The Home Office's director general for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Sarah Rapson, is to take up a new job with Britain's financial watchdog next month, CSW can confirm.
Rapson was appointed DG with responsibility for UK Visas and Immigration in 2013, taking charge of the section of the Home Office that decides on which overseas visitors have the right to visit and stay in Britain. Before joining the civil service in 2005 she served in operational roles for retail banking giants American Express and Barclays.
The outgoing Home Office visas chief told CSW on Wednesday that she would be leaving the civil service on October 7 become director of authorisations at the Financial Conduct Authority, the independent regulator that oversees the UK's banking industry.
UK Visas and Immigration director general Sarah Rapson leaving the civil service
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"Although it is not a civil service role, I do see it as continuing in public service in a way since the robustness and integrity of the financial system is so important to the UK economy," Rapson said.
"As the key responsibility will be ensuring that there is a rigorous gateway for firms and individuals wanting to operate in the UK financial system, it feels like a seamless progression from my work at UKVI applying the same rigour to those applying to live or work in the UK.
She added: "I also intend to maintain the focus on customer service that has enabled to UKVI to clear historic backlogs and become a more open, confident and transparent organisation with a far more developed approach to case-working."
The announcement of Rapson's departure follows the exit of Mandie Campbell, the Home Office's director general of immigration enforcement. Campbell is moving on to become the chief executive of public services regulator the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman from October 1.
The most recent report on UKVI's work by MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee expressed concern the organisation may "not have the resources to cope with its workload" in the wake of the vote for Britain to leave the European Union.
While the committee found that there had been a 12% drop in the number of temporary and permanent visa applications in progress on the previous quarter, it said UKVI – which has cut staff in recent years – "must do better" if it is to cope with an anticipated spike in applications prompted by Brexit.
They added: "There must be substantial reductions to the backlog before the Immigration Directorates are faced with the additional demands that the UK leaving the EU will bring."