Dear Home Office,

Please identify all international databases UKVI staff have access to when evaluating visa applications to visit, study or work in the UK (E.g. European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS); Europol Information System; Schengen Information System II; Australia's immigration immigration finger print database, etc.)

Please specify the states the UK has bilateral agreements or memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with that allow the Home Office to have visa applicants’ biometric information vetted against an international database. For example, according to 2011 Independent Chief Inspector report, based on a MoU between the Home Office and US Department of Homeland Security any visa applicant applying in the USA is vetted against the DHS national fingerprint database. Does the UK have any such arrangements with other states? If yes, which states?

I understand the level of checks on a visa application vary depending on the migration route that is being applied for and the level of risk of the application, and not all applicants are checked against all databases. Please however list the availability of possible databases that could theoretically be used.

The report referenced is “An inspection of the UK Border Agency Visa Section in New York” (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/sy...). Please see page 40.

Yours faithfully,

N Ostrand