§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fast track visas have been granted to non-EU migrants each year since 1997. [120295]
§ Beverley HughesInformation on the number of work permits issued on the basis of the Shortage Occupation List (to which the term 'fast track visas' is assumed to refer) is only available from 2000 onwards. The number of such permits issued over this period is as follows:
Number 2000 24,485 2001 47,654 2002 49,572
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU citizens have been granted work permits in the United Kingdom in each year since 1992.[120296]
§ Beverley HughesThe total number of work permit approvals for each year since 1995 (the first year for which information is available) is as follows:
Number 1995 34,862 1996 38,256 1997 44,958 1998 53,962 1999 60,743 2000 88,651 2001 120,823 2002 136,151
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the target number of work permits to be issued was in each year since 1992.[120297]
§ Beverley HughesThe Government do not set targets for the number of work permits to be issued. Assumptions are made about the numbers of work permit applications that are expected to be received in order that Work Permits UK can effectively allocate resources to process applications.
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many software developers from(a) India, (b) elsewhere in the sub-Indian continent and 738W (c) other Asian countries have been granted (i) fast track visas and (ii) ordinary work permits in each year since 1992.[120298]
§ Beverley HughesThe numbers of work permits issued to all IT workers from these geographic areas since 2000 (the earliest year for which data on shortage occupations, to which the term 'fast track visas' is assumed to refer, is available) is as follows:
Shortage occupations Non-shortage occupations India 2000 3,950 7,519 2001 9,175 7,839 2002 7,039 10,324 Rest of Indian sub-Continent1 2000 114 103 2001 388 130 2002 453 280 Other Asian Countries2 2000 220 544 2001 499 727 2002 272 774 1 Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. 2 Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Mongolia, China, Bhutan, Taiwan, Japan, North and South Korea. Work Permits (UK) is not able to provide distinct figures for software developers.