Written question asked by Baroness Valentine (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Monday, 27 February 2012.

Tourism: UK Visas

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that United Kingdom tourist visa application forms are available for completion in foreign languages, including Mandarin, in time for the expected influx of visitors for the Olympics.

Answer: The UK Border Agency accepts visa applications in over 250 locations worldwide. While it has in the past given consideration to providing visa application forms in different languages, it is not feasible to monitor and update changes to the application process or UK immigration law in every language and script. However, guidance notes on how to complete the application form are available in some foreign languages, notably Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Russian, Thai and Turkish. Locally engaged personnel in the UK Border Agency's visa application centres overseas are often also available to provide clarification in the local language if necessary.

Secondary information