In-UK Visa Applications prior to August 2003

[John]

About three weeks ago I asked an MP if he would asked a Parliamentary Written Question, namely .... with the answer from the Home Secretary personally :-

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications made in the United Kingdom for a visa submitted prior to the introduction of the new charging policy on 1 August 2003 remain to be dealt with; and when he expects that all such applicants will have heard the result of their applications.

Mr. Charles Clarke: The date of the introduction of the new charging policy, 1 August 2003, precedes accurate data from the current casework database, and statistics are therefore not entirely reliable. Provisional management information suggests around 500 general group leave to remain cases submitted prior to 1 August 2003 are undecided. Consideration of these cases is ongoing and applicants will be notified as soon as a decision in their case has been made.

In-UK visa applications made prior to 01.08.03 were free. Those made on or after 01.08.03 usually need to be paid-for. It has been clear for some while that IND has given priority to paid-for applications. And now, over two-and-a-half years later they still admit that there are applications not yet dealt with. Whilst fully accepting that some applications do take longer than others to deal with, I think it is totally unacceptable that any applicant should have to wait so long for their application to be dealt with ... for whatever reason.

[tvt]

This is outrageous. Even animals are treated more favourably.

[John]

There is also :-

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications made in the United Kingdom for a spouse visa submitted prior to the introduction of the no switching rule remain to be dealt with; and when he expects that all such applicants will have heard the result of their applications.

Charles Clarke : The no switching rule for leave to remain as a spouse came into force on 1 April 2003. This date precedes accurate data from the current casework database, and statistics are therefore not entirely reliable. Provisional management information suggests that about 70 spouse applications in General Group have been outstanding from before 1 April 2003. It is not known how many of these cases might be switching applications.

Again, this is totally appalling! 01.04.03 is three years ago, in one month time. OK the estimated 70 pre-switching rule applications are no doubt included in the estimated 500 pre 01.08.03 visa applications, but nevertheless the fact that there are any at all outstanding is ridiculous.

We are not talking here about people who have heard the result of their application, and are appealing. We are talking about those who have applied and who have still to hear the result of their application. The fact that Charles Clarke has personally answered both questions, rather than the Immigration Minister as expected, suggests that IND are now under pressure from the highest level in the Home Office to resolve these outstanding applications as soon as possible.

One thing is certain, at a Parliamentary level the subject matter of the two questions will not be dropped .... it will be pursued further.