Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU citizens were refused entry to the UK in each month of 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Immigration statistics including Passengers initially refused entry to the United Kingdom for the year ending September 2020 can be found on the .Gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets
The next Immigration statistical release is due on the 24th February and future data relating to 2021 and beyond will be published in due course.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are being made for families of three or more to register their biometrics where (a) the closest UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services centres are no longer able to accommodate them due restrictions due to the covid-19 outbreak and (b) travelling a longer distance to an alternative centre is not viable.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Following initial closures as a result of global Covid-19 restrictions, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) service points in the UK began to reopen from the 1 June in locations where it is safe to do so and in accordance with public health guidance in each country.
The additional measures UKVCAS have put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of customers and staff mean we are not currently able to offer the same number of locations or volume of appointments across all service points as they did before COVID-19. UKVI have been working closely with Sopra Steria Limited, who run the UKVCAS network on our behalf to tackle the significant demand for appointments in order to accelerate the application process.
In response to the impact of COVID-19 on UKVI services, we have also introduced a biometric reuse process which allows UKVI to reuse previously submitted biometrics in order to assess visa and citizenship applications which means eligible customers won’t have to visit a UKVCAS service point to enrol new biometrics. Provided all family members qualify, they will be eligible for biometric reuse and eligible customers are being contacted directly.
If anyone needs to attend a physical UKVCAS appointment but is unable to travel because of coronavirus or related restrictions, they should contact UKVI through the Coronavirus Immigration Hotline (CIH) which can be reached via email or on the phone, on 0800 678 1767. Further details can be found here:
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the (a) average and (b) longest length of time taken from a visa application being issued to the receipt of a Biometric Residence Permit card under the priority service.
Answered by Kevin Foster
For visa applicants, their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) will usually be available for collection either from their local Post Office or Alternative Collection Location (ACL) according to their chosen method and location of collection which they indicated during the application process. Applicants are advised to allow 10 days on arrival in the UK before attending their designated Post Office or ACL to collect their BRP. Both locations will usually hold the BRP for up to 60 days before returning to the Home Office if uncollected. Figures are not kept in relation to the length of time it takes a visa holder to collect their BRP.
Figures are not held in a way which enable us to differentiate between BRPs that were produced and issued under standard or priority services. The production of the BRP does not form part of the service level for the consideration of standard, priority or super priority applications. This is made clear at point of application. The service level for these services only relates to the length of time in which a decision will be made on an application. It is made clear that applicants should allow 10 working days for the BRP to be delivered once notification of the decision to grant leave has been sent.
Once a decision to grant leave is approved and received by the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), which produce the BRP on behalf of the Home Office, they have an SLA to personalise 90% of BRPs within one working day of receipt and the remaining 10% within two working days of receipt. They have never failed to meet this service standard.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of Biometric Residence Permit cards applied for under the priority service are issued within her Department's target time.
Answered by Kevin Foster
For visa applicants, their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) will usually be available for collection either from their local Post Office or Alternative Collection Location (ACL) according to their chosen method and location of collection which they indicated during the application process. Applicants are advised to allow 10 days on arrival in the UK before attending their designated Post Office or ACL to collect their BRP. Both locations will usually hold the BRP for up to 60 days before returning to the Home Office if uncollected. Figures are not kept in relation to the length of time it takes a visa holder to collect their BRP.
Figures are not held in a way which enable us to differentiate between BRPs that were produced and issued under standard or priority services. The production of the BRP does not form part of the service level for the consideration of standard, priority or super priority applications. This is made clear at point of application. The service level for these services only relates to the length of time in which a decision will be made on an application. It is made clear that applicants should allow 10 working days for the BRP to be delivered once notification of the decision to grant leave has been sent.
Once a decision to grant leave is approved and received by the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), which produce the BRP on behalf of the Home Office, they have an SLA to personalise 90% of BRPs within one working day of receipt and the remaining 10% within two working days of receipt. They have never failed to meet this service standard.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her oral contribution of 24 February 2020 Official Report column 35, whether it is her policy that touring (a) musicians and (b) performers from EU countries will require Tier 5 visas from January 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Currently, visiting artists, entertainers and musicians can perform at events, take part in competitions and auditions, make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities for up to 6 months without the need for formal sponsorship or a work visa. They can also receive payment for appearance at permit free festivals for up to 6 months, or for up to one month for a specific engagement, under the Visitor route.
Artists wishing to come to the UK for longer-term work will need to do so under the points-based system. There will continue to be special arrangements for creative workers, which in future will encompass both EEA and non-EEA citizens.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the salary exemption for nurses under Tier 2 visa rules will apply to EEA citizens after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We have been clear that we want all EU nationals, including those working in the NHS and the care sector, to stay in the UK after we leave the EU.
In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.
The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that care assistants will continue to be able to come and work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In December 2018, the Government set out its proposals in “the UK’s future Skills-based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 and above, irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped allowing all of those who meet our requirements to come to the UK.
The White Paper also includes a transitional route for temporary workers which will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill positions at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use the route.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on visa arrangements for international students after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government will shortly be publishing an Immigration White Paper which will set out the future immigration system after the UK leads the EU.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196130 on Overseas Visitors: Visas, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of providing a substantive answer to that question.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
As advised in my answer to Question 198741, the government publishes the threshold which would need to be crossed in order for a written question to be responded to with a disproportionate cost response.
This is currently set at £850. Whilst we are not able to provide the exact amount it would cost to answer your question in full, we estimate it would be over this amount as it would require a manual search of a large number of individual records.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196129 on Overseas Visitors: Visas, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of providing a substantive answer to that question.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
As advised in my answer to Question 198741, the government publishes the threshold which would need to be crossed in order for a written question to be responded to with a disproportionate cost response.
This is currently set at £850. Whilst we are not able to provide the exact amount it would cost to answer your question in full, we estimate it would be over this amount as it would require a manual search of a large number of individual records.