**Absconder Tracing Officers

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

Interventions, Sanctions and Compliance (ISC), part of Immigration Enforcement, is responsible for promoting compliance with immigration rules and supporting efforts to tackle illegal migration and those who facilitate it.

The Absconder Tracing Unit (ATU), part of ISC, plays a vital role in locating individuals whose whereabouts are unknown. As a Tracing Officer, you will work within a supportive team to trace absconders, contributing to enforcement activity focused on public protection.

As a Tracing Officer in the ATU, you will play a critical role in supporting Immigration Enforcement priorities. Working as part of a high-performing and collaborative team, you will use investigative skills, curiosity and resilience to locate individuals whose whereabouts are unknown.

You will analyse information across multiple systems, follow investigative leads, and piece together intelligence to build a clear picture of an individual’s location. You will work closely with police forces, government departments and external partners to progress tracing activity and deliver real operational impact.

Your work will directly support enforcement outcomes, including arrest, detention and removal, helping to protect the public, support returns and maintain confidence in the immigration system.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct detailed research across a range of systems to identify lines of enquiry.
• Analyse data and intelligence to locate absconders.
• Producing high-quality outcomes and clearly explaining why decisions have been made.
• Maintaining accurate records and ensures actions are compliant and auditable action.
• Reviewing and analysing multiple sources of information, updating systems accordingly, and making the best decision based on available evidence.
• Creating and maintaining positive, trusting relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Effective line management responsibility for an Administrative Officer.
• Helping to deliver wider ISC business requirements as needed.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working. This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 5 days / 30 hours per week due to business requirements.

You may be required to undertake the same or a similar role within a different team or teams (where possible, at your base location or within reasonable travel distance), depending on business priorities. With appropriate training and support, this will provide opportunities to broaden both your experience and skill set.

Training

Comprehensive training will be provided to ensure you are fully prepared for this exciting, demanding, and varied role, making a meaningful impact on the organisation’s mission.

Travel

Due to operational needs, there may be some national travel to other offices required.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.

After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the following Civil Service Judgement test & Civil Service Verbal Reasoning test.

• Online Test – by 3rd November 2026.

If you successfully pass the Civil Service Judgement test & Civil Service Verbal Reasoning test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online tests or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the Civil Service tests will be available when you are invited to take the tests. The online tests are accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You cannot complete the tests on a mobile phone or tablet.

Following successful completion of your tests, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between midday - 1pm on 25/10/2026, and between 4pm - midnight on 01/11/2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

2. Application – by 3rd November 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

3. Sift – From 5th November 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, Behaviour, as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted Lead behaviour - Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

4. Interview – From 26th November 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviour based questions and Strength based questions.

The interview will take place at the Soap works, Colgate Lane, Salford Quays, M5 3LZ.

Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location preference

You will only be able to select a single location preference so please ensure this is a location that you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at your preferred location and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.