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Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 19 April 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 April 2023. It was answered by Robert Jenrick (Conservative) on Friday, 28 April 2023 on behalf of the Home Office.

Entry Clearances: Northern Ireland

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that new visa waiver schemes do not discourage visitors to Northern Ireland.

Answer

To strengthen the security of the UK border, the Government is introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for those passengers visiting the UK or transiting through the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays and do not have any other immigration status prior to travelling. This is similar in nature to the US ‘ESTA’ and the EU’s ETIAS which will also be shortly introduced.

As is currently the case, individuals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, will need to continue to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework, including the requirement to obtain an ETA when it is introduced. However, currently, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the Common Travel Area, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the land border.

The Government remains committed to working with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure the ETA requirement is communicated effectively to help mitigate against any risk of it being seen as a barrier to cross-border tourism on the island of Ireland.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
181508
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Entry clearances Internet Northern Ireland Visas
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk