§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions have been issued to entry clearance officers about the circumstances in which they require an applicant for settlement to submit to medical examination under paragraph 82 of HC 169.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI have been asked to reply.
In Commonwealth countries and Pakistan certain categories of applicant for settlement as a dependant, other than a spouse or child under 18, of a person settled in the United Kingdom arc required to have a medical examination before an entry clearance is issued. (This requirement does not apply to spouses or children under 18 who may not be refused admission on medical grounds.) Examining medical officers have not been appointed in other countries. Where there has not been a medical examination abroad the decision whether medical reasons make admission undesirable depends on the medical examination on arrival. Accordingly all persons coming for settlement are advised to have a medical examination before departure.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people were waiting for special quota vouchers to be issued in (a) June 1986, (b) December 1985 and (c) June 1985; when those issued with vouchers on those dates had applied; when those now applying can expect to receive vouchers; and how many applications there were for vouchers in 1985 and the first half of 1986.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI have been asked to reply.
Following a count of applications outstanding in India, the number of persons worldwide awaiting a decision on their application for a special voucher was estimated to be 4,000 at the end of December 1985 and 3,900 at the end of March 1986, the latest quarter for which complete data are available. The corresponding estimate for June 1985 is 4,200. The waiting time to main interview for non-priority 504W applicants interviewed in India at each of these three dates was about 8 years; priority applicants had waited in general up to 6 months. Applicants interviewed in other countries at the end of June 1985 had waited up to 3 months and, at the end of December 1985 and June 1986, up to 1½ months. It is expected that persons applying in India now will have to wait 4 to 5 years for their main interview if they do not qualify for priority, and up to 6 months if they do; current applicants in other countries will probably have to wait up to 1½ months. The number of applications newly received worldwide was 960 in 1985 and 480 in the first half of 1986.