Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department’s policy to notify successful applicants that they have been issued with an eVisa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
All applicants issued with an eVisa as evidence of their immigration status receive a written notification, either via email or post, once their immigration application has been successful, and their immigration permission granted. This notification confirms that the person has been issued an eVisa as evidence of their immigration status. It also includes information on what an eVisa is, and how to access and use it.
Immigration status holders who are not making an application but who take action to create a UKVI account to access their existing eVisa receive a notification via email once they complete the UKVI account creation process, confirming they can access their eVisa.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) older people and (b) people with legacy visas are not (i) disadvantaged and (ii) prevented from accessing services by the eVisa system.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office is committed to ensuring everyone, including the elderly, those who hold legacy documents and the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system. I have recently met with Age UK and other stakeholders to discuss how we can ensure support is reaching those who need it.
People can nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account, completing details to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application. Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, a ‘proxy’, who is authorised, can create and manage the account on behalf of the person. People can also contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk) for support via email and webchat, and telephone. They can also support people through the online process by helping them to access or recover their account, update their personal details and assisting them with technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, verify the person’s status through alternative means.
For those inside the UK our Assisted Digital service is available to provide support by phone and email to those who need help with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account. Access needs can include any disability that requires support to use online services, a lack of device or a lack of internet access. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-application.
We are also developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS.
On 18 September 2024, we announced that the Government is providing up to £4m in dedicated grant funding to a UK wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver valuable support to those who need it, during the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas. The list of organisations is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evisa-community-support-for-vulnerable-people.
We encourage holders of legacy paper documents, including passports that contain an ink stamp or vignette sticker (for those with Indefinite Leave to Enter or Indefinite Leave to Remain), to transition to an eVisa given the benefits this offers. They can do this by making a free ‘No Time Limit’ application via: GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information (homeoffice.gov.uk). However, Legacy document holders can prove their rights as they do today using their physical documents where these are permitted. This includes for proving the right to rent, or for travel to the UK.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support older people without internet access to (a) apply for and (b) access eVisas.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office is committed to ensuring everyone, including the elderly, those who hold legacy documents and the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system. I have recently met with Age UK and other stakeholders to discuss how we can ensure support is reaching those who need it.
People can nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account, completing details to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application. Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, a ‘proxy’, who is authorised, can create and manage the account on behalf of the person. People can also contact the UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk) for support via email and webchat, and telephone. They can also support people through the online process by helping them to access or recover their account, update their personal details and assisting them with technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, verify the person’s status through alternative means.
For those inside the UK our Assisted Digital service is available to provide support by phone and email to those who need help with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account. Access needs can include any disability that requires support to use online services, a lack of device or a lack of internet access. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/assisted-digital-help-online-application.
We are also developing services to make the relevant immigration status information available automatically through system to system checks with other government departments and the NHS.
On 18 September 2024, we announced that the Government is providing up to £4m in dedicated grant funding to a UK wide network of voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver valuable support to those who need it, during the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas. The list of organisations is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evisa-community-support-for-vulnerable-people.
We encourage holders of legacy paper documents, including passports that contain an ink stamp or vignette sticker (for those with Indefinite Leave to Enter or Indefinite Leave to Remain), to transition to an eVisa given the benefits this offers. They can do this by making a free ‘No Time Limit’ application via: GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information (homeoffice.gov.uk). However, Legacy document holders can prove their rights as they do today using their physical documents where these are permitted. This includes for proving the right to rent, or for travel to the UK.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to work with stakeholders in the Fire and Rescue services to establish national standards.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office funds the independent Fire Standards Board (FSB) to develop and maintain a comprehensive set of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England.
The FSB has published 19 national standards for fire and rescue services covering a range of topics from emergency response driving to leading and developing people and a code of ethics.
The Home Office will continue to work with stakeholders to build on the work of the FSB in the context of the Government’s fire and rescue service reform agenda. As part of this agenda in December I will chair the first meeting of a Ministerial Advisory Group, with representation from across the fire and rescue sector.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether airlines who will have responsibility for checking electronic travel authorisations (ETA) for EU nationals from 2 April 2025 will also have the ability to check (a) EU identity cards and (b) EU passports in order to verify those with settled status are exempt from the requirement to hold an ETA.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
If their passengers hold an ETA and are seeking to travel to the UK using the passport they used to apply for their ETA, airlines will receive automated messaging confirming the existence of a permission to travel.
If their passengers hold an eVisa and are seeking to travel on a passport registered on their Home Office account, airlines will receive automated messaging confirming the existence of a permission to travel.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) should register their passport and national identity card (if held) onto their Home Office account. This will ensure airlines receive the correct automated messaging if they seek to travel with either document.
It is important that all individuals with an eVisa (including those with status under the EUSS) keep their travel documents up to date and registered onto their Home Office account.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing emergency travel documents for surrogate babies of British nationals born in Ukraine.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
His Majesty’s Passport Office provides significant support to the commissioning parents of surrogate babies.
Where there are safety concerns, HM Passport Office works in conjunction with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to prioritise the processing of applications. Once a passport application has been made FCDO can consider issuing an Emergency Travel Document on a case by case basis where its existing exceptional circumstance criteria is met and checks have been satisfactorily completed.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2138 on Police: Vetting, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of English police forces in delivering Disclosure and Barring Service checks in a (a) satisfactory and (b) timely manner.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) send their Enhanced checks to a police force if there is a potential match against the names on the application form and local police systems.
DBS commissions 52 independent police disclosure units that are spread geographically across the nation and are operationally independent.
DBS has dedicated Police Performance Managers that assess, monitor and work closely with the police forces to ensure police performance against published DBS Key Performance Indicators remains strong.
The DBS’s target is to issue 80% of Enhanced checks within 14 days. DBS’ performance against this target is published every quarter: DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September to Question 2138 on Police: Vetting, what information her Department holds on the performance of police forces processing of Disclosure Barring Service checks that can be obtained without disproportionate cost.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) regularly publishes statistics on the overall processing times for each of their services. This includes checks where they are referred to police forces.
The most recent relevant data set was published July 30th is available at: gov.uk - DBS performance.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to publicise the ending of Biometric Residential Permits and transition to e-visas.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office is delivering a substantial communications and engagement campaign to advise customers of the transition to eVisas and the need for BRP holding customers to register for a UKVI account by the end of 2024, if they were not automatically provided with a UKVI account and eVisa when their most recent immigration application was approved.
This includes, but is not limited to, direct messaging to customers via email and text message where contact details are available, information on gov.uk/eVisa, and how-to videos available on YouTube and via gov.uk/eVisa. We have regular engagement with other government departments, immigration representatives, the education sector, employers, landlords, local authorities, foreign embassies, Home Office advisory groups, devolved administrations and migrant support organisations as part of the engagement process.
A 'partner pack’ of readily shareable content, including factsheets and social media content, has been developed and shared with other government departments and third party support networks which they can use to disseminate eVisa information to customers/clients with whom they engage. In April this year we issued a press notice about the transition to eVisa, and delivered detailed media briefings with UK and International media outlets.
For customers granted settlement (also known as indefinite leave to remain) prior to the introduction of BRPs, we have recommended through this campaign that they should make a No Time Limit application in order to secure an eVisa. Customers with these older forms of evidence of immigration status, such as ink stamps in passports, will still be able to prove their rights as they do today, using their legacy documents where these are permitted. However, we still encourage those individuals to transition to an eVisa, given the range of benefits it offers to customers and status checkers.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department have taken to inform residents with Indefinite Leave to Remain visas about the transition to e-visas.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office is delivering a substantial communications and engagement campaign to advise customers of the transition to eVisas and the need for BRP holding customers to register for a UKVI account by the end of 2024, if they were not automatically provided with a UKVI account and eVisa when their most recent immigration application was approved.
This includes, but is not limited to, direct messaging to customers via email and text message where contact details are available, information on gov.uk/eVisa, and how-to videos available on YouTube and via gov.uk/eVisa. We have regular engagement with other government departments, immigration representatives, the education sector, employers, landlords, local authorities, foreign embassies, Home Office advisory groups, devolved administrations and migrant support organisations as part of the engagement process.
A 'partner pack’ of readily shareable content, including factsheets and social media content, has been developed and shared with other government departments and third party support networks which they can use to disseminate eVisa information to customers/clients with whom they engage. In April this year we issued a press notice about the transition to eVisa, and delivered detailed media briefings with UK and International media outlets.
For customers granted settlement (also known as indefinite leave to remain) prior to the introduction of BRPs, we have recommended through this campaign that they should make a No Time Limit application in order to secure an eVisa. Customers with these older forms of evidence of immigration status, such as ink stamps in passports, will still be able to prove their rights as they do today, using their legacy documents where these are permitted. However, we still encourage those individuals to transition to an eVisa, given the range of benefits it offers to customers and status checkers.