§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will inform the British high commission in Islamabad of the outcome of their inquiries into an application by Mr. Shabir Ahmed, ref.: GV100/16328/TAH, who wishes to come to the United Kingdom as a priest; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleA letter from the British deputy high commissioner in Karachi referring Mr. Ahmed's application to the Home Office was received on 6 November. The immigration department wrote to the Nusrat-ul-Islam Mosque on 12 November seeking further information about Mr. Ahmed's proposed employment and are awaiting a reply. A decision will he taken as soon as the necessary enquiries have been completed.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those countries whose nationals are required to obtain a visa overseas prior to entering the United Kingdom; in what year the visa776W requirement was introduced in each of those countries; and for which countries a visa requirement has been withdrawn.
§ Mr. Charles WardleVisa requirements for the United Kingdom are set out in the appendix to the immigration rules—HC 251 as amended. The available information on the changes made to visa requirements is set out in the table.
Changes to United Kingdom visa requirements since 1 January 1973 Year Country Visas imposed 1973 Cuba, German Democratic Republic, Pakistan1 1976 Surinam 1980 Iran 1982 Argentina 1985 Sri Lanka 1986 Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Ghana 1987 Nigeria 1989 Turkey, Haiti 1990 Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia 1991 Uganda 1992 Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. The territories formerly comprising the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (excluding Croatia and Slovenia). Visas abolished 1973 Iran 1974 Niger 1978 United Arab Emirates, Surinam 1990 German Democratic Republic, Argentina, Hungary, Czechoslovakia 1992 US Pacific Trust Territories, Poland 1 Limited to dependants of those settled or admitted with an avenue to settlement.