§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the charge in(a) the relevant local currency and (b) pounds sterling equivalent for an application for a visitor's visa in (i) India, (ii) Pakistan and (iii) Bangladesh in each of the last five years for which information is available. [113140]
§ Mr. VazThe current charges in pounds sterling for the various categories of non-settlement visas are as follows:
£ Single entry 33 Multiple entry (6 months) 45 Multiple entry (1 year) 55 Multiple entry (2 years) 65 Multiple entry (5 years) 80 Long term non-settlement 50 Visa fees are set at a standard sterling rate globally and are converted into local currency according to the commercial rate of exchange. Fees expressed in local currency may therefore, vary from week to week.
The charges for non-settlement visas have remained unchanged since August 1995, apart from the fee for the 5-year multiple entry visa. This was reduced from £130 to £80 in June 1997.
§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current arrangements for assessing sponsors' particulars in respect of applications for visitors' visas from(a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Bangladesh; when they were last amended; and for what reason. [113139]
§ Mr. VazThe precise documentation required by sponsors of visa applicants varies according to the type of visa applied for and the circumstances of the individual case. Guidance on the type of documentation required is available to applicants and their sponsors in leaflets available from the FCO and from Visa Sections overseas. This information is also available on the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk.
§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for visitors' visas were received from 619W (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Bangladesh; and what percentage of these were refused in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [113141]
1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 Received Refused % Received Refused % Received Refused % Received Refused % Received Refused % India Bombay 69,455 7.8 61,450 7.4 54,028 7.9 50,980 7.7 47,148 6.7 Calcutta 9,545 1.7 8,678 1.0 9,149 1.2 8,259 1.5 7,652 1.8 Madras 26,621 3.5 23,544 3.6 18,720 3.4 16,382 1.7 15,196 1.6 New Delhi 64,430 16.4 57,804 13.3 52,078 12.7 51,187 16.6 45,280 15.6 Pakistan Islamabad 40,537 21.4 38,250 14.7 23,828 20.3 31,354 26.0 35,597 25.7 Karachi 29,725 13.1 27,536 11.3 26,243 7.0 27,873 10.5 28,342 10.8 Bangladesh Dhaka 14,983 22.4 12,822 21.7 13,115 27.2 13,808 26.7 14,425 30.1 Further details of statistics on non-settlement visa applications can be found in the Global Entry Clearance Statistics, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library for the years 1994–98. Statistics for 1999 are currently being compiled and will be placed in the Library in due course.