Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on visa-free 90-day tours by musicians between the EU and UK; and whether she plans to take steps to secure an improved agreement on visa-free travel for musicians.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK Government already makes a range of generous provision for musicians and other cultural performers to help support the vibrant cultural life of our Union.
Musicians visiting the UK may perform at events, make personal appearances, take part in competitions, promotional activities and auditions, for up to 6 months without the need for formal sponsorship or, for non-visa nationals, without a visa if they are not being paid beyond expenses or prize money. They can also receive payment for appearances at permit free festivals for up to 6 months, or for up to one month for a specific engagements, under the Visitor route.
Musicians and support staff who are being paid in the UK may also qualify for entry under the Tier 5 Creative Worker route, if they are sponsored by a UK entity licensed with UK Visas and Immigration for this purpose. Entry is for up to 12 months and the relevant rules also provide for accompanying dependants.
Entry under the Tier 5 Creative Worker route is visa-free for non-visa nationals, which includes EU Nationals, where entry is for no more than three months.
We set our provisions based on the assessment of the needs of our United Kingdom’s cultural sector, rather than tying them to decisions made by foreign jurisdictions and Governments. As I recently outlined to Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee, we are specifically reviewing the provisions on Permit Free Festivals and Permitted Paid Engagement for other cultural events in response to the points raised by those in the sector, particularly the Edinburgh International Festival.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help increase tourism to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
We are working with the tourism and hospitality sector to ensure it remains globally competitive.
Whether the UK leaves with a deal or not, the UK and the EU have proposed reciprocal visa-free travel arrangements to enable UK and EU citizens to continue to travel freely for tourism in the future. The Government has also confirmed that EU nationals can continue to travel on a national ID card until December 2020 and use e-gates when travelling on a passport. The Home Office has also announced this week that the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea have been added to the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to use ePassport gates to enter the UK.
For those visitors who need a visa, the UK Visas and Immigration service (UKVI) aims to deliver a world-class customer experience that is competitive, flexible and accessible. UKVI have a number of projects underway that will deliver significant customer service improvements this year.
The proposed tourism sector deal, which is in formal negotiations, has a strong focus on competitiveness through boosting connectivity (both transport connections and digital connectivity) and working with destinations to build quality tourism products that meet visitors needs and expectations. A key focus is also making the sector more attractive to UK nationals through investment in skills, career development and retention policies.
VisitBritain are also working hard to promote the UK as a destination, using targeted marketing in Europe, increasing work with partnerships such as EasyJet and increasing press engagement in the tourism market, featuring activities for visitors to do in the UK this summer.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on short stay visitor visas for EEA nationals wishing to visit the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Michael Ellis
My Department works closely with the Home Office on policies that affect tourism. The UK and the EU have proposed reciprocal visa-free travel arrangements to enable UK, EU and EEA citizens to continue to travel freely for tourism in the future. This is the case in both a deal or no deal scenario.
The Government has also confirmed that EU nationals and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland can continue to travel on a national ID card until December 2020 and use e-passport gates when travelling on a passport. We have published all of this information on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK will remain competitive in the tourism sector in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
We are working with the tourism and hospitality sector to ensure it remains globally competitive.
Whether the UK leaves with a deal or not, the UK and the EU have proposed reciprocal visa-free travel arrangements to enable UK and EU citizens to continue to travel freely for tourism in the future. The Government has also confirmed that EU nationals can continue to travel on a national ID card until December 2020 and use e-gates when travelling on a passport. The Home Office has also announced that the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea will be added to the list of countries whose nationals will be eligible to use ePassport gates to enter the UK from Summer 2019.
For those visitors who need a visa, the UK Visas and Immigration service (UKVI) aims to deliver a world-class customer experience that is competitive, flexible and accessible. UKVI have a number of projects underway that will deliver significant customer service improvements this year.
In terms of access to labour, the Government has confirmed that in a no deal scenario EU nationals can work or study in the UK for up to three months and those who wish to stay longer will need to apply to the Home Office for leave to remain within three months of arrival. Subject to identity, criminality and security checks, leave to remain will be granted for 36 months which will include permission to work and study. Those who wish to stay longer-term will need to apply in due course under the future immigration system. We will continue to engage with the tourism sector through the Tourism Industry Council on the proposed future immigration system from 2021.
The proposed tourism sector deal, which is in formal negotiations, has a strong focus on competitiveness through boosting connectivity (both transport connections and digital connectivity) and working with destinations to build quality tourism products that meet visitors needs and expectations. A key focus is also making the sector more attractive to UK nationals through investment in skills, career development and retention policies.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2018 to Question 183507 on Visas: Tourism, what information his Department holds on the number of visitor visa requests that have been refused in each of the last three years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Information on the number of visit visa application outcomes (grants, refusals, withdrawn and lapsed cases) is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1 table vi_01_q, latest edition at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018/list-of-tables#visas
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tourist visas were refused in each of the last five years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The available information relates to total visitor visas, and is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1 table vi_01_q, latest edition at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018/list-of-tables#visas
The standard visit visa has replaced:
• Family Visitor visa
• General Visitor visa
• Child Visitor visa
• Business Visitor visa, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists
• Sports Visitor visa
• Entertainer Visitor visa
• Prospective Entrepreneur visa
• Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa
• Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa
https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will respond to EDM 876 on visitor visas for people from India.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK continues to work with India to develop our bilateral relationship to deliver real benefits to both countries.
Visitors from India are important to our tourism market and the Government is committed to offering the most efficient and customer focused visa service in India.
Since January 2016 the UK has offered a two-year validity visit visa to Chinese nationals for the same price as a six-month visa. This is a pilot scheme, which we are running to assess the benefits and impacts of such an approach, and which will be subject to proper evaluation. There are currently no plans to extend this pilot to any other countries.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will respond to EDM 876 on visitor visas for people from India.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK continues to work with India to develop our bilateral relationship to deliver real benefits to both countries.
Visitors from India are important to our tourism market and the Government is committed to offering the most efficient and customer focused visa service in India.
Since January 2016 the UK has offered a two-year validity visit visa to Chinese nationals for the same price as a six-month visa. This is a pilot scheme, which we are running to assess the benefits and impacts of such an approach, and which will be subject to proper evaluation. There are currently no plans to extend this pilot to any other countries.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many UK nationals have been issued with visas for the purpose of visiting North Korea in a (a) professional and (b) tourism capacity since 1 January 2017.
Answered by Lord Sharma
It is for the North Korean authorities to issue visas to British Nationals visiting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The UK does not hold details of the number of visas they issue to British Nationals.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the tourism industry of the introduction of visa charges on travel to and from the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the EU. This means that EEA, Swiss and UK nationals continue to have the same rights and status that they had before the referendum.
The government will provide strong and proven leadership as Britain begins its negotiations to leave the European Union and forge a new role for ourselves in the world. We will work hard to get the right deal: one that is unique to Britain and not an ‘off the shelf’ solution. This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe - but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade in goods and services.
We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out further positions in advance. We are also not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of these negotiations. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.