It is the checks that slow the process down. The average transaction time has risen by a factor of 4 in the last two years. Staffing has not kept pace with that. And it will not. It takes two years to get an Immigration Officer up to the point where they are effective - UKBA are two to three years away from the IT solution ergo nothing will change.
Arrived at EMA a couple of weeks ago. The check consisted of the officer comparing my face with the passport, then shoving my passport in to some sort of reader. Took about 5 seconds. Exactly how does it take two years to train someone to do that? Or are they really that thick?
UFO