Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether those on a ECAA-2 visa are eligible for Government support during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government is committed to ensuring people are not unfairly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a result of their immigration status.
To this end, a person who holds valid leave under the Turkish European Communities Association Agreement as a business person can benefit from the various schemes that have been introduced for businesses, where they meet the relevant eligibility criteria.
Details of the support available for persons affected by COVID-19 can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether businesspersons trading under an ECAA-2 visa are eligible for support from the Government during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including an initial £330 billion of guarantees – equivalent to 15% of UK GDP. Our current support measures are well-targeted at the businesses and individuals who most need support, bearing in mind the need to act very quickly to deliver this unprecedented package.
Businesspersons operating in the UK under a Turkish businesspersons’ visa (ECAA-2) are eligible for this support which includes:
The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support.
Details of the range of support for individuals affected by COVID-19 is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision there is for entry clearance for visitors from Iran in that country.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The provision for entry clearance for visitors from Iran is the same as for all countries whose nationals require a UK visit visa; individuals must submit a visit visa application, if the application meets the requirements of the Immigration Rules a visa will be issued.
In addition to the visa application centre in Tehran, individuals living in Iran wishing to apply for long term visas can submit their application in Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. An application for a UK visit visa can be submitted at any UK Visa Application Centre in the world. The UK keeps its visa system, including the capacity of facilities for submitting entry clearance applications, under regular review.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to change the capacity of facilities in Iran for entry clearance to the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The provision for entry clearance for visitors from Iran is the same as for all countries whose nationals require a UK visit visa; individuals must submit a visit visa application, if the application meets the requirements of the Immigration Rules a visa will be issued.
In addition to the visa application centre in Tehran, individuals living in Iran wishing to apply for long term visas can submit their application in Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. An application for a UK visit visa can be submitted at any UK Visa Application Centre in the world. The UK keeps its visa system, including the capacity of facilities for submitting entry clearance applications, under regular review.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2018 to Question 136142 on Visas: Turkey, if he will make it his policy to extend the transitional arrangements for Turkish business people who applied for settlement before 16 March 2018 to holders of a European Community Association Agreement visa for Turkish business persons that did not apply for settlement before that date, but who have been living in the UK for up to four years under the immigration rules in force since 1973.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
New Immigration Rules were announced on 15 June that enable Turkish business persons, workers and their family members who are in the UK under the European Communities Association Agreement (ECAA) to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The new rules which took effect from 6 July, mean that Turkish workers and business persons can now apply to settle in the UK after five years’ residence as an ECAA business person or ECAA worker (or in equivalent Points Based System routes, as long as the most recent period of leave was under the ECAA).
In the case of Aydogdu, the Upper Tribunal confirmed that the ECAA “standstill clause” under which 1973 Immigration Rules are applied to Turkish businesspersons did not apply to ILR in the UK, as ILR is not necessary to give effect to the UK’s obligations under the ECAA. The Government does not intend to extend transitional provisions to those Turkish business persons resident in the UK but who did not apply for settlement before 16 March 2018 because it is open to them either to apply for ILR under the new rules, or to extend their limited leave to remain as an ECAA business person free of charge.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2018 to Question 134853, whether her Department plans to introduce transitional arrangements for Turkish business people who have been in the UK for up to four years under the European Community Association Agreement with Turkey visa scheme to allow them to apply for indefinite leave to remain after four years in the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Turkish business persons who submitted settlement applications under the Ankara Agreement prior to 16 March 2018 will be assessed under the guidance which was in force at the date of application.
For those who do not fall into these transitional arrangements, the Home Office has already announced plans to introduce a new settlement route for Turkish business persons in the Immigration Rules later this year. While the requirements of such a category are to be determined, this will be a charged route in line with others who are seeking to settle in the UK.
Alternatively, Turkish business persons and their family members can continue to apply for further limited leave to remain under the Ankara Agreement on the same basis as they do now. Limited leave to remain applications continue to be free of charge.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to introduce the new route to Indefinite Leave for Remain (IDR) for self-employed Turkish business people in the UK under the European Community Association Agreement with Turkey (Ankara Agreement) Business Persons visa category; what principles her Department will apply in designing the new route to ILR; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the new route complies with the UK’s obligations under the Ankara Agreement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
A new settlement route for Turkish business persons will be introduced in the latter half of 2018. While the requirements of such a category are to be determined, this will be a charged route in line with others who are seeking to settle in the UK. We will announce the requirements in due course.
Case law of the Upper Tribunal has confirmed that there is no settlement route for Turkish business persons under the Ankara Agreement. The Home Office continues to comply with the Agreement in terms of assessing entry clearance to the UK and leave to remain for those Turkish nationals who wish to establish a business here.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Turkish nationals have been refused six month visitor visas in each of the last two years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The information available relating to visitor entry clearance visas for Turkish nationals is available at the following link:
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to continue to offer the Turkish Businessperson visa established under the terms of the Ankara Agreement after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office statistics does not routinely publish statistics on those granted entry clearance to the UK under the Ankara Agreement. Information on the number of entry clearance visas granted since 2005 (grouped by nationality and category) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/goverment/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/why-do-people-come-to-the-UK-2-to-work
UK-Turkey agreements, and our future relationship, will be considered as part of the UK’s EU exit arrangements. We will of course consult closely with our Turkish counterparts before taking any decisions.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Turkey on the future of the Turkish Businessperson visa established under the terms of the Ankara Agreement after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office statistics does not routinely publish statistics on those granted entry clearance to the UK under the Ankara Agreement. Information on the number of entry clearance visas granted since 2005 (grouped by nationality and category) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/goverment/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/why-do-people-come-to-the-UK-2-to-work
UK-Turkey agreements, and our future relationship, will be considered as part of the UK’s EU exit arrangements. We will of course consult closely with our Turkish counterparts before taking any decisions.