We currently split our customer service standards into two categories, 'settlement' and 'non-settlement'. The 'settlement' category includes applications: to enter the UK to join or accompany a spouse or civil partner; and from children to enter the UK to join or accompany a parent that is settled in the UK. The ‘non-settlement’ category includes applications to enter the UK: as a visitor (including as a tourist, to visit family, to conduct business, as a short-term student); as a highly skilled migrant under PBS Tier 1; a skilled worker under PBS Tier 2; a student under PBS Tier 4; a temporary worker under PBS Tier 5 (including Youth Mobility); and in all other non-settlement categories (including EEA Family Permits, UK Ancestry, Returning Residents, Transit). The average processing times for these two categories of applications for the last five years are: Non-settlementapplications 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Averagetime taken(days) 5.8 7.4 7.6 7.3 7.2 Applicationvolumes(million) 2.49 2.54 2.46 2.37 2.33 Settlementapplications 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Averagetime taken(days) 30.5 40.4 36.2 54.4 51.0 Applicationvolumes 79,000 75,000 78,000 64,000 65,000 We have service standards for processing UK visa applications. Our standards say that we will process: 90% of non-settlement applications within three weeks, 98% within six weeks and 100% within 12 weeks of the application date; and 95% of settlement applications within 12 weeks of the application date and 100% within 24 weeks of the application date. We define one week as five working days. The figures for average processing times are given in working days. The processing time starts when the biometric data is given by the applicant, and ends when a decision has been made and is ready for collection by the applicant or has been dispatched to the applicant.