u/EnvironmentalFox1000

Hi all,

I recently interviewed for a Policy Advisor (HEO) role at DEFRA and had some positive discussions with the team. At the time, there were some visa/work eligibility timing complications because I was still completing my degree.

Since then:

• I have now officially completed degree
• The university has confirmed completion to the Home Office
• I have submitted my Graduate Visa application
• The university has confirmed I can undertake a full-time permanent role following successful course completion while the Graduate Visa application is being processed
• I also recently had a conversation with a DEFRA team lead regarding a potential onboarding opportunity within their team

I’ve updated HR/Resourcing regarding the change in circumstances and am currently waiting to hear back.

I know Civil Service recruitment can move slowly, but I wanted to ask people who are familiar with DEFRA/Civil Service recruitment:

• Does this sound like a realistic onboarding pathway at this stage?
• Is it common for onboarding discussions to go quiet for several days while HR/internal approvals happen?
• How much influence do hiring managers usually have once HR and visa/right-to-work checks are involved?

Would really appreciate any honest insight from people who’ve been through similar situations.

Thanks!