Since 2015, the Department has undergone a number of significant changes and improvements to help increase consistency in decision making and ensure that visit visa decision notices are balanced and fair.<\/p>
The Department has:<\/p>
o Moved to thematic visa decision making centres, focussed on specific routes so decision makers are not making decisions on multiple routes during a working day and can build up expertise.<\/p>
o Brought in modular training by immigration route which all decision makers must undertake.<\/p>
o Refreshed its risk strategy which focusses on the individual attributes of the customer and ensures that they are at the heart of everything it does.<\/p>
o Increased the use of technology to help drive consistency and feedback through more detailed data.<\/p>
The Department continues to review existing processes and develop new approaches in line with best practice and welcomes reviews of its processes and procedures from independent agencies and external bodies.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4320", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Jenrick"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newark"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Jenrick"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-11-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-11-09T13:37:21.35Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-11-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration entitled Inspection report on family visitor visa applications July 2015, published on 16 July 2015, what steps her Department has taken to (a) help increase consistency in processing family visitor visas and (b) ensure that decision notices are balanced and clear.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"} ], "uin" : "75856"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1525078", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1525078/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine Visa Schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As such earlier this year the service standard for family entry clearance applications was changed from 60-days to 120-days as a direct result.<\/p>
<\/p>
The bulk of resource has now returned to the route, along with an additional investment of new staff.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are keeping the service standard level under review.<\/p>
Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4320", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Jenrick"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newark"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Jenrick"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-26T16:23:59.857Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the processing time for Family Visas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4466", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Peter Grant"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glenrothes"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Peter Grant"} ], "uin" : "68560"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1524181", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1524181/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Data on the number or proportion of family visa applications which have taken more than six months to process does not form part of any current transparency data and is not published.<\/p>
The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing and service standard data and can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<\/a>.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4369", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Pursglove"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Corby"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Tom Pursglove"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-24T14:47:03.26Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of family visa applications had passed the six month timeframe for a response as of 19 October 2022.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4482", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Owen Thompson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Midlothian"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Owen Thompson"}
], "uin" : "67094"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1437460", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1437460/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data and are not published.<\/p> Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data, at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-03-07T10:11:32.527Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for family visas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4651", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Carden"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, Walton"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Carden"}
], "uin" : "133265"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296954", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296954/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Home Office Migration Statistics do not capture the number applications received, granted and rejected for visas under the adult dependent relative rule. To capture these numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p> The number and outcome of visa applications for the adult dependant relative rule are grouped with other categories to make up the Family: Other (for immediate settlement) in our published statistics:<\/p> https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/962146/entry-clearance-visa-outcomes-datasets-dec-2020.xlsx<\/a><\/p> Her Majesty\u2019s Courts & Tribunals Service data relating to appeal outcomes is published here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2020<\/a><\/p> The data required for this question in terms of how many were granted through appeal cannot be produced through normal data cycles and would involve manual reconciliation which would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-03-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "161860"}
, {"_value" : "161861"}
, {"_value" : "161862"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-03-10T17:02:37.12Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visas under the adult dependent relative rule were (a) received, (b) granted and (c) rejected in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018, (iii) 2019 and (iv) 2020.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4671", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Afzal Khan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester, Gorton"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Afzal Khan"}
], "uin" : "161859"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296955", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296955/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Home Office Migration Statistics do not capture the number applications received, granted and rejected for visas under the adult dependent relative rule. To capture these numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p> The number and outcome of visa applications for the adult dependant relative rule are grouped with other categories to make up the Family: Other (for immediate settlement) in our published statistics:<\/p> https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/962146/entry-clearance-visa-outcomes-datasets-dec-2020.xlsx<\/a><\/p> Her Majesty\u2019s Courts & Tribunals Service data relating to appeal outcomes is published here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2020<\/a><\/p> The data required for this question in terms of how many were granted through appeal cannot be produced through normal data cycles and would involve manual reconciliation which would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-03-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "161859"}
, {"_value" : "161861"}
, {"_value" : "161862"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-03-10T17:02:37.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visas subject to the adult dependent relative rule were granted visas on first application in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4671", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Afzal Khan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester, Gorton"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Afzal Khan"}
], "uin" : "161860"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296956", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296956/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Home Office Migration Statistics do not capture the number applications received, granted and rejected for visas under the adult dependent relative rule. To capture these numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p> The number and outcome of visa applications for the adult dependant relative rule are grouped with other categories to make up the Family: Other (for immediate settlement) in our published statistics:<\/p> https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/962146/entry-clearance-visa-outcomes-datasets-dec-2020.xlsx<\/a><\/p> Her Majesty\u2019s Courts & Tribunals Service data relating to appeal outcomes is published here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2020<\/a><\/p> The data required for this question in terms of how many were granted through appeal cannot be produced through normal data cycles and would involve manual reconciliation which would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-03-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "161859"}
, {"_value" : "161860"}
, {"_value" : "161862"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-03-10T17:02:37.22Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Families"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visas subject to the adult dependent relative rule were granted a visa on appeal in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4671", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Afzal Khan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester, Gorton"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Afzal Khan"}
], "uin" : "161861"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296958", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1296958/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Home Office Migration Statistics do not capture the number applications received, granted and rejected for visas under the adult dependent relative rule. To capture these numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p> The number and outcome of visa applications for the adult dependant relative rule are grouped with other categories to make up the Family: Other (for immediate settlement) in our published statistics:<\/p> https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/962146/entry-clearance-visa-outcomes-datasets-dec-2020.xlsx<\/a><\/p> Her Majesty\u2019s Courts & Tribunals Service data relating to appeal outcomes is published here:<\/p>