A Day in the Life of a Visa Manager
Nov 08, 2019
I usually get out of bed around 6:30 am. I pop downstairs to put the kettle on and make a coffee, feed the cat and jump in the shower. BBC Breakfast is usually on in the background whilst I am getting ready. My journey to work consists of a walk to the train station, a train ride into Charing Cross, and a walk to the office taking in the sights of Trafalgar Square and Soho. When I get to the office I check my emails to see if anything urgent has come in overnight and prioritize my workload accordingly. My day might consist of finding out visa deadlines and application procedures for worldwide delegates attending our meetings; organizing visa letters from our clients and hotels to support visa applications; dealing with IT issues; dealing with facility issues such as faulty air conditioning or heating; reconciling petty cash; looking after our terrarium ecosystem; or organizing birthday cake and tea for office birthdays. The most challenging part of my job is when there isn’t much time between receiving notice of a meeting and the meeting taking place, as this means there isn’t much time for the visa process. I and our global travel agents always do what we can to get the visa processed in time. The most rewarding part of my job is when all delegates have received their visas and are all set to travel to the meeting. My day ends just before 6 pm. I may head to the gym for a pump or spin class, or I’ll go home to relax. Sometimes I might meet friends for a catch up over dinner and a drink.
