Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

I kindly request clarification on the following matters related to the Parent Resident Visa process, particularly regarding the steps following applicants’ fulfillment of all pending requirements stated in the Approval-in-Principle (AIP) letter:

1. For the 2,500 yearly parent visas, how many have been issued to date in the current financial year? Please provide a monthly breakdown, categorised by the queued pool and the ballot pool.

2. Is the visa quota allocated at the Approval-in-Principle (AIP) stage, or is the quota only applied after applicants have fulfilled all AIP conditions (such as payment of ESOL fees, passport verification) and the eVisa is granted?

3. If the visa quota is exhausted, for applications that have been approved in principle and where applicants have met all AIP conditions, will applicants be notified when the quota limit has been reached?

4. Please provide the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), staff guidance, templates, and any other relevant documentation outlining the steps involved in issuing an eVisa once applicants have met all AIP conditions after their application has been approved in principle.

5. Clarification on "Internal Process" Status:
When an application is advised by the immigration officer that it is undergoing an "internal process" after meeting all AIP conditions and while still awaiting the eVisa, could you please clarify what specific steps or procedures this status entails?

6. Why is it that in some cases, an eVisa is issued within the next working day, while in other cases, it takes weeks or even months? What factors influence this variation in processing times?

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
Mary