Proposition:The applicant is a widow. She wanted to see her daughter who is a British Citizen, present and settled in the UK with her family. The applicant does not have any property in Pakistan nor has considerably large bank balance. In fact she only has very little money in her bank account but she is able to arrange money for her trip as her son is also abroad who can send her money for her family visit to the UK. We already had advised the applicant that there are chances that her family visit visa application could initially be refused because she had been refused US and Canadian visa in the past when she made those applications on her own. However, we gave confidence to the applicant that we can handle her UK visa application on this occasion and sooner or later she should get UK visit visa to see her family in the UK. Accordingly, we prepared her family visit visa UK application, meeting all the immigration rules for a successful visit visa application. However, her visa application was refused. The applicant sought our advice for the next step, which is what to do when UK family visit visa application has been refused and there is no right of appeal or Administrative review?

Advice:Visiting a close family member in the UK itself is a very genuine and powerful reason to be granted family visit visa UK from Pakistan. That is why we encourage our clients not to lose hope and make a plain and simple application, complying with relevant UK immigration rules, Home Office policies and UK immigration laws. After perusal of her visa refusal letter, we advised the applicant to challenge the refusal decision. Were we of the view that there was no point in challenging the refusal decision, we would not have advised the applicant to go for Pre-Action protocol for Judicial Review in the UK and challenge the refusal decision. We were sure that we had fully complied with the relevant UK laws and the Visa officer was wrong to refuse her family visit visa application. Accordingly, we prepared Pre Action Protocol and our lawyers from UK served it on the Home Office.

Outcome: Within 14 days, the Entry Clearance Manager conceded that the original refusal decision was wrong. In due course the Applicant received a call from British High Commission to re-submit her passport and 3 weeks later she received her visa.

We at UK Visa Consultants assess every application thoroughly keeping in view the applicant’s personal circumstances. We only advise the applicants to make their application when we are confident that they meet the UK Immigration Rules.