Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent agencies block-booking visa appointments.

As part of the visa application process, customers overseas are invited to book an appointment to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) operated by commercial partners, VFS or TLScontact, on behalf of UKVI.

To prevent appointments being block-booked by agents, commercial partners release appointments in stages, rather than in large batches, and vary the dates and times at which appointments become available so agents cannot anticipate release.