Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Home Office initially lacked target turnaround times for Homes for Ukraine visa processing.
Conclusion
The Home Office is responsible for processing the visas of those applying to be part of the scheme. By January 2024 the Home Office had received 219,800 visa applications and issued 178,600 visas to people.11 The NAO found that at the start of the scheme, the Home Office had not set out target turnaround times for processing visas, as it simply wanted to process them as quickly as possible. In March 2022, the first month that applications were open, of the 26,000 applications received, just 18% were processed within five working days and 21% took more than 15 working days.12
Government Response Summary
The Home Office has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. This standard covers non-complex and some complex applications, with resources allocated to meet these targets and manage potential surges.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendations. Recommendation implemented 3.2 As part of ‘normalising’ the operational delivery of Homes for Ukraine, the Home Office has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard from February 2024 which will be published quarterly as part of the migration transparency data. 3.3 This information will be captured and recorded in line with existing processes on other visa routes and will include all non-complex applications, as well as any complex applications which can still be processed within 15 days. 3.4 To ensure targets on processing times can be met, the Home Office has used data on application volumes over the last few months to ensure there is sufficient resource in place to process new applications, whilst also resolving any outstanding complex applications as and when the relevant checks are complete. 3.5 Should there be a future surge in applications due to a change in circumstances in Ukraine, the Home Office will be able to urgently reprioritise the deployment of resource within the department’s operational teams, as demonstrated in the early months of the war. This time, there are caseworkers available who have experience of Homes for Ukraine and the necessary processes and casework systems are already in place to enable an effective response to any increase in volumes.