact on society. With a diverse community of over 50,000 students and 18,000 staff, UCL attracts exceptional talent from across the globe and is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where people can thrive.

The Professional Services Hub brings together key operational functions across HR, Finance, Estates and IT, delivering high-quality, customer-focused services that support the University's strategic ambitions. As international recruitment continues to play a vital role in UCL's success, our Immigration Compliance team is responsible for ensuring the University meets its sponsorship and wider immigration obligations while delivering an outstanding experience to colleagues and stakeholders.

About the role

We are seeking a knowledgeable and proactive Senior Immigration Compliance Officer to play a key role in safeguarding UCL's immigration compliance framework.

Reporting to the Staff Immigration Compliance Manager, you will act as a subject matter expert, supporting the delivery and continuous improvement of immigration compliance processes across the University. You will ensure that sponsorship activities, Right to Work checks, record-keeping requirements and reporting obligations are managed effectively and in accordance with UKVI regulations.

Working closely with HR colleagues, hiring managers and stakeholders across the institution, you will provide expert guidance on sponsorship routes, compliance requirements and emerging regulatory changes. You will also contribute to audit readiness, risk management, training delivery and process improvement initiatives, helping to ensure that UCL maintains the highest standards of compliance and operational excellence.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced immigration professional to join a highly collaborative team and make a meaningful impact within one of the UK's most prestigious institutions.

About you

You are an experienced immigration compliance professional with a strong understanding of UKVI sponsor guidance, Right to Work requirements and sponsorship compliance obligations.

You will have gained experience within a complex organisation, supporting immigration compliance activity, managing casework and ensuring accurate record keeping within a regulated environment. Comfortable working with data, systems and compliance processes, you have a keen eye for detail and the ability to identify risks, trends and opportunities for improvement.

You are confident communicating complex immigration requirements to a wide range of stakeholders and are able to balance regulatory compliance with a professional, customer-focused approach. You enjoy building strong working relationships, sharing knowledge and helping colleagues navigate immigration processes with confidence.

Most importantly, you bring a proactive mindset, strong analytical skills and a commitment to continuous improvement, enabling you to contribute positively to both operational delivery and the ongoing development of the University's immigration compliance function.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)

Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme

Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)

Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan

Immigration loan

Relocation scheme for certain posts

On-Site nursery

On-site gym

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.