Visa Nationals (Hansard, 17 April 1991)

§ Mr. Kenneth Baker

At present, a visa national who intends to leave the United Kingdom for a visit abroad 179W and then to return before the expiry of his current leave can obtain a re-entry visa from the Home Office. However, because re-entry visas are issued without substantive consideration of applications, they do not contribute to immigration control and I am not satisfied that they represent an effective use of resources. Furthermore, because returning visitors are eligible to receive a fresh six months' leave on each admission, a visa national can in theory prolong a visit indefinitely and without effective scrutiny through repeated use of re-entry visas. I have therefore decided that re-entry visas will no longer be issued with effect from 16 May 1991 and that alternative arrangements should be made.

In recent years it has been the practice, when introducing a new visa regime, to provide an exemption for visa nationals who are settled here or have been admitted for work, study or other long-term purposes. The visa exemption scheme, currently limited to 11 visa nationalities, is functioning satisfactorily and there is no longer any reason why its scope should remain confined in this way. I am therefore laying before Parliament today immigration rules changes to extend the scheme to all visa nationalities. From 16 May any visa national who is settled here and returns after an absence of not more than two years, or has been granted a limited leave of more than six months and returns before the expiry date of that leave, will benefit from the exemption.

Visitors will remain outside the scope of the exemption scheme. However, in order to provide increased flexibility for those who plan to travel abroad and return during a

Year	Current balance (1) £ million	Balance on trade in oil (2) £ million	Non-North sea current balance¹ (3) £ million	Non-North sea current balance as a percentage of non-North sea money GDP^{2 3} (4)
1970	821	-496	1,317	2.5
1971	1,114	-691	1,805	3.1
1972	203	-665	868	1.3
1973	-998	-944	-54	-0.1
1974	-6,822	-3,360	-3,462	-4.1
1975	-1,525	-3,062	1,537	1.5
1976	-772	-3,952	3,180	2.6
1977	53	-2,775	2,828	2.0
1978	1,123	-1,989	3,112	1.9
1979	-453	-737	284	0.1
1980	2,843	308	2,535	1.1
1981	6,748	3,105	3,643	1.5
1982	4,649	4,639	10	0.0
1983	3,787	6,972	-3,185	-1.1
1984	1,832	6,933	-5,101	-1.7
1985	2,738	8,101	-5,363	-1.6
1986	-66	4,070	-4,136	-1.1
1987	-4,322	4,183	-8,505	-2.1
1988	-15,542	2,797	-18,339	-4.0
1989	-19,904	1,303	-21,207	-4.2
1990	-12,794	1,576	-14,370	-2.7
Forecast £ billion⁴
1991	-6	+1	-7	-1
¹ Defined as col. 1 less col. 2.
² Non-North sea GDP is the average measure of GDP at current market prices less the value added of the extraction of mineral oil and natural gas industry.
¹Based on non-North sea money GDP figures adjusted to remove the distortion caused by the abolition of domestic rates.
⁴Source: consistent with financial statement and Budget report 1991–92.

180W

visit, my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary has decided to introduce on 16 May a new multiple entry visa valid for six months. This will replace and carry the same charge as the existing six month double entry visa. The existing two year and five year multiple entry visas will remain available.