§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long a person who applied for entry clearance for settlement in (i) February, (ii) March, (iii) April, (iv) May and (v) June can be expected to have to wait for an interview in each queue at each post in the Indian subcontinent. [90755]
§ Mr. Hoon[holding answer 12 July 1999]: The figures requested are as follows:
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Waiting time in weeks on last day of month Post Queue February March April May Bombay 1— 0 0 0 0 2— 8 8 8 7 3— 8 8 8 7 4— 8 8 8 7 Calcutta 5— 0 0.2 2 3 Colombo 5— 1.5 5 7 7 Dhaka 1— 14 12 10 12 2— 26 18 20 24 3— 14 11 9 12 4— 34 37 38 54 Islamabad 1— 13 12 12 12 2— 30 33 39 41 3— 32 36 36 46 4— 36 40 40 53 Karachi 5— 6 8 8 7 Madras 5— 9 6 4 10
Waiting time in weeks on last day of month Post Queue February March April May New Delhi 1— 0 0 0 0 2— 13 14 14 16 3— 23 22 24 26 4— 24 28 25 29 1 Right of Abode claimants; dependent relatives over 65; special compassionate cases 2 Spouses, children under 18 3 Fiance(e)s, other settlement categories 4 Re-applicants 5 Calcutta, Colombo, Karachi and Madras do not operate separate queues Note:
Figures for June are in the process of being compiled and are not therefore available.
The extended queues in Islamabad and Dhaka in particular are a consequence of seasonal pressures. We have deployed additional staff to deal with increased applications for short-term visits. We will deploy further staff as necessary in early autumn to reduce the numbers waiting for settlement entry clearance and bring forward interview dates.
§ Mrs. DeanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average waiting time is for an initial interview by an entry clearance officer in Islamabad. [91084]
§ Mr. HoonWaiting times for interviews vary according to the categories of the application. Some applicants can be issued visas without an interview. The latest figures we have for waiting times in Islamabad for those categories that require interview are for the last working day in May. They are as follows:
Waiting time Tier 3 (Visit) 21 days Tier 4 Q1 (Right of Abode claimants, dependent relatives over 65, special compassionate cases) 12 weeks Q2 (Spouses, children under 18) 41 weeks Q3 (Finance(e)s, other categories) 46 weeks Q4 (Re-applicants) 53 weeks The extended queues in Islamabad and Dhaka in particular are a consequence of seasonal pressures. We have deployed additional staff to deal with increased applications for short-term visits. We will deploy further staff as necessary in early autumn to reduce the numbers waiting for settlement entry clearance and bring forward interview dates.