FOI Request - Finally did it!

After talking about it for a long time, I've finally pulled my finger out and submitted my first FOI request.

I requested the following statistics:

How many Returning Resident applications were lodged from the USA in 2015 and 2016 and granted?
How many Adult Dependent applications were lodged from the USA in 2015 and 2016 and granted?

Not sure they'll have 2016 stats yet, but was worth asking about.  I just hope I get a response.  I've always wondered about these two visas.   

Good job!!

Very interested to hear the figures! Well done KFDancer!

Good for you KFdancer.   Did they say how long it would take to process the request?

They claim I'll have a response within 20 business days.  We shall see!

They claim I'll have a response within 20 business days.  We shall see!

I won't hold my breath! 

Ha!  Me neither.

Case worker assigned - they aim to have a response to me by 23/2/17.  I'll let you guys know what (if) they say.  I think it could be interesting. 

No response yet.  They still have two weeks.

Well, I received my response.  My non-response.

I shall have to revamp my request.  I'm going to request 2016 data only and I'll do one visa and then the other.  Should I start with Adult Dependent or Returning Resident?

I have to admit, I am surprised that this isn't data that's held within their system!

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/returning_resident_and_adult_dep?nocache=incoming-938644#incoming-938644

I agree! A simple spreadsheet would provide such information at a glance! Surely their system should be able to filter country, type of visa requested, number applied for and number granted! I will leave it to others to pick which visa you tackle first!

Well, I received my response.  My non-response.

I shall have to revamp my request.  I'm going to request 2016 data only and I'll do one visa and then the other.  Should I start with Adult Dependent or Returning Resident?

I have to admit, I am surprised that this isn't data that's held within their system!

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/returning_resident_and_adult_dep?nocache=incoming-938644#incoming-938644

Yeah, do one at a time, break it right down, hopefully we'll get all the answers eventually 

I'm interested in both but I think that returning resident is probably more relevant to the users of this forum.

eta  I also find it *very* peculiar that they don't keep this data. 

I agree! A simple spreadsheet would provide such information at a glance! Surely their system should be able to filter country, type of visa requested, number applied for and number granted! I will leave it to others to pick which visa you tackle first!

And they already release spreadsheets every quarter with immigration statistics on them - including total numbers of applications and rejections of visa types, total number of applications from each country: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Unfortunately, they aren't quite as detailed as you would hope, and I'm not sure which category of visa a returning resident/adult dependant would be classed as.

The family visas are split into:
Partner
Partner (for immediate settlement)
Child
Child (for immediate settlement)
Other
Other (for immediate settlement)

For reference though, according to Table 3 (spreadsheet) the total number of each of the above issued in the US in the first 3 quarters of 2016 (up to September) was:
Partner: 1343
Partner (for immediate settlement): 5
Child: 1
Child (for immediate settlement): 13
Other: 6
Other (for immediate settlement): 0

Since there was such a backlog, I'm assuming there will have been more visas issued in the 4th quarter (not published yet) than in the 3rd.

and in 2015:

Partner: 2038
Partner (for immediate settlement): 8
Child: 0
Child (for immediate settlement): 23
Other: 11
Other (for immediate settlement): 8

Thanks ksand.

A few of us were trying to work out with this Brexit thing, how many were in the UK under EU rules and EU court rules, as the UK stats lists immigrants by the citizenship of their country. Therefore the '3 million EEA citizens in the UK affected by a Brexit', doesn't reflect the true figure of those affected as there are hundreds of thousands+ of non-EEA citizens using these various EU routes to reside in the UK.

I guess we can now use these UK immigration visa figures and deduct them from the number of immigrants to the UK each year.