The Home Office response to the Independent Chief Inspector's

The Home Office response to the

Independent Chief Inspector’s report:

An Unannounced Inspection of the

service provided by Solihull Premium

Service Centre

March 2015

The Home Office thanks the Independent Chief Inspector for his report.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) aims to be a high performing, consistently competent,

customer focused organisation and continually seeks to improve its services. The Home Office

welcomes the Chief Inspector’s finding that significant improvements had been made in

Premium Services since his inspection of the Glasgow Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in 2013.

The Home Office is pleased that the Chief Inspector found that management oversight was

effective at Solihull Premium Service Centre (PSC) and that security checks were being

conducted in line with the UKVI Operating Mandate. We welcome his finding that the rationale

for decisions was clear and that there was effective management of work in progress (WIP).

The Home Office welcomes the Chief Inspector’s finding that Solihull PSC was consistently

meeting or exceeding its service standard and that applicants were positive about the service

they had received. We welcome also his finding that there was a considerable focus on quality

assurance and that continual efforts were being made to improve decision quality.

We are grateful to the Chief Inspector for highlighting potential areas for improvement and will

consider carefully the issues raised. We note in particular his concerns regarding customers

who apply too early for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). UKVI is working within the Immigration

Rules (paragraph 34); completing a specific period of lawful residence in the UK is part of the

eligibility requirements of the Immigration Rules for ILR applications. UKVI is committed to

providing good customer service and already exercises an element of discretion in the

customer’s favour by providing a twenty-eight day grace period for ILR applications.

UKVI acknowledges that more can be done to highlight to applicants the consequences of

applying too early for ILR and we are placing a warning message on our online application

system and strengthening existing warnings in our printed guidance and application forms. We

will consider carefully whether it is feasible, and where costs allow, to implement a technical

solution to prevent an applicant applying too early for ILR in our wider planned improvements to

our online application systems as part of UKVI’s future plans.

The Home Office therefore accepts the Chief Inspector’s recommendation in part.

1. Recommendation 1: Take action to ensure that a technical solution is

found to prevent premium service applicants from applying for

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) more than 28 days before completing

the relevant qualifying period; or ILR applicants do not lose the whole

of their application fee if they apply via the premium service before

they have completed the relevant qualifying period.

1.1. Partially Accepted

1.2. The Chief Inspector’s report highlights the importance of good customer service and of

putting the customer at the heart of service provision. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

shares this view and aims to be a globally trusted operator delivering excellent customer

service and secure decisions.

1.3. The Premium Service network is committed to customer service and was recently

(September 2014) reaccredited for Customer Service Excellence, achieving full

compliance against all fifty-seven indicators. The Chief Inspector found that staff and

managers were committed to providing a good standard of customer service and that

applicants were positive about the service they had received.

1.4. Applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) must complete the necessary qualifying

period before they apply, or their application will fall for refusal.

1.5. UKVI is working within the Immigration Rules (paragraph 34) to consider applications

where the correct form has been completed, necessary documents supplied and the fee

paid. There is no provision in the Rules to “reject” valid applications; moreover,

completing a specific period of lawful residence in the UK is part of the eligibility

requirements of the Immigration Rules for ILR applications and failure to complete the

qualifying period does not provide grounds to reject the application.

1.6. As the Chief Inspector notes in his report, fees are charged for consideration of the case

and do not guarantee a successful outcome for the applicant.

1.7. UKVI is committed to providing good customer service and already exercises an element

of discretion in the customer’s favour by providing a twenty-eight day grace period for ILR

applications. This allows the applicant to apply up to twenty-eight days before they have

completed the qualifying period.

1.8. The overwhelming majority of applicants apply within the grace period. The number of

applicants affected by this issue is small. During 2014, only 0.05% of applications for ILR

within the Premium Service network were affected by this issue (26 applications).

1.9. UKVI acknowledges that more can be done to highlight to applicants the consequences

of applying too early for ILR and will ensure that adequate measures are put in place to

highlight the consequences of applying outside the grace period; including placing a

warning message on our online application system and strengthening existing warnings

in our printed guidance and application forms.

1.10. Updates to our online appointment booking system (scheduled for November 2015) will

warn customers about the consequences of applying more than 28 days before

completing their qualifying period and asks them to either cancel or re-arrange their PSC

appointment so that it is within 28 days of completing their qualifying period. Should the

customer decide that they wish to cancel their appointment and re-apply at a later date,

they will receive a full refund of the applicant fee (minus £100 if they cancel within 5 days

of their appointment). In addition, the guidance notes and the Premium Services pages

on GOV.uk have been updated to warn customers of the consequences of applying more

than 28 days before completing their qualifying period.

1.11. We will consider carefully whether it is feasible and where costs allow to implement a

technical solution to prevent an applicant applying too early for ILR in our wider planned

improvements to our online application systems which is part of UKVI’s future plans.

1.12. The Home Office therefore accepts the Chief Inspector’s recommendation in part.