Gov petition on visit visas for relatives

[ariskar]

This petition is getting traction on gov.uk website:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/206568

"Introduce automatic approval of visit visas for families of British Citizens"

[monza]

This petition is getting traction on gov.uk website:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/206568

"Introduce automatic approval of visit visas for families of British Citizens"

Thanks for the link I Have spread the word. I encourage to forward as much as we can.

Thanks for your invitative.

[monza]

This petition is getting traction on gov.uk website:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/206568

"Introduce automatic approval of visit visas for families of British Citizens"

[ariskar]

This petition is getting traction on gov.uk website:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/206568

"Introduce automatic approval of visit visas for families of British Citizens"

Thanks for the link I Have spread the word. I encourage to forward as much as we can.

Thanks for your invitative.

Thank you Monza. If true, this would be relief for many families.

Overseas relatives of BC often struggle to get a visit visa to attend the BC marriage, or visit for the birth of a child etc. because of absurdly high requirements of proof or return and finances that would be a challenge for a large majority of population of many non-EU countries.

Personally I am an EU citizen have applied for naturalisation (BC). My non-EU spouse will follow course and apply for BC. Her parents could not get a visa and join for our marriage in UK 3 years ago. We are soon expecting our first child and her siblings and parents have difficulties obtaining a visitor visa to be present, or help with the first weeks of having the newborn in our life.

Once one becomes BC, it is fair that they can assume legal responsibility for their guests, in case they overstay or breach immigration laws while invited by them. HO, with exit checks and the UK legal system can easily enforce this in a consistent manner and focus efforts on visitor/tourist visas of persons without relatives acting as a guarantor who have something to lose in case of immigration breaches.

[secret.simon]

The Home Office has responded to the petition and the response is neither surprising nor encouraging. Getting the signatures to 100,000 may get it debated in the Commons.
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The Government has no plans to change the Immigration Rules for visitors to introduce automatic approval of visit visas for families of British Citizens.

The UK welcomes genuine visitors to the UK. The visitor route offers a huge range of activities that can be undertaken whilst a person is in the UK, including spending time with family.

Every visitor is assessed against the same Immigration Rules regardless of nationality. The only difference is where that assessment is made. Some individuals are assessed overseas by an entry clearance officer, while others are assessed at the UK border. All visitors to the UK are assessed against the Immigration Rules on a case by case basis.

Nationals of some non-EEA countries need a visa to visit the UK. Visas are an important part of securing the UK’s border and are an effective tool for the UK in reducing illegal immigration, tackling organised crime and protecting national security.

Appendix V to the Immigration Rules sets out the requirements that a person seeking entry to the UK as a visitor must meet. This includes that a visitor must satisfy the decision maker that they are a genuine visitor who intends to leave the UK at the end of their visit and will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their own home. They must be able to show that they are able to accommodate, support and maintain themselves during their visit without working or accessing public funds. There is flexibility in the rules for visitors to be maintained and accommodated by friends or relatives.

Automatically approving visas for a select group of people would mean that important considerations against the Immigration Rules would not be applied consistently and could raise equality concerns. It could lead to discrimination against those who do not have family members in the UK but have just as valid a reason for wishing to visit the UK.

There is also a danger of additional complexity in the assessment process around how an individual would prove that they are the family member of a British citizen. There could be unintended consequences that make the application process longer, more difficult and costly.

The Government recognises the importance of family ties. In 2015 we simplified the immigration system for people visiting the UK by consolidating the number of visitor routes from fifteen to four and providing shortened, user-friendly Immigration Rules and guidance to make the requirements easier to understand. The changes created an easier-to-use, streamlined system with more flexibility for those visiting the UK over what they can do when they are in the UK.

[secret.simon]

House of Commons Westminster Hall debate on family visit visas.
Petition website updated
Video
Hansard/Transcript