Immigration Staff Administrative Criminal Powers Guidance

Guidance

Powers and operational procedure: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on administrative and criminal powers for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters within the UK.

From: UK Visas and Immigration and Immigration Enforcement Published 24 March 2016 Last updated 15 April 2026
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Advertising unlawful immigration services online (accessible)

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Advertising unlawful immigration services online

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Arrest and restraint (accessible)

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Arrest and restraint

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Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025: seizure of electronic devices policy guidance (accessible)

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Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025: seizure of electronic devices policy guidance

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Critical incident management (accessible)

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Critical incident management

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Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams) (accessible)

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Enforcement interviews

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Enforcement planning assessments (accessible)

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Enforcement planning assessments

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Enforcement visits (accessible)

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Enforcement visits

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Enforcement visits: safety and personal protection

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Identifying people at risk (accessible)

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Identifying people at risk

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Illegal working operations

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Immigration Enforcement equalities and community impact assessment (accessible)

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Immigration Enforcement equalities and community impact assessment

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Immigration Enforcement powers (accessible)

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Immigration Enforcement powers

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Irregular or unlawful entry and arrival (accessible)

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Marriage investigations (accessible)

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Marriage investigations

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Method of entry

PDF, 562 KB, 13 pages

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Offence of endangering another during a journey by sea (accessible)

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Offence of endangering another during a journey by sea

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Partnership working (accessible)

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Partnership working

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Post enforcement visit actions (accessible)

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Post enforcement visit actions

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Preventing illegal working in licensed premises and the Home Office role as a responsible authority in England and Wales (accessible)

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Preventing illegal working in licensed premises and the Home Office role as a responsible authority in England and Wales

PDF, 326 KB, 36 pages

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Record keeping during enforcement visits (accessible)

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Record keeping during enforcement visits

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Right to rent: landlords’ penalties

PDF, 334 KB, 38 pages

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Right to rent scheme: permission to rent (accessible)

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Right to rent scheme: permission to rent

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Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence (accessible)

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Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence

PDF, 367 KB, 34 pages

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Search and seizure (accessible)

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Search and seizure

PDF, 498 KB, 41 pages

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Section 179 of the Licensing Act 2003: right of entry to premises being used for a licensable activity (accessible)

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Section 179 of the Licensing Act 2003: right of entry to premises being used for a licensable activity

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Use of force

PDF, 255 KB, 21 pages

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Verbal abuse, obstruction and assault – Immigration Enforcement

PDF, 246 KB, 19 pages

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Warrants: procurement and use (accessible version)

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Warrants: procurement and use

PDF, 412 KB, 37 pages

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Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance on when and how staff may make an arrest using administrative immigration or criminal powers.

This is part of Immigration Enforcement General Instructions.

Guidance in this section has been reworked into a new format and plainer language. Not all of the enforcement guidance has been revised yet. If you cannot find the information you need in this section, please look in the ‘chapters’ sections of Enforcement instructions and guidance.

We are aware these publications may have accessibility issues. We are reviewing them so that we can fix these.

Read more about our accessible documents policy.

Published 24 March 2016 Last updated 15 April 2026 show all updates
1.
15 April 2026

Guidance on enforcement visits has been updated to clarify that: all enforcement visits are to be authorised by officers of the appropriate grade who are arrest trained and have completed their arrest refresher training within the last 24 months; all ICE officers deploying on visits and operations must be ‘in-ticket’ arrest trained.
2.
13 April 2026

'Enforcement planning assessments' guidance updated to clarify for ICE teams that officers who have not been able to complete an arrest refresher within the last 12 months due to sickness or maternity leave can still authorise visits where their arrest refresher was within the last 24 months. Updated to clarify, in addition, that all officers who deploy on visits must be "in-ticket" arrest trained.
3.
3 February 2026

New guidance on advertising unlawful immigration services online has been added.
4.
29 January 2026

An accessible version of the Immigration Enforcement equalities and community impact assessment has been added.
5.
27 January 2026

Updated the enforcement planning assessments guidance, a full list of changes can be found in the guide.
6.
23 January 2026

Updated enforcement visits guidance to clarify authorisation, training requirements and planning considerations.
7.
16 January 2026

Added 'Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025: Seizure of Electronic Devices policy guidance'.
8.
19 December 2025

Guidance on 'identifying people at risk' updated to reflect changes to Home Office systems that have been replaced.
9.
15 December 2025

Added 'Offence of endangering another during a journey by sea'.
10.
5 December 2025

Published a new version of the enforcing planning assessments to reflect PRONTO and Equalities and Community Impact (ECIA) template completion updates. Added new Immigration Enforcement Equalities and Community impact assessment.
11.
13 November 2025

The warrants: procurement and use guidance has been updated.
12.
11 November 2025

Changes to reflect Part Suitability replacing Part 9: grounds for refusal of the Immigration Rules.
13.
17 June 2025

Partnership working guidance updated. A full list of changes is in the 'changes from last version of this guidance' section.
14.
6 June 2025

Updated the post-enforcement visit actions guidance. A list of changes is in the 'changes from last version of this guidance' section.
15.
30 April 2025

Search and seizure guidance has been updated: restructured for improved flow, clarification of ‘fully informed consent’ in respect of premises searches, clarification of the reasonable grounds test for search of person under paragraph 25B and extra detail in respect of search of person under paragraph 25C of schedule 2 IA71, addition of details in respect of entry and search of premises, new guidance on examination and seizure of electronic media, introduction of PRONTO-enabled mobile phones, detail on seizure and handling of cash replaced with link to main CFI guidance, general housekeeping amendments.
16.
4 April 2025

Added the right to rent scheme: permission to rent guide.
17.
1 April 2025

Updated the guidance on marriage investigations.
18.
1 April 2025

Updated immigration enforcement powers guidance to add power to examine offshore workers under paragraph 2(1) and (1A) of schedule 2 to the 1971 Act, to clarify general power of examination under paragraph 2 of schedule 2 to the 1971 Act and to clarify power to search premises with warrant under paragraph 25A(6A) of schedule 2 to the 1971 Act.
19.
28 February 2025

Added an accessible version of 'Preventing illegal working in licensed premises and the Home Office role as a responsible authority in England and Wales'.
20.
24 February 2025

Updated the 'Preventing illegal working in licensed premises and the Home Office role as a responsible authority in England and Wales' guide. Added 'Section 179 of the Licensing Act 2003: right of entry to premises being used for a licensable activity'
21.
14 November 2024

Guidance on 'post enforcement visit actions' has been updated. A full list of the changes is available in the document.
22.
24 October 2024

Updated the guidance on Identifying people at risk.
23.
14 October 2024

Guidance on 'Enforcement visits' has been updated. A full list of the changes is available in the document.
24.
15 July 2024

Published version 14.0 of the critical incident management guidance. A full list of changes can be found in the guidance.
25.
24 May 2024

Updated Irregular or unlawful entry and arrival guidance to link section to age dispute cases and prosecution.
26.
24 May 2024

Updated 'Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams)' guidance. Updated information on age dispute cases who are referred for prosecution.
27.
13 May 2024

Updated the safeguarding and establishing lawful residence with changes to staff grading from 1 April 2024. A full list of the changes is included in the guidance.
28.
10 May 2024

Updated the enforcement planning assessments guidance with changes to staff grading from 1 April 2024. A full list of the changes is included in the guidance.
29.
9 May 2024

Updated search and seizure guidance. From 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the Immigration Enforcement (IE) operational grade of ‘Assistant Director’ will now be known as Grade 7 in this guidance.
30.
7 May 2024

Replaced 'Record keeping during enforcement visits guidance'.
31.
7 May 2024

Enforcement visits: safety and personal protection guidance updated. From 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of ‘Assistant Director’ will be known as Grade 7 in this guidance.
32.
3 May 2024

Updated the irregular or unlawful entry and arrival guidance. From 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of ‘Assistant Director’ will be known as Grade 7 in this guidance.
33.
2 May 2024

Updated the arrest and restraint guidance. From 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of “Assistant Director” will be known as Grade 7 in this guidance.
34.
6 March 2024

Updated Immigration Enforcement powers to reflect that from 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of ‘Assistant Director’ will now be known as Grade 7 (Assistant Director) in this guidance.
35.
6 March 2024

Updated warrants: procurement and use guidance to reflect
that from 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of “Assistant Director” will now be known as Grade 7 (Assistant Director) in this guidance.
36.
1 March 2024

Partnership working guidance updated with the following changes: from 1 April 2024, individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of ‘Assistant Director’ will now be known as Grade 7 (Assistant Director); individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of ‘Deputy Director’ will now be known as Grade 6; the IE operational grade equivalent of Grade 5 (SCS, PB1), will be referred to as Deputy Director.
37.
1 March 2024

Updated the dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams) guidance, as from 1 April 2024 individuals who were previously described as the IE operational grade of “Assistant Director” will now be known as Grade 7 (Assistant Director) in this guidance.
38.
15 February 2024

Updated version of the Record keeping during enforcement visits guidance.

All references to the paper pocket notebook (PNB) have been removed from the main body and placed into a contingency section at the end of the guidance.

References to obsolete systems have also been removed.
39.
31 October 2023

Replaced Enforcement planning assessments guidance to give extra clarification on the completion of Equalities and Community Impact Assessment (ECIA) in line with the ECIA v2.0 template and to update the link to the generic Home Office EIA guidance and template page.
40.
8 August 2023

Document 'Coercive powers: overview' replaced by new document 'Immigration Enforcement powers'.
41.
8 August 2023

'Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams)' updated. Full details are in the 'Changes from last version of this guidance' section.
42.
4 July 2023

The marriage investigations document has been updated.
43.
4 April 2023

Updated enforcement planning assessments guidance to include clarification of reasonable hours in respect of visit timings, PRONTO process update and clarification of which agency completes CIA on joint visits.
44.
13 February 2023

Updated Verbal abuse, obstruction and assault - Immigration Enforcement guidance.
45.
28 December 2022

Marriage investigations guidance updated.
46.
1 December 2022

Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams) guidance has been updated to include clarification of details on aggravating factors.
47.
25 November 2022

Replaced 'Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence' - updated section on British Overseas Territories Citizens to reflect changes introduced by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
48.
6 October 2022

Added accessible version of Marriage investigations.
49.
25 August 2022

Minor revision to Safeguarding - establishing lawful residence concerning scope and intent of guidance in relation to use by non-Immigration Enforcement staff, additional detailed examples of evidence that might be sought/considered and updated links.
50.
24 August 2022

New forms added in version 2.0 of Preventing illegal working in licenced premises.
51.
18 July 2022

Guidance entitled 'Clandestine illegal entrants ' replaced with revised and updated version entitled 'Irregular or unlawful entry and arrival'.
52.
28 June 2022

Added guidance for Immigration Compliance and Enforcement teams (ICE) on 'Dealing with potential criminality'.
53.
3 May 2022

Added guidance on use of force.
54.
15 March 2022

Added new document on 'Preventing illegal working in licenced premises'.
55.
10 March 2022

Guidance on partnership working updated.
56.
30 December 2021

Marriage investigations guidance updated with advice to reflect the end of the grace period, amendment to the advice on frontier workers, advice on change of circumstances and update of removal pathways.
57.
15 December 2021

Guidance on obstruction added.
58.
16 November 2021

Updated 'Arrest and restraint' guidance. For a full list of changes, read the 'Changes from last version of this guidance' section within.
59.
27 August 2021

Guidance on critical incident management updated. Changes are detailed on page 5 of the document.
60.
10 June 2021

Updated version of 'Marriage investigations' pdf file.
61.
31 December 2020

Updated guidance on marriage investigations and enforcement interviews/visits in line with EU exit changes.
62.
12 November 2020

Updated Right to rent: landlords’ penalties document.
63.
30 October 2020

Record keeping during enforcement visits updated.
64.
9 April 2020

Updated the Enforcement Planning Assessments document.
65.
8 August 2019

Updated to add Method of entry guidance
66.
22 May 2019

Guidance on identifying people at risk updated: minor housekeeping – broken links fixed; changes reflect a change to contact details and a slight change to the paragraph regarding the NRM process.
67.
13 February 2019

Guidance on marriage investigations updated.
68.
23 January 2019

Added a new document 'Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence'.
69.
12 November 2018

Updated guidance on enforcement planning assessments, post visit actions, and record keeping published.
70.
20 August 2018

Updated critical incident management guidance.
71.
25 July 2018

Replaced right to rent guidance with a new version.
72.
13 June 2017

Updated guidance on partnership working.
73.
12 June 2017

New guidance on clandestine illegal entrants and enforcement visits: safety and personal protection.
74.
24 April 2017

Updated guidance on 'Critical incident management'.
75.
13 April 2017

Updated guidance on partnership working.
76.
6 April 2017

New guidance added on 'Record keeping during enforcement visits'.
77.
10 February 2017

Guidance added on 'Critical incident management'.
78.
1 February 2017

Updated guidance on marriage investigations.
79.
19 January 2017

Updated guidance on 'Enforcement visits'.
80.
19 December 2016

'Search and seizure' guidance updated.
81.
7 December 2016

Guidance added on 'Operational planning and briefing'.
82.
1 December 2016

Guidance added on 'Warrants: procurement and use'.
83.
1 December 2016

Updated 'right to rent landlords' guidance.
84.
28 October 2016

Guidance added on 'Partnership working'.
85.
30 September 2016

Guidance added on 'Operational enforcement visits'.
86.
29 September 2016

Guidance added on 'Post enforcement visit actions'.
87.
24 August 2016

'Marriage investigations' guidance added.
88.
14 July 2016

Guidance added on 'Arrest and restraint', 'Enforcement interviews', 'Identifying people at risk', 'Illegal working operations' and updated guidance on 'Search and seizure'.
89.
30 June 2016

New search and seizure guidance.
90.
22 June 2016

Updated 'Right to rent scheme: landlords' guidance.
91.
10 May 2016

Guidance on 'Right to rent scheme: landlords' added.
92.
29 March 2016

Updated guidance.
93.
24 March 2016

First published.
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