Entry Clearances: Pakistan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications were turned away from the Islamabad high commission under the pre-sift process before the formal application had been considered in each of the last five years. (323014)

[holding answer 22 March 2010]: We ceased to operate a “pre-sift” procedure at our Visa Sections overseas by 2001-02. Hitherto, an entry clearance officer would carry out an initial assessment of a visa application before it was formally lodged and advise the applicant if it was unlikely to be successful. The applicant would then decide whether or not to proceed.