The background is this. Prior to 1st August 2003 in-UK visa applications were free and then as from 1st August 2003 charges were imposed. It was announced at the time that separate work units would deal with the new paid-for applications compared to the older free ones. In other words it is possible to separately identify the progress being made on the pre-1st August 2003 applications.Visa Applications
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications made in the UK prior to 1 August 2003 remain to be dealt with; how many personnel are dealing with the applications; and when he expects the applications to be processed and a decision made. [211002]
Mr. Browne: Some 500 applications for further leave to remain predating 1 August 2003 are currently awaiting decision in General Group 2, which is part of the Managed Migration Directorate.
The equivalent of 7.3 caseworkers are allocated full-time to this work with a further nine working part-time. The work is dealt with in priority order.
Clearly the great majority of those applications were dealt with in August, September or certainly in 2003. However a number of more difficult-to-decide cases still remain.
And now we know how many! With about 500 such cases still to be dealt with, and 7.3 caseworkers allocated full-time to this work, and more help from part-timers, hopefully decisions will be made on even these difficult cases within the foreseeable future.
Total guess, quite possibly well out, but working on the basis of a difficult case taking one man-day to process, including any necessary internal reviews, as 500/7.3 = less than 70 working days, hopefully initial decisions will be made on all these cases within the next three months or so.
If not, a shocking example of IND handling applications extremely badly.