# appeal success rate for unsuccessful visa applications?



## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

Hi there,
So my girlfriend just had her general visa rejected. Our plan was to get her over here for a few months to get the feel of living together before we took it a step further. 

If we appeal or re-apply, what is the chances of being successful next time? She is waiting on her documents be sent back to her at the moment which will detail the reason for refusal.

Email;
_
Dear
Applicant,

We regret to inform you that your visa application has been
unsuccessful. Your documents will be dispatched within the next 72 hours via
the return courier purched by you. 

Within this package you will find a
detailed notice explaining why your application was refused and information on
your appeal rights._

Edit: she is in the USA


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

What visa did she apply for? U.S. Citizens don't generally need to apply in advance for a visit visa. 

Anyway, you need to wait until you receive your visa rejection letter.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

General visa as we wanted her to come over for a couple of months rather than a few weeks...


On another note, in light of this, we have just got engaged over skype. As silly as that sounds, we are really in love with each other and truly do want to spend our lives together - dosen't matter where we are.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

General visit visa doesn't normally carry full right of appeal, but you need to wait for the refusal letter that will accompany your documents.


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

How long a visit exactly did she apply for? Someone on another forum tried to get a visitor visa for his girlfriend (they had not met before) for six months and two days, and it was rejected outright most likely because the maximum amount of time for a visitor visa is six months. Would be interested to know what documents she sent, and why she applied for a general visitor visa which is not usually necessary for visitors from the US.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

It was for an initial 2 weeks then 2 months at a later date.

Would it be risky to apply for a fiancee visa next time rather than another general visa? I'm going to see her again in Chicago in a few weeks time, will meet her family etc... We've met before of course, known each other for years but decided to give a LDR a try last November... Met up in New York in February and now miss each other all the time like crazy. I just want to be with her - and if the UK wont let her in, i dont care if i need to move to anywhere else - as long as I'm with her at the end of it...


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## HatakeSage (Feb 4, 2015)

Whats a general visa? Is it this?
That website says you can no longer apply for that visa.

Also if she just wanted to come over for a few months, she should be able to do so without a visa, as you can stay in the UK for up to six months or so.

I don't think it'd have any effect on your fiance visa, as it doesn't seem that you really did anything wrong besides maybe mistake the visa type (If I read right?). 
If it did change anything - as long as you supplied the right requirements for the fiance visa you should be able to to still get a pass or fail, it just might make the application process take longer because they will have to verify why the last visa was rejected.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

HatakeSage said:


> Whats a general visa? Is it this?
> That website says you can no longer apply for that visa.
> 
> Also if she just wanted to come over for a few months, she should be able to do so without a visa, as you can stay in the UK for up to six months or so.
> ...


Oh... Yes that's the visa she applied for! Applied for it last April and it's taken them three months to make their decision... Hope that it was just denied for that reason and not something more serious! 

The reason we wanted her to get a proper visa is due to last time she tried to enter the UK she was denied entry due to not having enough funding for herself, and that mark is in her passport.

Fingers crossed in that case her visa was denied for that reason or something else not too serious. I'm going to see her again and meet her family at the end of July so hopefully that will support our case for a fiancee visa even more...


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

scottishjay said:


> It was for an initial 2 weeks then 2 months at a later date.
> 
> Would it be risky to apply for a fiancee visa next time rather than another general visa? I'm going to see her again in Chicago in a few weeks time, will meet her family etc... We've met before of course, known each other for years but decided to give a LDR a try last November... Met up in New York in February and now miss each other all the time like crazy. I just want to be with her - and if the UK wont let her in, i dont care if i need to move to anywhere else - as long as I'm with her at the end of it...


You really have to wait and see what the reasons were for refusal.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

nyclon said:


> You really have to wait and see what the reasons were for refusal.


Yes, of course - just getting a bit ahead of myself since I'm so desperate to see her again... Seeing her at the end of July in Chicago for a week but a week here and a week there when the flights are so expensive and I have work commitments are just not enough  

Thanks for your reply!

edit: just curious - if the reason was for example, because they didnt believe she was going to go back home after the end of her stay, how would that affect a fiancee visa application? Just curious really, as that's the only reason I can see her visa being denied considering she has little family over there and a job she hates... She *did* intend to return home though, our plan was two weeks, return, 2 months, return, then see where we'd go from there.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

It's really not healthy to speculate.

In general, a visa refusal does not mean you won't be successful applying for another visa like a fiance visa. It does mean that it will likely take extra time to process because they will need to investigate the reason for refusal.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

nyclon said:


> It's really not healthy to speculate.
> 
> In general, a visa refusal does not mean you won't be successful applying for another visa like a fiance visa. It does mean that it will likely take extra time to process because they will need to investigate the reason for refusal.


Thanks for your advice - guess I'm just a bit jittery still!


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## HatakeSage (Feb 4, 2015)

What day did you apply?
This says that they stopped accepting them in April of this year.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

HatakeSage said:


> What day did you apply?
> This says that they stopped accepting them in April of this year.


She had submitted her documents following the bio-metrics thing on the 1st of april. Confirmed received on 11th of April


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## HatakeSage (Feb 4, 2015)

Huh, okay.
So they stopped receiving them by the time yours had made it; to me I think you were just denied because they're not taking them anymore at the time of received. Could be wrong obviously, but I'm really interested to hear whats happened when you get it back if you're willing to share.

That said its really weird they'd tell you in your email it was declined.
The emails I've seen are usually included with "does this have a hidden message??" 
because they're default emails of "your documents are being returned" and don't usually state if declined or accepted.

It's just all an interesting situation. I wouldn't mind hearing whats happened when it comes back.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

HatakeSage said:


> Huh, okay.
> So they stopped receiving them by the time yours had made it; to me I think you were just denied because they're not taking them anymore at the time of received. Could be wrong obviously, but I'm really interested to hear whats happened when you get it back if you're willing to share.
> 
> That said its really weird they'd tell you in your email it was declined.
> ...


Will keep you posted!

On another note, for some reason this rejection went straight into her spam folder, the other email that said a decision had been made and she'd get her documents back soon was received yesterday which is what made me search her inbox for the ref number, finding the decision in spam... Wonder if this has happened to others without them realizing?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

HatakeSage said:


> What day did you apply?
> This says that they stopped accepting them in April of this year.


The OP's girlfriend applied for a General Visit Visa which has absolutely nothing to do with the link you provided.


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## HatakeSage (Feb 4, 2015)

^ Sorry, it came up when I was searching "General Visit Visa" on the gov uk website. Apologize for my mistake. Will clear up some confusion though.


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## scottishjay (Jun 29, 2015)

Got letter today - it says she dosen't have enough ties with the USA... umm... Not sure what to do now haha. Will get the exact wording soon, she's scanning it to me.

Edit: going to make a separate topic from this as it's going to go off topic a bit from this.


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## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

Ok, when my girlfriend from the Philippines came over as a tourist (to see me) I was advised that she would have to provide evidence of her strong links with her home country 
(a reason to go home). I slightly panicked as she had no employment contract but with a polite request to her employer she got an official company letter detailing her employment. Criteria satisfied !! I believe other links could be property, vehicles or family...


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

When they look for ties to her home country, they're mostly looking for strong financial commitments to the US - Namely, proof of ongoing enrolment in studies, or full-time employment. This is always required for a general visitor visa (which she didn't need), but on a visa waiver, it's up to the border official to determine if they need to review this information or not. For shorter visits (and often for US citizens), it's not usually asked for, but you should always be prepared to provide it.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

I am closing this thread as the poster has opened another thread with the refusal details.


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