Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of specialised visa renewals for touring groups to streamline the (a) time and (b) cost of visa applications for working musicians.

Overseas musicians and performers make an important contribution to the UK's creative sector and are very welcome in the United Kingdom. We therefore offer a range of immigration routes for creative workers.

Visiting artists, entertainers and musicians can come to the UK and perform at events, take part in competitions and auditions, make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities for up to six months without the need for formal sponsorship or a work visa if they are not receiving payment beyond expenses or prize money.

Those from non-visa national countries can come to perform in the UK and be paid without the need to obtain a visa in advance for up to one month under the Permitted Paid Engagement route, up to three months if they have been assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship by a licenced sponsor or for up to six months if performing at a Permit Free Festival. With no requirement to obtain a visa prior to travel, these options provide a flexible system which enables performance slots to be filled at short notice and reduces the administrative burden for performers.

For longer-term work, the Temporary Work – Creative Worker visa allows creative workers to come to the UK to undertake paid engagements for up to twelve months, which can be extended for a further twelve months in certain cases. We also offer priority and super priority services for those who wish to receive a quicker decision on their visa application (https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement).

Fees are kept under review and are set taking account of the charging powers provided by Section 68(9) of the Immigration Act 2014, which include the ability to set fees based on: the cost of processing the application, the benefits and entitlements provided by a successful application and the wider cost of the Migration and Borders system. Full details of which can be reviewed via the following link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/22/section/68

Income from fees charged for immigration and nationality applications plays a vital role in our ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system. Application fees have increased in recent years to reduce the funding that comes from general taxation.