News story

Sarah Rapson to leave Home Office

Director General of UK Visas & Immigration departs after more than 11 years at the Home Office.

Sarah Rapson

Sarah Rapson, Director General of UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) at the Home Office, will be leaving the Home Office in October to take up the post of Director of Authorisations at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Prior to joining UKVI as Director General in March 2014, Sarah worked in a number of high profile roles in the Home Office, including Chief Executive of the Passport Office (now HM Passport Office).

Permanent Secretary Mark Sedwill said:

Sarah has served the Home Office and the public with great distinction and success, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her service. Under her leadership, HM Passport Office was consistently ranked as one of the top performing public sector organisations for customer service. Leading UKVI, Sarah has established a confident, able and transformed organisation. I wish her every further success in her new role.

Sarah Rapson said:

It’s been an honour to serve as Chief Executive of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), Registrar General of England and Wales and the first Director General of UKVI alongside dedicated hard-working colleagues. I’m particularly proud that, during my tenure, IPS reduced the passport fee for the first time. While leading UKVI, we have focused on improving customer service and tackled many of the historic challenges that the organisation faced. I see my new role at the FCA as a continuation in many ways since the robustness and integrity of the financial system, so important to the UK economy, depends on ensuring the probity of firms and individuals within it.

Mark Thomson, Director General for HM Passport Office, will take over responsibility for UKVI, and will carry out the role alongside his leadership of HM Passport Office.

Published 30 September 2016