Visa & Immigration Compliance Manager

Position overview

Department: Visa & Immigration Compliance Team – Office of the Global Service (OGS) UK

Location: PSKN & Marble Quay, London (Hybrid role) – Minimum 3 days a week from campus and 2 days from home

Salary Range: £44,900 – £52,900 per annum, depending on experience

Benefits

The university supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, offer flexible working and parental leave opportunities, an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns as well as optional private medical insurance, season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme.

Direct Reports: Director of Visa & Immigration Compliance – OGS UK

Reports to: Same as above

Start: 08 September 2025

The role

Reporting to the Director of Visa Compliance, the role comprises two functions: student visa compliance (primary role) and workers visa compliance. As the University specialist in student/institutional visa compliance you will be responsible for leading and managing the Visa Compliance Team and primarily the student and institutional visa compliance function, including line management of the senior visa compliance officer and provide support to the director in managing the workers compliance.

This includes oversight and development of procedures as well as more hands-on duties such as the creation of CAS’s, the issuing of short-term study visa letters providing support in institutional compliance and workers when required. This role also involves working closely with our partner Northeastern University to provide visa guidance with regards to the Northeastern programmes which are run in London (student route and ETA or SVV visas). This role entails managing all visa compliance officers and senior visa compliance officer excluding workers visa compliance officer or senior visa compliance officer. Proactively planning, reviewing, amending and developing processes and systems related to sponsorship duties and compliance. The objective is to ensure that the University remains fully compliant with UK immigration law while safeguarding its student and worker sponsor licenses.

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned and proactive student sponsor compliance specialist who can provide dedicated expertise and take ownership of all matters pertaining to student visa compliance and ensure the University is fully compliant with the UKVI rules and its sponsorship duties. They will serve as a centralized resource, offering comprehensive knowledge and guidance on these subjects to the visa team and other teams. They will provide full support to the director of visa compliance on all tasks.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting, Data Analysis and Processes

• Consistently reviewing processes that are led or co led by OGS London – Visa Compliance team and propose changes to make it more efficient whilst ensuring full compliance with immigration rules
• Reporting monthly KPI’s and SLA to the Director of Visa Compliance
• The post holder will be required to provide regularly reports and updates to the Director of Visa Compliance around potential compliance issues identified across all departments at NU London and would also recommend any necessary changes to the team structure, roles and duties.
• Report any identified risks and propose mitigation strategies to the Director of Visa Compliance
• Assist Director in exploring new ways to ensure minimum visa refusal rate and maximum enrolment rate.
• Analyse data and patterns of student performance throughout the student enrolment lifecycle and make recommendations to the Director of Visa Compliance.
• To keep informed of all immigration/visa legislations relevant to students and staff via training, comms and mandatory short e-courses and to keep the University and the Director up to date with relevant changes.
• Working closely with the London EM (Marketing, Admissions and Recruitment) to provide full support in meeting enrolment targets whilst ensuring full sponsor compliance and keeping the license protected.
• Assist Director in proactively planning for the future CAS/COS allocation numbers by working closely with the Director of Visa Compliance.
• Assisting the Visa Compliance Director in licence renewal, annual BCA, CAS/COS annual allocations and on-site mock and UKVI audits.
• To provide training to staff on the student and Sponsor responsibilities and relevant policies and procedures, such as attendance monitoring, record keeping, leave/absences, withdrawal from the programme, change of programme and restrictions on teaching locations etc.
• Working closely with different departments and staff across the University on matters related to student visa compliance and supporting international students throughout the student lifecycle.
• Maintain a record of all student withdrawals, change of programme, visa tracking , visa refusals, non-enrolment and any other changes in student circumstances that are reported to UKVI.

Student Visa Compliance & Team Management

• Manging and leading the Visa Compliance team by example and contributing to the development, planning and implementation of functional plan(s) and management of visa compliance officers.
• Ensure the visa compliance team is supported on the day to day basis through SVCO or/and directly and provide any necessary support to ensure the team meets the SLA and KPIs.
• Ensuring that team is fully supported and provided with internal and external trainings.
• Identifying and nurturing future leaders from within the team
• Ensuring that NU’s Absence Sickness policy is fully implemented
• Proactive and efficient annual leave management and capacity planning.
• Updating and changing (where necessary) all types of comms related to CAS issuance, Enrolment, Mobility programmes and webinar etc.
• To review and update the University’s Immigration and Compliance handbook
• Ensure that record keeping, and reporting requirements are maintained across all visa-controlled categories.
• Right to study checks, identify and verify immigration status of all non-UK/EU Nationals and provide advice on any restrictions to study.
• To provide training to visa team and guidance to students with visa applications, including checking of the final application prior to submission, where necessary.
• Handling complex cases/situation and training team on how to handle complex cases.
• Ensuring all student documents meet UKVI requirement before the creation of a CAS.
• Leading SVV communication process including issuance of short-term study visa letters, working closely with our partner Northeastern University, USA (NU,USA).
• To provide support and guidance to students who have lost passports and BRPs, to help with BRP and entry clearance errors.
• Lead and oversee the processes for monitoring the attendance, record keeping and reporting and immigration status of visa sponsored students.
• Provide full support and trainings to the visa team during the peak and off peak time period.
• Provide the visa compliance trainings to all other NU, London and Boston teams that are directly or indirectly involved with international students.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of UKVI guidance, relevant legislation, and requirements. The post holder will actively engage with updates and ensure accurate reflection of these changes in relevant procedures.
• Ensure that all communications published for external/internal audiences are accurate and up to date.
• Lead the dissemination of information regarding processes, systems, and associated compliance requirements to key users and stakeholders across the University.
• Proactively plan and lead the enrolment process to ensure full compliance with sponsor’s duties and to provide an excellent student experience.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with all relevant departments, teams, and stakeholders at NU London and Northeastern US.
• The postholder will play their important role in ensuring excellent relationship with UKVI, UKCISA and with all other external stakeholders.
• By fulfilling these responsibilities, the post holder will contribute to the university’s
• commitment to compliance, ensuring a smooth and efficient operation while safeguarding the institution’s standing as a sponsor with track record of compliance.
• Lead and manage the UKVI compliance aspects of the entire CAS applicant and student journey at the university.
• Assist Director in conducting annual mock audit
• Provide full support to the recruitment, admissions and the visa team in terms of UKVI genuine student profiling and decision-making.
• Analyse data patterns among the students recruited through agents and make recommendations based on the data and facts related to visa success, enrolment and course completion rates.
• Work closely with all teams at NU, USA and receive trainings, propose and provide training to the relevant teams.
• The full-time Visa Compliance manager is required to work at least 3 days a week from campus and two days from home. However, there will be times where the post holder must work all 5 days a week from campus.
• The postholder may be required to travel to NU, USA or Canada at least once a year and other local travel may be required to represent NU London at different conferences, seminars etc.

Workers Visa Compliance & other work

• Providing support to the Director of Visa Compliance and manage the worker’s visa compliance officer in their work of sponsorship eligibility assessment, COS issuance, record keeping, reporting and data collection and management etc
• To provide support to the visa compliance officer or senior visa compliance offer (workers) to manage all aspects of Home Office compliance to ensure retention of the University’s sponsor licences.
• To act as Level 1 user for the sponsor licences on the Sponsor Management System.
• Ensure the University meets all sponsorship duties to retain sponsorship status, undertaking sponsorship activities such as record keeping, reporting and attendance monitoring.
• The post holder may be asked to provide help and support to other teams, peers or senior managers in their work which may or may not be relevant to sponsor or student compliance.

Person specification criteria

Essential: Ability to work as part of a team and independently; excellent written and oral communication skills; well-developed organisational skills; diplomatic influencing and relationship-building skills, to work with others and a high level of attention to detail; excellent knowledge of UKVI student and relevant sponsor compliance and an excellent understanding of UKVI regulations, and an expert of student sponsor compliance, with knowledge of workers compliance and amongst other relevant visa categories; must have a proven track record of leading and managing a team successfully.

Desirable: OISC Qualified.

EXPERIENCE

Essential: Significant experience of the sponsor and student visa compliance - applying all UKVI regulations that includes (CAS issuance) pre-enrolment, enrolment and all post enrolment activities that trigger UKVI compliance or sponsorship duties, working as part of a team. Some knowledge of workers visa compliance including skilled workers visa, Global Business Mobility Visa and the Standard Visitor Visa categories which may be used for the NU, USA employees/faculty/co-op to come and work at NU, London for a short period of time.

Must be flexible in terms of working hours/days and may be required to work more than 3 days a week from campus during critical time of the year.

Desirable: HEI admissions experience, experience of leading a large diverse team, HE student recruitment and experience. Experience of working with a US university and with a large number of the US international students.

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

Essential: An honours undergraduate degree

Desirable: Master’s Degree

Additional Information

Enquiries

Informal enquiries may be made to visa@nulondon.ac.uk. However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified.

Application process

Please apply for this role via the ‘Apply’ button above.

Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.

Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page and a full curriculum vitae.

The panel will be shortlisting for this position on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this post before the closing date if we receive a large number of applications.

Interviews are expected to commence w/c 07 July 2025

Please note this role may require a basic or enhanced DBS check. Please note this role may require a basic or enhanced DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London.

Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Job sponsorship: This role is not eligible for Northeastern University London’s Skilled Worker visa sponsorship