Most Common Reasons for UK Visa Refusal

A visa refusal or denial brings disappointment, frustration, and confusion over what to do next to enter the UK lawfully.

We are often asked how to “guarantee” that a visa will be accepted. The simple answer is: you can’t get a 100% guarantee because the Home Office are final decision makers. What you can do, however, is make sure your application as strong it can absolutely be.

The purpose or the intentions are not reliable

One of the main reason for refusal that leads the consular office to deny your UK Visa is failing to have the needed justification for your purpose and conditions of the planned travel and stay. Such are the cases of:

• Failing to present an employment and professional qualification that matches the presented financial situation
• Incapacity to provide documents that support the purpose of travel and stay in the UK
• The inability to offer unchanging declarations about the purpose of travel and stay

False documents

There is a common destiny for all the individuals (applicants) who attempt to present false travel documents to the embassy or consulate, trying to misrepresent their identity, using fake identity – and that is an absolute visa denial and other accompanying unfavourable consequences.

Documents NOT presented in the correct format

It’s not enough to simply send the documents in a bundle. They need to be placed in the correct, chronological order and presented exactly as required. This includes even using the correct colour ink to fill in the forms This might seem like a petty reason to refuse a visa, but the best way to look it is this: make the Home Office’s job of reading your application as easy and simple as possible.

Specified Evidence Missing

Visa applications might seem simple, and the advice given on Home Office website does make it appear so. However, the guideline notes only give a general outline, and do not go into enough detail. Even a single date or an original of an official document missing can lead to a UK visa refusal.

Believing the Home Office will be lenient or “understanding”: Not true. Even the very slightest error will not be met with flexibility. Treat your application like a fine, delicate Ming vase: there is simply no room for error.

Non-Disclosure of information

Often applicants have had previous immigration or legal issues that they decide not to disclose, such as bans or certain criminal convictions already spent — especially if a long time has passed. But the Home Office miss nothing and question everything. Worse still, if they believe an applicant has attempted to mislead or misrepresent themselves intentionally (deception) a UK visa refusal might be the least of your worries.

Applying for the wrong type of visa

A common example of this is when people from outside the UK wish to move to and settle in the UK. However, they mistakenly think they have to apply for a visit visa first, and then whilst the UK apply to switch to a settlement visa. “Switching” is not allowed for a visit visa, and any suggestion that this might be someone’s plan, the Home Office would also refuse the visit visa.

Relying on advice from Home Office/UKVI

It might seem like the best place to get advice is from the source itself. However, call handlers at the Home Office/UKVI are not trained or qualified to give legal advice, and at best all they will do is redirect you to their website, or give you the same general information. They will not be able to discuss merits of individual cases which might need specific expertise to carefully complete the application.

Of course, there are many other reasons for a UK visa refusal, and it is always worth remembering that each case is unique. The UK has some of the most stringent immigration laws in the world, and with Brexit, on the way, no-one really knows what effect that might have on other parts of immigration policy.

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