The Stage

National Campaign for the Arts expresses concern over points-based visa inquiry delay

Published Tuesday 28 October 2008 at 16:50 by Lalayn Baluch

National Campaign for the Arts officials have expressed disappointment over the postponement of an inquiry into the new points-based visa system, which will impact cultural organisations and festivals bringing in foreign performers and companies to the UK.

The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee has agreed to delay its investigation into the immigration process until early 2009, in order to scrutinise another draft bill that is scheduled to be brought in as legislation in the new parliamentary session.

As a result, the inquiry will not take place until January, and will mean that the industry’s concerns over the points-based system - the final phase of which is being rolled out at the end of November - will not be addressed until after the new regulations have already been introduced.

NCA campaigns manager John Munro said the organisation was disappointed with the news, as it has prepared an “extensive paper” to present at the inquiry.

He explained: “We still have ongoing concerns and niggles that we would like to see worked out. The scrutiny of the home affairs committee is one way of highlighting these.

“We would have preferred for there to have been the scrutiny of the policy before it went live. What we hope for now is that the committee takes time not just to review the evidence that it has already taken, but to see how it is working in practice, and where there are concerns address those.”

In a written submission to the committee, the NCA highlighted problems about the turnaround time for entry clearance, and the administrative burdens for employers, particularly those bringing in multiple performers. It is also pushing for artists to be able to apply for visas from anywhere in the world.

A spokesman for the home affairs panel said: “The committee has put its evidence taking on the points-based system on hold, purely for the reason that it has agreed to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the government’s draft immigration bill.

“So from a timetabling point of view it decided it had to do that now, and it is expected to go back to the points-based system directly after it has taken evidence on the bill. We expect that will be straight after Christmas. There is no other political reason, it is purely logistical.”

Meanwhile, the Home Office has published details of its new Entertainer Visitor Visa, which will allow performers to enter the UK without a work permit for a maximum of six months, enabling them to take part in major festivals, music competitions and charity events.