Researcher Ajay Singh was told that the delay was caused by an unidentified IT issue
A leading researcher was unable to visit his critically ill mother in India due to a “technical” fault in the Home Office’s digital visa system.
Ajay Singh, a 28-year-old optics researcher at the University of Huddersfield, was stuck in the UK for weeks as a technical issue held up the application for his new work visa.
Mr Singh was told that the delay was caused by an unidentified IT issue. Dozens of subsequent calls and emails to the Home Office – including by his employer and MP – went ignored.
It meant that Mr Singh was unable to leave the UK and visit his mother Munni, who had been admitted to critical care in hospital in India with heart problems, without his application being withdrawn.
“I gave them hospital evidence that my mother is seriously critical and it still was not resolved,” Mr Singh said. “There was nothing. I kept on chasing. I emailed them 20 or 25 times.”
Mr Singh’s visa was granted this week, hours after i contacted the Home Office about his application.
But the case raises questions about Home Office’s ability to deal effectively with visa applications, as it prepares to rollout a completely digitised border system.
Mr Singh studied in the UK between 2017 and 2020, before returning on a work visa as a researcher at the University of Huddersfield in March last year.
The Indian national is the UK manager for a project sponsored by the government funding agency United Kingdom Research and Innovation, focusing on laser fusion within the field of optics which can be used in clean energy and healthcare.
Mr Singh’s current visa is due to expire in October. On 5 February he began the process of obtaining his new documentation under the Global Talent Visa, a scheme for “leaders” of their respective fields.
Home Office visa rules mean that applicants cannot leave the UK while their visa is being processed.
The application was due to take eight weeks in total. The first stage was approved within two weeks, and Mr Singh completed his biometrics, giving his fingerprint and getting his photo taken, on 4 March.
But three days later he received an email saying his application had been “impacted by an IT error which has been escalated to our IT team to resolve”.
In mid April, Mr Singh’s mother became unwell and was rushed to hospital last week in the family’s hometown, close to the capital New Delhi.
Desperate to fly out and be with her, Mr Singh repeatedly contacted the Home Office by email and phone for an update on his application, but said he received no information.
At one point, he was told by a staff member from the UK Visas and Immigration helpline that there was “nothing they could do”.
Emails from the University of Huddersfield and Mr Singh’s local MP, Derek Twigg, were met with a similar response.
On 13 May, 14 weeks into the application process, Mr Singh received another email from the Home Office, which said it was still “looking into your application” but that the department was “currently experiencing technical problems”.
“This has already been referred to our technical team to investigate and we are hoping to get this fixed as soon as possible so that the case can be considered. Unfortunately, there is no timescale for when this will be resolved,” the Work Non Sponsored Correspondence Team wrote. “Please accept our apologies for the delay and any inconvenience caused.”
Hours after i contacted the Home Office on Monday, Mr Singh received an email to say his application had been approved.
He plans to travel to India as soon as possible, although will need to wait up to ten days to be sent his biometric residence permit (BRP).
Mr Singh said the Home Office delay had been “so stressful” for him and his family. “I am really worried about my mum and want to be there with her,” he said. “She needs heart surgery.
“If you’re delaying, at least give people an update. My MP contacted them twice and he didn’t get a response; a representative of the people isn’t getting anything.”
The Government has committed to switching to a fully digitised borders system by 1 January, 2025, ending the use of physical visas and BRP cards.
But the Home Office has been accused of ignoring warnings that problems with the rollout could cause chaos for millions of people, leaving UK residents stranded abroad or unable to travel, rent or work.
Ministers have said the move to a completely digital visa system will make the border more secure, ensuring “firm control over who comes here to live, work or study”.
But migration experts fear the changes could lead to a new immigration scandal, with technical faults and poor communication in the rollout leaving people without the right documentation after the January deadline.
Digital immigration systems have been hit by a wave of problems in recent years. Last month, a major flaw in the Home Office’s immigration database resulted in more than 76,000 people being listed with incorrect names, photographs or immigration status.
Earlier this month, thousands of passengers were left stranded at Britain’s busiest airports as the e-gate system failed.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits and we endeavour to consider them as quickly as possible.”