UK Visas and Immigration handled Ms G's application poorly

What happened

Ms G and her child had been in the UK since 2000. In 2007 she applied for permission for them to stay permanently. This was under a concession introduced in 2003 for failed asylum seekers with children.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) should have granted Ms G indefinite leave to remain by the end of 2008, but it did not do so until the end of 2013. This was because Ms G's case was caught in a backlog of old asylum cases it was dealing with called the 'legacy case backlog'.

What we found

UKVI failed to prioritise Ms G's case in late 2007 or add her child's details to its computer system at this time. This delayed her application unnecessarily. Additionally, UKVI failed to respond to all but one of the seven letters Ms G's representatives sent to UKVI about the delay. The one reply it sent contained misleading information.

Ms G should not have had to wait so long for UKVI to decide her and her child's application. The delay caused her frustration and inconvenience. Ms G said the delay stopped her child from becoming an apprentice and her from working, but we did not find that was the case. They both could have asked for permission to work.

Putting it right

UKVI apologised to Ms G for the delay deciding her application and for not dealing well with her representatives' correspondence. It also paid her £300 compensation.