Freedom of Information: FLR(M) Processing Times and Questions

[KeithD]

For those waiting on FLR(M) UK Visas or are about to apply, please keep an eye on this Freedom of Information question(s). A reply should appear within 20 working days of it being posted and basically includes all the questions we would like to have answers for: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reques...utgoing-223988

On another FOI page I found the following:

How much staff resource at UKBA is and has been dedicated to processing visas relating to the Olympics@ Have people been relocated to this work from other areas? Has the Olympics caused delays in the processing times for other visas?

The UKBA plans its staffing requirements and deployment overseas based on overall forecasts of likely visa demand. Our forecasts take into account a variety of factors that can cause demand to fluctuate including seasonality, policy changes, the global and regional economic/political situation, etc.

We recruited an additional 151 temporary entry clearance staff to ensure we continued to meet customer service standards over the busy summer period, which would include visitor visa applications for people coming to see the Olympics. We recruited 134 such staff in the previous year. In the first half of this year we met our service standards of processing 90% all non-settlement visa applications within 15 working days.

We do not distinguish general Olympic/Paralympic visitors (e.g. spectators, etc) from other visit visa applicants. Games Family Members with full accreditation are exempt from visa requirements. The only visa applications that we can identify as being specifically related to the Olympics/Paralympics are those for the Olympic/Paralympic "Family" visa. These represent less than 0.2% of our annual visa demand and will have been absorbed within our business as usual, with no impact on processing times.

--------------------------------------------------------

So unless I'm reading it wrong they employed 151 temps to deal with the summer rush this year, but then say they employed 134 temps last year! So for the extra work from the Olympics and the Queen's celebrations they employed an extra 17 staff!!! . If that's the case no wonder they have a hell of a backlog.

It's a shame the UKBA seem forced to employ temps rather than employ 50 staff full time and spread the load over 12 months. At least the UKBA would know what resources they have instantly to hand and have better control over processing. Whoever is the person in charge of deciding on full or part time workers needs to review what they are doing.

[KeithD]

Another useful FOI: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reques...ncoming-298846

[Dedworth]

That looks like a very useful website

[joebloggs]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18861902

Dame Helen told the UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee 'If we knew then what we know now, we wouldn't have necessarily let so many people go.' The UKBA gave voluntary redundancy packages to 639 employees in 2010-2011 and to 1,092 people in 2011-2012. They were paid a total of £59.7m making an average pay off of nearly £35,000 per person. The average payoff at the UKBF was £54,000. The Daily Telegraph calculates that the 104 staff now working for UKBA and UKBF would have been paid £4m in redundancy payments.

http://www.workpermit.com/news/2012-...-to-save-costs

they got rid of too many people too fast paying them on average £35k in redundancy and have had to employ more people now

[melovesengland]

Im going to apply for FLR M in the next few weeks and this will be a big help! Cheers for this!

[Trefor]

Looking at this email signature from the link above, are visa applications from different regions processed at different centres? I thought there would be one central place? If so maybe some regions have smaller backlogs than others?

Sandra Birkinshaw
Freedom Of Information Team
North East, Yorkshire & the Humber Region
UK Border Agency
PO Box 3468
Sheffield S3 8WA

[KeithD]

Yes they are processed in different regions, however they do seem to spread them around so it would be a guess as to where anyones visa application actually is. Sheffield seems to be the main hub for postal contacts regarding visa apps.