Immigration

Immigration

E-Visa

E-Visa allows the management of the visa application process to take place entirely in a virtual environment. Everything is done with the help of the Internet: the visa application and supporting documents are submitted online, the payment is made online and the decision on the application is communicated online.

Disadvantages:

The main question to be answered when discussing about the use of e-Visa service is “why so few countries have adopted e-Visa if it has so many benefits”?
A simple analysis of worldwide travellers statistics shows that the most visited countries in the world – such as France, the United States, Spain, China, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Russia – do not offer an e-Visa services to foreigners. Only Turkey, which is among the world’s top 10 most-visited countries, has moved its visa process online.

• Identity theft. Governments have great concerns regarding applicants’ identities, since the visa application is submitted online and personal appearance at a visa office is not mandatory.
• Forgery of documents. In case of e-Visas, supporting documents – such as proof of sufficient financial means, medical insurance or invitation letters – are submitted in digital format, thus increasing the risk of documents being falsified.
• Impossibility to collect biometric data. While collecting biometric data, such as fingerprints and digital pictures, is possible when applicants have to personally appear at the visa office, the use of an e-Visa service does not allow this option.
• Poor ICT infrastructure. Authorities are afraid that the poor ICT infrastructure in some constituency might endanger the efficiency of the e-Visa service.
• Lack of flexibility. If you need to change your travel plans, you may have difficulty updating your visa application.

Recommendations:

• In order to address the identity theft and forgery of documents problems, our efforts on building partnerships with airlines which are transporting passengers will be increased. Since airlines are obliged by international regulations to verify if passengers are in possession of visas and valid documents to enter the country of destination, a special website will be created for airlines where they can verify the validity of e-Visas. This way, foreigners in possession of an e-Visa are checked by airlines before traveling to our country.
• Another measure to prevent identity theft and forgery of documents is to ask from applicants to pay the visa fee with a debit or credit card issued on their name. This measure is extremely useful, because banks verify the identity of their clients when issuing debit or credit cards. Therefore, if the information on the debit/credit card is the same as the information provided in the visa application, there is a high probability that the applicant presented valid information. Contracting companies which specialize in verifying the validity of scanned documents is an additional measure that can be implemented in order to prevent forgery of documents.
• Partnering with Specialized IT Companies: Current e-Visa models do not offer a solution when it comes to collecting biometric data from applicants. Contracting IT companies specializing in biometric verification and document authentication to enhance the E-visa process can be a solution.
• Using Mobile Technologies: Implement mobile applications that allow applicants to capture biometric data (such as fingerprints and facial recognition) using their smartphones. Mobile operating companies can also be contacted to provide support on this.
• Combining Digital and Physical Verification (Hybrid System): Maintain a hybrid system where biometric data collected digitally is verified in-person at specific touchpoints to ensure accuracy and prevent fraud.
• Advanced Encryption: Use state-of-the-art encryption methods to protect sensitive data transmitted and stored digitally.
• Blockchain Technology: Employ blockchain technology to create tamper-proof records of visa applications and biometric data.
• Integration with Existing System: Maintain traditional forms of immigration evidence, such as passports and biometric cards to complement the e-visa system and provide a backup in case of technical failures.
• Security Enhancement: Invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect applicant data.
• Appointing Consular Officer: Not all applicants may have access to the necessary technology or internet connection to apply for an E-visa. Some individuals, especially older adults or those with limited technical skills, may find the online application process challenging. If such population have any questions or concerns, they may be able to get help from a consular officer in person.
• 24/7 Customer Support System: Offer 24/7 customer support to help applicants navigate the new systems and address any issues they encounter to ensure inclusivity.
• Pilot Programs: Running pilot programs to test the system and make necessary adjustments based on feedback. My advice would be to the visa processing institutions to understand that visa services will have to be provided on-line eventually. In the beginning, the e-Visa service could be offered to a narrow category of travellers such as bona fide applicants or applicants whose biometric data have been collected previously.  By conducting regular audits of the E-visa system to identify and address vulnerabilities, later on, authorities can decide whether to extend or not the use of e-Visa based on lessons learned. 

“Undocumented migrants must be legalised with 14 years long residency rule “——Engr Md Somon Ahmed

For many individuals who have made the UK their home, the ultimate milestone is to secure a stable future with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) — a status that grants the freedom to live and work in the UK without time restrictions. ILR is typically given after spending a significant period of continuous residence, often gained through various visas related to work, business, ancestral connections, or family ties, where individuals may qualify after three to five years.

Barriers to permanent status in the UK:  These barriers include high application fees, limited fee waivers, complex law and policy, lack of free and quality legal representation, inconsistent decision-making, reliance on assistance from local authorities, difficulty accessing exceptional case funding, lack of systematic data recording, and the granting of only short periods of leave. These barriers make it challenging for individuals, especially children and young people, to navigate the immigration system and obtain the necessary legal support to regularize their status.

Recommendations for possible and positive policy changes include: (Dorling, et al., 2017)

1. A shorter route to permanent status for long-resident children and young people and lower application fees.
2. Improve Home Office decision-making on children and young people’s long residence cases in line with established law.
3. Change the policy on granting citizenship to long-term residents of the UK so that children are not arbitrarily excluded on ‘good character’
4. The fee waiver policy should be amended so that eligibility is assessed on means and fee waivers are available for children and young people’s indefinite leave to remain applications and citizenship applications.
5. Children in care are exempt from paying Home Office fees for immigration applications and appeal fees. These exemptions must be extended to citizenship applications and should be expanded to apply to care leavers and those supported by the local authority.
6. Remove the profit element of the fee in children’s citizenship by entitlement cases
7. An urgent review of children and young people’s needs for legal services and at least the reinstatement of legal aid for separated children’s immigration cases.
8. Home fee status and access to student finance for young people with certain types of time-limited leave.
9. Better information for social workers
10. Improved local authority practice through training and designated social care leads
11. Publishing more disaggregated data on children and young people’s human rights and citizenship applications and outcomes.
12. Collaborative working at a local level to identify opportunities for good practice.

My arguments: (Regularise, 2021)

Undocumented migrants in the UK must live invisibly to avoid detection, complicating efforts to gather evidence needed for the “20 year rule” to apply for Leave to Remain (LLR). This leads to prolonged suffering and social exclusion as their essential rights are restricted. The Home Office’s stringent evidence requirements increase the difficulty of regularizing their status.

The “20 year rule” imposes significant financial burdens, with total costs for obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) exceeding £12,000 per person. Legal aid is unavailable, adding to the financial strain. Additionally, those granted LLR face “no recourse to public funds” restrictions, making them vulnerable to becoming undocumented again if their circumstances change.

Employment and housing rights are severely limited, exposing undocumented migrants to exploitation and abuse. Economic contributions are stifled, with potential tax benefits lost due to their inability to work legally. Enforcement costs are high, with the Home Office spending substantial amounts on immigration enforcement, highlighting the inefficiency and high cost of the current approach.(To be continued)

Distributional effects of immigration and imperfect labour markets

Immigration, legal status and fiscal impact