Job Title: Immigration Services Officer
Job Level: Manager
Client: Confidential
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Industry: Travels Agency
Job Purpose/Summary
As the Immigration Services Officer, the successful candidate would function in three main categories: Airport Protocol services, Visa Assistance, and Visa-on-Arrival services. The individual would typically provide consultancy services, track visa applications, identify irregularities in documents, review documents brought forth by applicants to increase chances of visa approval, to assist passengers, government officials, VIPs, and other individuals in navigating airport processes, protocols, and operations and generally ensuring these functions are carried out effectively and efficiently per statutory regulations.
Key Functions/Responsibilities
Airport Protocol Services
- Build and maintain healthy relationships with airport officials to ensure seamless service promotions to the company’s customers.
- Providing logistics services to clients and these services include the transportation of luggage to and from the airport.
- Ensures confirmation of travel package arrangements and preparation of periodic reports on expenditure and related information regarding travels.
- Identify, establish, and communicate effective logistical procedures to be used in transport operations, ensuring all staff concerned are aware and follow statutory guidelines and company procedures while handling the company’s transport systems.
- Maintain effective working relationships with local and Municipal/ Government officials and law enforcement agencies.
- Build and maintain cordial relationships with various Government agencies at international and domestic airports to facilitate effective meet-and-greet services.
- Booking of Air tickets, both domestic and international & booking of hotels (Local and International) for the guest if required.
- Procure necessary visas and medical insurance information for all travels including itineraries related to flights & accommodation as requested by clients.
- Obtain quotations from various airlines to find the best flight prices and options and buy and refund airline tickets as requested, check-in for flights, select seats per client’s preference and send boarding passes.
- Build relationships with lounges in the airport.
- Facilitate travel of staff members going to other countries on official business, securing their visas, and medical insurance information for all travels including itineraries related to flights and accommodation as requested.
- Protect clients from extortion and harassment by authorities.
- Acquaint, understand and apply best practices concerning the Corporate Service Charter.
- Deal with immigration authorities and airport security forces for clearance of clients to ensure speedy passage through the airport.
- Supervise escort patrol of the organization’s clients.
- Develop strong liaisons with Embassies, Immigration & Passport offices; of the countries frequently visited by the management.
- Receive the arriving guest at the Airport, assist in custom formalities and clearance of accompanied baggage and assist in boarding Pass, Luggage booking and seeing off for departing guest.
- Coordinates protocol function of the authority and undertakes protocol duties for senior management during their departure & arrival to and from abroad.
- Booking of Air tickets, both domestic and international & booking of hotels (Local and International) for the guest if required.
- Offer emergency assistance, pre-boarding Assistance and constant monitoring of flight status (arrival and departure)
Visa Assistance
- Escorts applicants from different locations to the embassy for their visa appointments.
- Independently reply to routine inquiries, identify urgent and complex queries, and route them promptly.
- Politely and efficiently, handle customers seeking corrections to visas with error.
- Maintain effective working relationships with local and Municipal/ Government officials and law enforcement agencies.
- Responsible for identifying and ensuring that the organization is fully aware and abreast of all visa requirements for every country with an Embassy or High Commission in Nigeria
- Processes the simplest to the most complex visa cases correctly and efficiently employing a polite manner to both applicants and Embassy employees with little or no need for guidance.
- Crosscheck visa application documents to improve smooth approval.
- Keep fluent interaction with the Visa Unit Staff, Visa Unit Head, and Consul General, providing advice, recommendations, and feedback on visa operations, as appropriate, to establish state-of-the-art daily visa processing.
- Provide interpretation and translation services as needed including assistance during visa interviews; and translation of documents and correspondence. Including, diplomatic notes.
- Makes phone calls and sends emails in both languages to obtain information requested by the officer.
- Serve as backup consular cashier, as needed, assuring that all fees are collected, recorded in the ACRS cashiering system, reported daily to the ACO, and deposited with the Embassy’s Class B Cashier, in strict accordance with Consular Management Handbook guidelines.
- Serve as backup visa portfolio staff, as needed, to accommodate staff turnover and leave schedules.
- Ensures key cases of the Client’s documents are properly scanned into the visa system.
- Obtain quotations from various airlines to find the best flight prices, and purchase and refund airline tickets if need be.
- Monitoring industry trends as well as competition and handling visa inquiries.
- Arrange hotels and airport travel packages.
- Procure necessary visas and medical insurance information for all travels including itineraries related to flights and accommodation as requested.
- Managing database of travelers, miles, and other data
- Sends emails to applicants to coordinate passport pickup or delivery
- Keeping track of visa applications including emergencies or high profile cases.
Visa-on-Arrival
- The issuance of travel documents, including Nigerian passports, to bonafide Nigerians within and outside Nigeria
- The issuance of residence permits to foreigners in Nigeria
- Border surveillance and patrol
Responsible for ensuring that the organization is abreast of all visa-on-arrival requirements.
Visiting and interviewing people who are suspected of having no right to remain in a particular country.
Investigating the integrity of documents and other information in connection with visa applications
Maintaining records, including, but not limited to, client files and financial management
Qualifications:
Required:
- Minimum of a degree in related courses.
Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the travel industry or similar environment with knowledge of travel logistics.
Experienced in international travel and visa processing
Must know AMADEUS, Saber, and Galileo GDS
Mandatory knowledge of Aviation industry standards
Desired:
- Master level preferred with minimum 5 years experience in VISA processing.
Diploma in IATA/postgraduate diploma in logistics.
Extensive knowledge of the airline industry