Dear B B Ng,

Thank you for your email of the 12 March 20010. This falls to be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I am writing to request the following under the FOI act:

what is the average processing time of postal applications which are not completed in the 6 months service standard, in the past 6months?

471 Days*

what is the average processing time of 10 year SET (O)ILR postal applications which are not completed in the 6 months service standard, in the past 6 months.

497 Days*

what is the average waiting timeline not decided after 6 months for 5% of applicants?

This is the same question as above i.e. cases that have not been completed within 6 months and therefore the answer is 497 days.

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act, all information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. The Department will, therefore, be simultaneously releasing to the public the information you requested together with any related information that will provide a key to its wider context.

Notes: 1. Applications based on cases raised between the 1 Feb 2009 and the 28 Feb 2010. 2. Decision, Average and Maximum figures based on cases despatched between the 1 Feb 2009 and the 28 Feb 2010. 3. All figures rounded to the nearest 5 (except the average). 4. Figures based on local Management Information only and are not subject to National Statistics Protocol.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request.  Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the UK Border Agency sending a substantive reply to your original request and should be addressed  to:

UK Border Agency
Central Freedom of Information Team
11th Floor
Lunar House, Short Corridor
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY

During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of information team