Change description : 2025-04-01 11:01:00: 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. [Guidance and regulation]
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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.
Added an accessible version of 'Preventing illegal working in licensed premises and the Home Office role as a responsible authority in England and Wales'.
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'
14 November 2024
Guidance on 'post enforcement visit actions' has been updated. A full list of the changes is available in the document.
24 October 2024
Updated the guidance on Identifying people at risk.
14 October 2024
Guidance on 'Enforcement visits' has been updated. A full list of the changes is available in the document.
15 July 2024
Published version 14.0 of the critical incident management guidance. A full list of changes can be found in the guidance.
24 May 2024
Updated Irregular or unlawful entry and arrival guidance to link section to age dispute cases and prosecution.
24 May 2024
Updated 'Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams)' guidance. Updated information on age dispute cases who are referred for prosecution.
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.
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.
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.
7 May 2024
Replaced 'Record keeping during enforcement visits guidance'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
8 August 2023
Document 'Coercive powers: overview' replaced by new document 'Immigration Enforcement powers'.
8 August 2023
'Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams)' updated. Full details are in the 'Changes from last version of this guidance' section.
4 July 2023
The marriage investigations document has been updated.
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.
13 February 2023
Updated Verbal abuse, obstruction and assault - Immigration Enforcement guidance.
28 December 2022
Marriage investigations guidance updated.
1 December 2022
Dealing with potential criminality (ICE teams) guidance has been updated to include clarification of details on aggravating factors.
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.
6 October 2022
Added accessible version of Marriage investigations.
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.
24 August 2022
New forms added in version 2.0 of Preventing illegal working in licenced premises.
18 July 2022
Guidance entitled 'Clandestine illegal entrants ' replaced with revised and updated version entitled 'Irregular or unlawful entry and arrival'.
28 June 2022
Added guidance for Immigration Compliance and Enforcement teams (ICE) on 'Dealing with potential criminality'.
3 May 2022
Added guidance on use of force.
15 March 2022
Added new document on 'Preventing illegal working in licenced premises'.
10 March 2022
Guidance on partnership working updated.
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.
15 December 2021
Guidance on obstruction added.
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.
27 August 2021
Guidance on critical incident management updated. Changes are detailed on page 5 of the document.
10 June 2021
Updated version of 'Marriage investigations' pdf file.
31 December 2020
Updated guidance on marriage investigations and enforcement interviews/visits in line with EU exit changes.
12 November 2020
Updated Right to rent: landlords’ penalties document.
30 October 2020
Record keeping during enforcement visits updated.
9 April 2020
Updated the Enforcement Planning Assessments document.
8 August 2019
Updated to add Method of entry guidance
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.
13 February 2019
Guidance on marriage investigations updated.
23 January 2019
Added a new document 'Safeguarding and establishing lawful residence'.
12 November 2018
Updated guidance on enforcement planning assessments, post visit actions, and record keeping published.
20 August 2018
Updated critical incident management guidance.
25 July 2018
Replaced right to rent guidance with a new version.
13 June 2017
Updated guidance on partnership working.
12 June 2017
New guidance on clandestine illegal entrants and enforcement visits: safety and personal protection.
24 April 2017
Updated guidance on 'Critical incident management'.
13 April 2017
Updated guidance on partnership working.
6 April 2017
New guidance added on 'Record keeping during enforcement visits'.
10 February 2017
Guidance added on 'Critical incident management'.
1 February 2017
Updated guidance on marriage investigations.
19 January 2017
Updated guidance on 'Enforcement visits'.
19 December 2016
'Search and seizure' guidance updated.
7 December 2016
Guidance added on 'Operational planning and briefing'.
1 December 2016
Guidance added on 'Warrants: procurement and use'.
1 December 2016
Updated 'right to rent landlords' guidance.
28 October 2016
Guidance added on 'Partnership working'.
30 September 2016
Guidance added on 'Operational enforcement visits'.
29 September 2016
Guidance added on 'Post enforcement visit actions'.
24 August 2016
'Marriage investigations' guidance added.
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'.
30 June 2016
New search and seizure guidance.
22 June 2016
Updated 'Right to rent scheme: landlords' guidance.
10 May 2016
Guidance on 'Right to rent scheme: landlords' added.