Jamaicans are the least likely of all Caribbean nationals
to get a visa to travel to the United
Kingdom.
The finding is based on recent trends in the issuing of UK visas.
Based on last year's issuing of UK visas to Caribbean nationals Guyanese are the most preferred.
British Immigration Judge and Solicitor Cordella Bart-Stewart made the revelation at a Jamaica National Building Society sponsored Immigration seminar in North West London Saturday night.
The Immigration Judge said during 2005-2006, 51 per cent of all Jamaican visa applications were successful against an average 93 per cent for the rest of the Caribbean.
For settlement visas the issue rate for Jamaicans stood at 34 per cent as approximately 4,000 of 6,000 applications were refused entry clearance to Britain.
The rest of the Caribbean region had 92 to 93 per cent entry clearance.
A further breakdown of visas issued to Jamaicans during the period revealed that applications for family visits had a 44 per cent success rate, holiday workers visas 19 per cent and work permits 83 per cent.
However other Caribbean islands with British visa issuing posts had a 100 per cent issue of UK visas during the same period.
Guyana topped the list of visas with 105 per cent success, reflecting that persons from that country gained more than one visas to enter the UK at different times during the period.
A recent investigation by the Home Office into the operations of the British High Commission in Kingston reportedly revealed that arrangements for interviews are unacceptable and the post is lacking in privacy for applicants.
In the meantime, reacting to the reported high level of refusal of visas to the UK for Jamaicans Chief British High Commission Entry Clearance Manager in Kingston, Lynn Ballard, blamed the refusals on poor documentation.
Miss Ballard, who took up her post six months ago, said she is aware of high refusal rate in Kingston but decisions are based on facts and evidence.
She said the process is transparent and the entry clearance officers in Jamaica are there to apply the rules.
She told a large Jamaican audience in London Saturday night that the Entry Clearance Officers' decisions are based on the balance of probability.
RJR News obtained a copy of a visa refusal letter which advised the applicant that when the High Commission considers applications it looks at the country's macro-economic and other social issues such as crime.
The letter went on to say that the high levels of single parent families is also a matter that is considered.
The finding is based on recent trends in the issuing of UK visas.
Based on last year's issuing of UK visas to Caribbean nationals Guyanese are the most preferred.
British Immigration Judge and Solicitor Cordella Bart-Stewart made the revelation at a Jamaica National Building Society sponsored Immigration seminar in North West London Saturday night.
The Immigration Judge said during 2005-2006, 51 per cent of all Jamaican visa applications were successful against an average 93 per cent for the rest of the Caribbean.
For settlement visas the issue rate for Jamaicans stood at 34 per cent as approximately 4,000 of 6,000 applications were refused entry clearance to Britain.
The rest of the Caribbean region had 92 to 93 per cent entry clearance.
A further breakdown of visas issued to Jamaicans during the period revealed that applications for family visits had a 44 per cent success rate, holiday workers visas 19 per cent and work permits 83 per cent.
However other Caribbean islands with British visa issuing posts had a 100 per cent issue of UK visas during the same period.
Guyana topped the list of visas with 105 per cent success, reflecting that persons from that country gained more than one visas to enter the UK at different times during the period.
A recent investigation by the Home Office into the operations of the British High Commission in Kingston reportedly revealed that arrangements for interviews are unacceptable and the post is lacking in privacy for applicants.
In the meantime, reacting to the reported high level of refusal of visas to the UK for Jamaicans Chief British High Commission Entry Clearance Manager in Kingston, Lynn Ballard, blamed the refusals on poor documentation.
Miss Ballard, who took up her post six months ago, said she is aware of high refusal rate in Kingston but decisions are based on facts and evidence.
She said the process is transparent and the entry clearance officers in Jamaica are there to apply the rules.
She told a large Jamaican audience in London Saturday night that the Entry Clearance Officers' decisions are based on the balance of probability.
RJR News obtained a copy of a visa refusal letter which advised the applicant that when the High Commission considers applications it looks at the country's macro-economic and other social issues such as crime.
The letter went on to say that the high levels of single parent families is also a matter that is considered.
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