Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have received settled status after being resident in the UK with a Tier 1 (Investor) visa for (a) two years, (b) three years and (c) four years.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas and settlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.
Data on the number of applications from Investor visas (previously Tier 1) to Russian nationals, and the decisions on such applications are published in tables ‘Vis_D01’ and ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed datasets. Data relating to Grants of Settlement by nationality and visa type are published in table Se_D01 of the settlement detailed datasets.
These data do not say how many years a person has been resident before being granted settlement. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data includes up to the end of 2021.
Please note the published data relate to Russian nationals, regardless of their residency.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 1 investor visas have been awarded in each year since the start of that scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas and settlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.
Data on the number of applications from Investor visas (previously Tier 1) to Russian nationals, and the decisions on such applications are published in tables ‘Vis_D01’ and ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed datasets. Data relating to Grants of Settlement by nationality and visa type are published in table Se_D01 of the settlement detailed datasets.
These data do not say how many years a person has been resident before being granted settlement. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data includes up to the end of 2021.
Please note the published data relate to Russian nationals, regardless of their residency.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Russian nationals have been awarded settled status after receiving a Tier 1 Investor visa.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas and settlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.
Data on the number of applications from Investor visas (previously Tier 1) to Russian nationals, and the decisions on such applications are published in tables ‘Vis_D01’ and ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed datasets. Data relating to Grants of Settlement by nationality and visa type are published in table Se_D01 of the settlement detailed datasets.
These data do not say how many years a person has been resident before being granted settlement. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data includes up to the end of 2021.
Please note the published data relate to Russian nationals, regardless of their residency.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Russian nationals hold Tier 1 investor visas.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas and settlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.
Data on the number of applications from Investor visas (previously Tier 1) to Russian nationals, and the decisions on such applications are published in tables ‘Vis_D01’ and ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed datasets. Data relating to Grants of Settlement by nationality and visa type are published in table Se_D01 of the settlement detailed datasets.
These data do not say how many years a person has been resident before being granted settlement. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data includes up to the end of 2021.
Please note the published data relate to Russian nationals, regardless of their residency.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the Government's immigration policies on acute labour shortages.
Answered by Kevin Foster
My Officials and I work closely with colleagues across Government to coordinate the Government’s response to labour market issues, including potential skills and labour shortages.
The UK Government’s focus is on ensuring immigration policies are considered alongside and as part of our strategy for the UK Labour market, not as an alternative to investing in training for our domestic workforce or to offering our key workers the rewarding packages they deserve.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time has been for the determination of a decision on a spousal visa application in each year from 2010.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Entry Clearance applications for spouse visas have a published service standard of 60 working days.
Leave to Remain applications for spouse visas have a published service standard of eight weeks.
Indefinite Leave to Remain applications for spouse visas have a published service standard of six months.
The Home Office publishes data on visa applications in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Data on processing times for applications for spousal visas are published in table VC_02 of the Transparency data overview: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on how to use the Transparency data overview: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending September 2021.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current processing time is for the determination of a decision on a spousal visa application.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Entry Clearance applications for spouse visas have a published service standard of 60 working days.
Leave to Remain applications for spouse visas have a published service standard of eight weeks.
Indefinite Leave to Remain applications for spouse visas have a published service standard of six months.
The Home Office publishes data on visa applications in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Data on processing times for applications for spousal visas are published in table VC_02 of the Transparency data overview: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on how to use the Transparency data overview: Visas and Citizenship data: Q2 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending September 2021.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing Afghan nationals in the UK to submit further submissions on asylum applications online.
Answered by Kevin Foster
In March 2020, to protect claimants and Home Office staff, we made changes to the further submissions process to allow for representations to be made remotely. It was always the intention of the Home Office to re-start the process of requiring further submissions from failed asylum seekers to be made in person as this helps to ensure people maintain contact with the Home Office and enables identity to be checked. In order to make this process more accessible, we have recently increased the number of locations people can lodge submissions, with Glasgow coming on line in mid-August 2021, in addition to the previous locations of Liverpool and Belfast.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to expedite decisions on asylum applications, including appeals, made by Afghan nationals.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, in accordance with our international obligations. All asylum claims are considered on a case by case basis and in line with published policy. Claims by Afghan nationals will be considered in the same way as claims from any other nationality; we do not believe it is appropriate to prioritise claims from one nationality over another as many claimants, irrespective of nationality, are potentially vulnerable and no one is expected to leave the UK while they have a claim outstanding.
We are currently reviewing the country situation and will issue updated country policy and information notes shortly for Afghanistan, which reflect revised assessments of risk of persecution. We have therefore temporarily paused asylum decision making for Afghan nationals to ensure that our decision makers are only considering claimants’ protection needs in the light of relevant and up-to-date country information.
All asylum appeals from Afghan nationals will be reviewed ahead of any hearing to look at the individual claim in light of the changed country situation, current guidance and any further information submitted by the claimant, to assess whether the decision to refuse is still appropriate.
No one who is found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm in Afghanistan will be expected to return there, and enforced returns of those who have been refused asylum and have exhausted all rights of appeal are currently paused.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to expedite decisions on family reunion applications made by Afghan refugees in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office has already taken steps to prioritise any outstanding Family Reunion applications made by Afghan refugees in the UK.
The Home Office will not routinely expedite Afghan cases, as to do so would discriminate against other nationalities who may face similar risks, but we will consider cases on an individual basis to assess, in line with the existing approach on applications for Family Reunion, whether the risks presented mean the case should be expedited.