Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allow event organisers to apply earlier for speaker’s visas to ensure that they are considered in time for events.

There are currently no plans to introduce a separate earlier application window for speakers attending events in the UK.

The three-month application window for visit visas is a longstanding operational policy designed to ensure decisions are based on an applicant's most up-to-date circumstances. It applies equally to all visitors and helps maintain the integrity of the immigration system.

The Home Office publishes service standards of three weeks for non-settlement visit visa applications made outside the UK. In addition, a range of paid priority services are available in many locations, providing applicants and event organisers with flexibility where a faster decision is required.

The Home Office will continue to keep this approach under review.