Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) speed of processing and (b) adequacy of the visa application process for overseas research partners visiting UK universities.

UKVI encourages all customers to apply in good time ahead of intended travel dates. Customers can also make use of UKVI’s optional priority visa services for visit visas in certain locations.

UKVI is currently operating inside all published service standards for straightforward Visit visa applications. These are:

- Super Priority (24 hours)

- Priority (5 working days)

- Standard (3 weeks)

UKVI updates any changes to its current wait times regularly on .GOV- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-processing-times-applications-outside-the-uk#visit-visas

UKVI regularly reviews its processes throughout the year using feedback from a variety of sources. It is also continuing to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives which will speed up and simplify decision making, reduce the time people spend in the system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.