Guidance

Powers and operational procedure

Guidance and information on administrative and criminal powers for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters within the UK.

Published 24 March 2016
Last updated 22 May 2019 — see all updates

• From: UK Visas and Immigration and Immigration Enforcement

Documents

Arrest and restraint

PDF, 234KB, 45 pages

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Clandestine illegal entrants

PDF, 297KB, 27 pages

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Coercive powers: overview

PDF, 211KB, 32 pages

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Critical incident management

PDF, 619KB, 32 pages

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Enforcement planning assessments

PDF, 731KB, 52 pages

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Enforcement interviews

PDF, 138KB, 26 pages

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Enforcement visits

PDF, 165KB, 30 pages

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Enforcement visits: safety and personal protection

PDF, 153KB, 32 pages

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Identifying people at risk

PDF, 610KB, 30 pages

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Illegal working operations

PDF, 171KB, 30 pages

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Marriage investigations

PDF, 612KB, 30 pages

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Partnership working

PDF, 111KB, 16 pages

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Post enforcement visit actions

PDF, 488KB, 13 pages

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Record keeping during enforcement visits

PDF, 482KB, 19 pages

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Right to rent scheme: landlords

PDF, 644KB, 37 pages

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Search and seizure

PDF, 393KB, 33 pages

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Warrants: procurement and use

PDF, 175KB, 30 pages

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Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence

PDF, 609KB, 33 pages

Details

Enforcement instructions and guidance documents on administrative and criminal powers for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters within the UK.

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.

Published 24 March 2016
Last updated 22 May 2019 + show all updates

1. 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.
2. 13 February 2019 Guidance on marriage investigations updated.
3. 23 January 2019 Added a new document 'Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence'.
4. 12 November 2018 Updated guidance on enforcement planning assessments, post visit actions, and record keeping published.
5. 20 August 2018 Updated critical incident management guidance.
6. 25 July 2018 Replaced right to rent guidance with a new version.
7. 13 June 2017 Updated guidance on partnership working.
8. 12 June 2017 New guidance on clandestine illegal entrants and enforcement visits: safety and personal protection.
9. 24 April 2017 Updated guidance on 'Critical incident management'.
10. 13 April 2017 Updated guidance on partnership working.
11. 6 April 2017 New guidance added on 'Record keeping during enforcement visits'.
12. 10 February 2017 Guidance added on 'Critical incident management'.
13. 1 February 2017 Updated guidance on marriage investigations.
14. 19 January 2017 Updated guidance on 'Enforcement visits'.
15. 19 December 2016 'Search and seizure' guidance updated.
16. 7 December 2016 Guidance added on 'Operational planning and briefing'.
17. 1 December 2016 Guidance added on 'Warrants: procurement and use'.
18. 1 December 2016 Updated 'right to rent landlords' guidance.
19. 28 October 2016 Guidance added on 'Partnership working'.
20. 30 September 2016 Guidance added on 'Operational enforcement visits'.
21. 29 September 2016 Guidance added on 'Post enforcement visit actions'.
22. 24 August 2016 'Marriage investigations' guidance added.
23. 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'.
24. 30 June 2016 New search and seizure guidance.
25. 22 June 2016 Updated 'Right to rent scheme: landlords' guidance.
26. 10 May 2016 Guidance on 'Right to rent scheme: landlords' added.
27. 29 March 2016 Updated guidance.
28. 24 March 2016 First published.