HC Deb 13 July 1992 vol 211 cc479-87W
Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from(a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiancés and(d)

Table 1
Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom
Number of persons or percentage
Husbands
1991 1992
1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 70 70 50 60 240 80
Applications granted2 40 40 20 30 130 50
Applications refused initially 50 40 40 30 150 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 52 n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received 100 80 80 70 320 80
Applications granted2 30 40 40 30 140 50
Applications refused initially 40 30 50 60 170 60
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 48 n/a
Dhaka
Applications received1 130 190 200 280 800 210
Applications granted2 70 60 60 40 220 70
Applications refused initially 60 40 50 60 200 50
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 43 n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 560 480 600 630 2,270 840
Applications granted2 380 440 300 380 1,500 340
Applications refused initially 400 330 410 470 1,610 460
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 42 n/a

Number of persons or percentage
Fiances
1991 1992
1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 50 50 50 30 180 40
Applications granted2 20 30 10 20 60 30
Applications refused initially 40 20 30 40 120 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 67 n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received1 70 50 20 30 180 70
Applications granted2 10 20 20 40 80 10
Applications refused initially 30 10 20 80 140 50
Refusal rate (percentage)1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 54 n/a
Dhaka
Applications received1 5 5 5 5 10 10
Applications granted2 5 5 5 5 5 5

(d) financeées made at British posts in (i) New Delhi, (ii) Bombay, (iii) Calcutta, (iv) Madras, (v) Dhaka, (vi) Islamabad, (vii) Karachi and (viii) Colombo for each quarter since January 1991 were (A) received, (B) granted and (C) refused; how many refusals at each post were (1) wholly and (2) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the primary purpose of the marriage was not immigration; how many refusals at each post were (x) wholly and (y) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the couple could support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds; what was the refusal rate at each post; and what percentage of those refusals were wholly and partly on primary purpose grounds.

Mr. Charles Wardle

Information for the Indian sub-continent for each quarter of 1991 and for the first quarter of 1992 is given in the tables. Where the numbers are small, the figures for individual posts have been combined. Information on refusals which takes account of successful appeals is not compiled for periods shorter than 12 months. Corresponding information for Colombo is not available centrally.

Fiances
1991 1992
1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1st quarter
Applications refused initially 5 5 5 5 5 5
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 4 n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 70 40 60 50 220 60
Applications granted2 50 50 70 40 220 30
Applications refused initially 70 30 50 40 190 20
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 28 n/a

Number of persons or percentage
Wives
1991 1992
1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 200 170 140 170 680 210
Applications granted2 130 110 150 160 540 180
Applications refused initially 20 20 40 20 90 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 14 n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received1 450 260 220 260 1,180 420
Applications granted2 320 270 300 270 1,160 330
Applications refused initially 30 20 20 30 100 50
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 7 n/a
Dhaka
Applications received1 240 290 320 290 1,130 280
Applications granted2 240 180 220 190 840 220
Applications refused initially 30 20 20 20 100 40
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 8 n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 800 640 720 740 2,900 910
Applications granted2 890 650 700 780 3,010 830
Applications refused initially 90 60 120 100 360 110
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 8 n/a

Number of persons or percentage
Fiancees
1991 1992
1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 50 60 70 50 230 60
Applications granted2 40 10 30 30 110 30
Applications refused initially 30 10 20 20 70 20
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 40 n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received1 50 50 40 30 160 40
Applications granted2 30 20 10 60 130 30
Applications refused initially 10 5 5 10 30 10
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 10 n/a
Dhaka
Applications received1 10 10 5 5 20 5
Applications granted2 5 10 10 5 20 5
Applications refused initially 5 5 5 5 5 5
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 4 n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 40 60 60 60 210 50
Applications granted2 50 40 40 30 160 40
Applications refused initially 5 10 20 20 50 10
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 24 n/a
1 Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed.
2 Granted initially or on appeal.
3 Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal, as a percentage of applications decided.
4 Percentage not calculated for five or fewer applicants refused.
5 Five or fewer.

n/a = not available.

Table 2
Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent refused1 entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom in 1991
Number of persons or percentage
Number refused because couple could not accommodate and/or maintain themselves without recourse to public funds: Number refused because primary purpose of the marriage was to obtain admission to the United Kingdom Primary purpose refusals as a percentage of all refusals:
Solely for these reasons Partly for these reasons Solely for this reason Partly for this reason Solely on primary purpose grounds Partly on primary purpose grounds
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands 4 10 110 10 76 10
Fiances 10 80 10 69 12
Wives 10 60 10 75 9
Fiancees 40 20 60 20
Bombay
Husbands 110 82 3
Fiances 10 90 10 88 8
Wives 10 40 10 52 10
Fiancees 10 267 27
Ohaka
Husbands 20 30 70 40 43 21
Fiances 3 3
Wives 20 10 5 2
Fiancees 3 3
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands 20 380 550 380 52 35
Fiances 20 40 30 52 34
Wives 100 40 40 30 16 11
Fiancees 20 10 6 4
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands 40 430 840 430 56 29
Fiances 40 210 50 70 17
Wives 120 60 150 50 30 9
Fiancees 20 10 60 20 40 13
1 Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal.
2 Percentage based on fewer than 15 applications refused.
3 Percentage not calculated for five or fewer applications refused.
4 Five or fewer, or ½ per cent, or less.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from(a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiancés and (d) fiancées in each British post in all countries apart from those of the Indian sub continent were (a) granted and (b) refused in each quarter since January 1991; how many such applications in each category, at each post and in each quarter were refused (i) wholly and (ii) partly because of the primary purpose rule; what was the refusal rate at each post; and what percentage of those refusals were (x) wholly and (y) partly on primary purpose grounds.

Mr. Charles Wardle

The only information requested which is available centrally is that on applications granted and refused in Hong Kong, and is given in the table.

Applications in Hong Kong for entry clearance to the United Kingdom
Number of persons
Applications
Granted1 Refused initially
Wives
1991
1st quarter 50 3
2nd quarter 40 3
3rd quarter 40
4th quarter 30 3
1992
1st quarter 40

Applications
Granted1 Refused initially
Husbands, fiances2
1991
1st quarter 20 3
2nd quarter 20 3
3rd quarter 30 3
4th quarter 20
1992
1st quarter 10 3
Fiancees
1991
1st quarter 3 3
2nd quarter 10
3rd quarter 3
4th quarter 3 3
1992
1st quarter 3
—Nil.
1Granted initially or on appeal.
2Data for husbands and fiances separately are not available.
3 Five or fewer.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for(a) single entry and (b) multiple entry visit visas were (A) received, (B) granted and (C) refused at each post in the Indian subcontinent, Ghana, Nigeria and Jamaica in each quarter of 1991 and the first quarter of 1992; what was the delay between application and interview for those whose applications were felt to need a second or long interview at each of the above posts in (i) June 1991, (ii) January 1992, (iii) June 1992 or (iv) the nearest available date.

Mr. Charles Wardle

Information on applications in Jamaica for a visit entry clearance, and separate information on applications in the other countries for single entry and multiple entry visit visas, are not available centrally. The other information requested is given in the tables.

Table 1: Persons applying for a visit visa to the United Kingdom
Number of persons Applications
Newly received1 Granted Refused initially
Dhaka
1991
1st quarter 1,700 1,230 400
2nd quarter 3,180 2,470 580
3rd quarter 3,730 2,790 810
4th quarter 2,830 1,980 750
Year 11,450 8,480 2,530
1992
1st quarter 2,450 1,780 560
New Delhi
1991
1st quarter 7,360 5,620 600
2nd quarter 16,750 13,330 1,400
3rd quarter 13,130 9,770 1,190
4th quarter 6,460 5,040 620
Year 43,700 33,750 3,810
1992
1st quarter 7,190 5,580 760
Bombay
1991
1st quarter 6,700 5,400 1,140
2nd quarter 16,660 14,350 2,060
3rd quarter 9,760 8,840 1,390
4th quarter 5,360 4,520 720
Year 38,480 33,120 5,300
1992
1st quarter 6,770 5,870 790
Calcutta
1991
1st quarter 980 920 40
2nd quarter 2,890 2,770 50
3rd quarter 2,020 1,940 30
4th quarter 870 850 40
Year 6,760 6,480 160
1992
1st quarter 1,130 1,080 30
Madras
1991
1st quarter 1,540 1,490 50
2nd quarter 3,440 3,380 70
3rd quarter 3,040 2,970 60
4th quarter 1,230 1,180 60
Year 9,250 9,010 230
1992

Number of persons Applications
Newly received1 Granted Refused initially
1st quarter 1,960 1,900 40
Islamabad
1991
1st quarter 6,930 4,600 2,040
2nd quarter 14,050 9,570 3,420
3rd quarter 14,470 8,770 4,150
4th quarter 8,650 4,620 3,050
Year 44,110 27,570 12,650
1992
1st quarter 7,870 4,350 2,430
Karachi
1991
1st quarter 2,720 2,510 250
2nd quarter 8,410 7,290 830
3rd quarter 7,310 6,220 900
4th quarter 4,630 3,660 910
Year 23,070 19,680 2,890
1992
1st quarter 3,660 2,910 540
Accra
1991
1st quarter 3,280 2,320 520
2nd quarter 5,990 4,840 1,060
3rd quarter 6,690 4,920 1,530
4th quarter 3,590 2,470 1,130
Year 19,550 14,550 4,240
1992
1st quarter 2,710 1,920 820
Lagos
1991
1st quarter 13,520 8,960 3,160
2nd quarter 14,340 8,960 3,400
3rd quarter 7,090 9,030 2,530
4th quarter 17,810 12,150 4,980
Year 52,760 39,090 14,070
1992
1st quarter 11,410 7,210 2,590
Kaduna
1991
1st quarter 1,320 1,060 170
2nd quarter 2,040 1,550 360
3rd quarter 2,660 2,150 360
4th quarter 1,960 1,440 520
Year 7,980 6,210 1,420
1992
1st quarter 1,670 1,160 400
1 Including applications subsequently withdrawn.

Table 2: Waiting time for persons applying for a visit visa who required a lengthy interview
Number of days
Post Waiting time for person interviewed at end of period
June 1991 January 1992 May 1992
Dhaka 1 1 1
New Delhi 1 1 1
Bombay 1 1 1
Calcutta 1 1 1

Post Waiting time for person interviewed at end of period
June 1991 January 1992 May 1992
Madras 1 1 1
Islamabad 1 8 9
Karachi 1 3 414
Accra 5 22 39
Lagos 15 25 32
Kaduna 8 28 38
2 Same day.
2 At end of December 1990.
3 At end of March 1991.
4 At end of April 1992.

Admissions to the United Kingdom of BDTCs and BN(O)s from Hong Kong
Number
Admission category 1991 1992
1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1st quarter1
Visitors
ordinary 4,950 9,050 18,400 7,140 39,600 7,700
business 1,090 1,410 1,480 1,400 5,390 1,590
Students 460 300 7,320 1,010 9,100 490
Husbands and fiances2 10 20 20 20 60 10
Wives and Fiances2 40 40 50 30 170 30
Parents and Grandparents2 10 3 3 10 30 3
Children2 50 50 120 30 240 20
1 Provisional figures.
2 Seeking, or accepted for, settlement in the United Kingdom.
3 Five or fewer.

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