Q4 Visa Statistics released by the Home Office

Headline Immigration and Asylum Statistics:

• Asylum applications dropped by 30% to 4,765 – the lowest level since 1992
• Asylum application decisions increased by 36%
• The grant rate for Asylum applications fell to 13%
• Worker Registration Scheme applications fell to 28,495 (Quarter 4 2009 = 30,600, Quarter 4 2008 = 52,765)
• Removals and Voluntary Departures decreased from 67,980 in 2008 to 64,750 in 2009
• immigration from the A8 accession countries has fallen
• Long term UK immigration remains at 518,000 in 2009 compared to 531,000 in 2008

Phil Woolas, the Border and Immigration Minister said “Asylum applications for the last three months of 2009 were the lowest since the early 1990\’s. Net migration is down, and the new UK Border Agency is increasingly successful. Our border has never been stronger, as shown by the fall in the number of asylum applications. Our new flexible points based system also gives us greater control over those coming to work or study from outside Europe, ensuring that only those that Britain need can come. We are making the UK a more hostile place for illegal immigrants by issuing foreign nationals with ID cards, checking those who apply for visas against watch lists and fining those who employ illegal workers.\’

Research Development Statistics

Over the next few days Commonwealth Contractors will produce a number of detailed news articles on specific areas of Quarter 4’s Immigration and Asylum Statistics. The articles will look at areas including; Application to vary Leave to Remain, Settlement Applications (Permanent Residence), British Citizenship Applications, Bulgarian and Romanian Accession Statistics, Immigration Enforcement and Compliance.

All articles will be compiled from the Research Development Statistics (RDS) published by the Home Office. The RDS statistics cover; Passenger arrivals, Asylum applications / decisions / appeals, Port of entry refusals / enforced removals / voluntary departures, people detained under immigration powers, immigration appeals and applications for an extension of stay (including settlement).

Information gathered by the Home Office and published in the Research Development Statistics is taken from administrative records and passenger landing cards.

Commonwealth Contractors

Commonwealth Contractors is a collection of highly skilled professionals from the Commonwealth and beyond. We partner with OISC Registered Immigration Partners capable of professionally representing a Tier 1 Visa Application / Extension and Tier 2 Licensed Consultancy & Associated Trust Partners who may be prepared, where required, to sponsor a doctor on a Tier 2 Visa (formerly UK Work Permit).

To find out more call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your details now and we will get right back to you. Please be prepared to send a copy of a recent CV so that we can pass to interested partners.