The UK's Immigration and Nationality Directorate welcomes back an IT supplier which was at the centre of its previous computer failures.

The Home Office has commissioned Siemens Business Services (SBS) to run IT systems for processing work permit and immigration application fees, it said.

Among its activities, the IND charges people who make applications to extend their permits to remain and work in the UK. SBS will process these fees and handle cashiering services at four public enquiry offices in Croydon, Liverpool, Glasgow and Birmingham.

At present cashiering is carried out inhouse at these centres, but it will be outsourced to SBS under the three year deal. The service for these centres is expected to start during summer 2006.

Two SBS teams, one in Durham and the other in Sheffield, will process the 'leave to remain' and work permit applications.

This article was originally published at Kablenet.

Related stories

• Work permit fears doused (15 March 2007)
• Siemens Business Services rejigged again (13 October 2006)
• Biometrics and web tests for immigrants (8 March 2006)
• Top Indian scientist turned away by US immigration (24 February 2006)
• SBS splits off products business (22 December 2005)
• Siemens to carve up services arm (9 December 2005)
• Siemens cuts 3, 000 jobs (14 November 2005)
• Siemens Business Systems confirms job losses (19 September 2005)
• SBS wins Microsoft support contract (8 June 2005)
• Siemens outsources IT - to itself (4 March 2005)