Entry Clearances
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 2 November 2009
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the clearance process for applications for entry to the UK in cases where the entry clearance officers are not based in the countries from which the application has been submitted; and if he will make a statement.
Phil Woolas (Minister of State (the North West), Home Office; Oldham East & Saddleworth, Labour)
holding answer
The UK Border Agency will deploy its resources where it is most efficient and effective to do so, also taking account of security considerations. Although the decision on a visa application may be made in another location, applicants continue to submit their applications to, and collect their visas from the visa application centre in their country of residence, or the visa application centre designated to handle applications from applicants of their nationality. The registration part of the process can, in many cases, be separated from the decision part, making full use of modern communications systems and our partnerships with VFS Global and CSC Wordbridge.