No grounds to appeal? Visitors visa refusal...?

[chino]

Just had my other half's visa refusal notice - states I can appeal against it but only under Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 under section 84 (1)(c).


Is this normal? They stated it was that my otherhalf has nothing to return to.... Sad day for me :(

[joebloggs]

sorry to hear that,
other half i take it your not married thou ? if not a g/f is not classed as a family member so you virtually have no right to appeal.

[chino]

Getting married in oct but was planning on getting a prenup signed, her to meet my 91 year old grandad as he cannot fly out for the wedding etc :(

[Arthur Little]

Getting married in oct but was planning on getting a prenup signed, her to meet my 91 year old grandad as he cannot fly out for the wedding etc :(

, also ... did you explain the circumstances regarding your elderly grandad?

[melovesengland]

Well, when I got refused on my first attempt for visit visa last year I provided documents or reasons why I need to go back to the PI on or before my visa expires like SCHOOL (I enrolled myself in a school and we said I will be staying in England for 3 weeks only) and my daughter. Also, if she got properties here in the PI then it will be a good reason to use for the app.

I suggest to re-apply than appeal because its quicker (appeal can take 6 months if I am not mistaken), anyway visit visa fee is less than 100 quid so its not that dear really.

[Iani]

Unfortunately very normal.
Visitor visas are like insurance - very cheap to get life assurance if you're a 20 year old teetotal, non-smoking gym fanatic (but grief, you wouldn't be much fun on a night out), not so cheap if you're 26 stone drinking chain smoking deep fried mars bar fan in his 50's.

So you don't even need a visa if you want to visit and you're south Korean as it's thought you have little reason to overstay - but try getting one if you live in a hut in Swaziland!

I know how it feels, but what can you do

[chino]

thanks for your feedback - I think we will apply again but i have a few questions:

Should i address my previous application?

Would it help if i bought the tickets in advance and provided this with the application? (get fully refundable business tickets to ensure i could get a refund)

Would if also help if i transfer some money into her account (say 100,000php)?

I think it's wise to also reduce the visa period to say 4 weeks?

Include my grandfathers date of birth due to his age...

Anything i should do or not?

Thanks in advance....

Chino
PS I have written an email to MP who I will also phone up tomorrow as I am not happy about this (i just want to scream, but i understand that this will not change anything) - I provided 7 return tickets for my friends to go to my wedding to show that she was going to return for the wedding and I showed i had ample funds to support her for the duration of her stay. GGGGGGRRRRRR I am angry, I am flying out on Thursday and i hope i have calmed down by then...

[chino]

Anyone written to The Entry Clearance Manager?

[joebloggs]

thanks for your feedback - I think we will apply again but i have a few questions:

Should i address my previous application?

Would it help if i bought the tickets in advance and provided this with the application? (get fully refundable business tickets to ensure i could get a refund)

Would if also help if i transfer some money into her account (say 100,000php)?

I think it's wise to also reduce the visa period to say 4 weeks?

Include my grandfathers date of birth due to his age...

Anything i should do or not?

Thanks in advance....

Chino
PS I have written an email to MP who I will also phone up tomorrow as I am not happy about this (i just want to scream, but i understand that this will not change anything) - I provided 7 return tickets for my friends to go to my wedding to show that she was going to return for the wedding and I showed i had ample funds to support her for the duration of her stay. GGGGGGRRRRRR I am angry, I am flying out on Thursday and i hope i have calmed down by then...

not sure about mentioning previous refusal, but you better make sure the reasons for refusal are covered as best you can or you'll get another refusal.

buying the tickets in advance i dont think would help, for the reason you've mentioned - you could get a refund and also it doesn't prove she would go back,

sure money in her account could help, but i wouldn't send a bank statement that shows money going in her account - they ECO people are not complete,y , they know all the tricks
but if your going to sponsor her whats the point of you sending her money.. ?

yes a shorter period like 4wks might help as oyu've been refused once, and then next time increase the time she stays here here,

not sure if i sent you this link b4, might give you a few ideas...

http://www.londonelegance.com/transp...tionLetter.pdf

[joebloggs]

might help to use something similar to this for one reason for your g/f to return

xxxx is a professional and educated Filipina lady with Filipina values. We are in a relationship and engaged. Given her background I would suggest that it is most unlikely that she would do anything to jeopardize our relationship or future applications for entry clearance. xxxxx will be staying with me and my family who all live close by and I would say that her character is such that it is most unlikely that there are any circumstances where she would wish or indeed could remain in the UK illegally at the end of her planned holiday.

[melovesengland]

not sure about mentioning previous refusal, but you better make sure the reasons for refusal are covered as best you can or you'll get another refusal.

buying the tickets in advance i dont think would help, for the reason you've mentioned - you could get a refund and also it doesn't prove she would go back,

sure money in her account could help, but i wouldn't send a bank statement that shows money going in her account - they ECO people are not complete,y , they know all the tricks
but if your going to sponsor her whats the point of you sending her money.. ?

yes a shorter period like 4wks might help as oyu've been refused once, and then next time increase the time she stays here here,

not sure if i sent you this link b4, might give you a few ideas...

http://www.londonelegance.com/transp...tionLetter.pdf

[chino]

Thanks for your advise - I will apply for a new visa...

So far I have written to my MP and asked him to contact Stephen Lillie regarding this matter. I have also contacted the Embassy via email (3 different address), facebook and twitter (they have already replied via twitter). I will phone them in the morning, but hopefully i will have a reply from one of my emails by then...

I have also dropped an email to VFS who is the company who checks over the visas....

Bring on the war....

[chino]

Just to give you an update - my MP is sending a personal letter to Stephen Lillie today - it pays to push

Also spoken to the Deputy Manager for VFS Global Operations in the Philippines who will forward my details onto the Visa Management team.

Not had a reply from the "Entry Clearance Manager" yet - I am pushing this every way I can. God knows how we let some many people into this country if it's this difficult to get a tourist visa!

[joebloggs]

good luck chino

[chino]

Thanks - we are one step closer but i may have also stepped back 10 steps to as i think everyone knows what the visa process is like!

[chino]

Dear Mr cxxxxc
.
Manila Ref: xxxxxxx
.
We write in response to your email of 21 May concerning the visa refusal of Ms Xxxxxxx.
.
Please be informed that the decision to refuse Ms Xxxxxx’s visa application for entry clearance has been reviewed by an Entry Clearance Manager and has been overturned.. Kindly ask the applicant to submit her passport so that an Entry Clearance Officer can consider her application further.
.
She must send her passport, via courier, to the Embassy within 2 weeks from the date of this letter to the following address:
.
Allowed Appeal MNL/ xxxxxx
Visa Services
British Embassy Manila
120 Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Hill
Taguig City 1634
.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT SHE INCLUDE A PRE-PAID COURIER RETURN ENVELOPE. You can use the following courier companies: LBC/Aboitiz 2GO/JRS Express/DHL Express/Air 21.. Failure to do so will result in her passport not being returned.
.
NOTE: We can only accept passports that have been forwarded through a courier.
.
.
Yours sincerely
.
.
Ms B Pastolero
.

[chino]

- it pays to call them and email every email address you can find!

[Terpe]

- it pays to call them and email every email address you can find!

Good result !

Well done for your determination and efforts

[joebloggs]

seeing you had 'no right' to appeal
makes it's even sweeter
just shows you, kick up a fuss and you can get what you want.

i was forced to do the same to get my misses visa

[Dedworth]

Well done show's what can be done by kicking up a fuss and not rolling over and accepting it. When you write to thank your MP you should also enquire as to whether the faceless bureaucrat has been given a formal warning

[joebloggs]

Thanks for your advise - I will apply for a new visa...

So far I have written to my MP and asked him to contact Stephen Lillie regarding this matter.

maybe thats what did it

i was forced to do the same after waiting near 3 months, i complained to everyone at the embassy who had an email address, the next day my misses was told to come and pick her passport up and her visa

[chino]

Do we have a list of email addresses that we can list to help other users in the future?

[joebloggs]

Do we have a list of email addresses that we can list to help other users in the future?

i kicked off with the embassy about 8yrs ago, they've probably long gone now, in those days they published the email addresses for the different departments - press, immigration, etc and I emailed each of the the same email, saying i had been waiting near 3 months, and each time i emailed someone, i got a reply, and when i replied to that person i got an auto email saying they were away for xx wks or someone else replied, after being messed around for a while, i had enough. and i told them to either grant the visa or reject it so i could start appealing against the refusal and get on with my life.

next day i got a CC of an email from a guy with an English name to another English guy at the embassy, saying it seems i was having some problems and could he help me out, next day my misses got a call from the embassy to pick up her passport and visa.

its not just an application form, they dealing with peoples lives

[benjy]

hi, im new to posting here but i have been following the forum for a couple of months now! this exact same problem came to meand my girlfriend today! our visit visa got turned down on the grounds that that the uk border agency thought she would stay here as an illegal! obviously she wouldnt as she is an amazing, honest person like most filipina's..... anyway after looking at chino's advice of how we should appeal and i have written and called my local mp (anne mcintosh) and her office said she would only be to glad to help... so i have writtea very strong email to her to hopefully us and pass it onto stephen lillie.... lets see

[chino]

Benjy - I am in Butuan at the moment, once I get up tomorrow I will post the email addresses I used.

I honestly think that it's a bit of a money spinner as one of the first replies basically said - sorry we cannot discuss it as the decision had been made, but you can apply again.

The MP is the best route to go after you have tweeted them, Facebooked them, called them and emailed them as it shows you have tried to solve it!

I have never seen my MP but I am sending a bunch of flowers on Monday to Julie his sectary for her help! As I may need it for the next visa... :(

[benjy]

Benjy - I am in Butuan at the moment, once I get up tomorrow I will post the email addresses I used.

I honestly think that it's a bit of a money spinner as one of the first replies basically said - sorry we cannot discuss it as the decision had been made, but you can apply again.

The MP is the best route to go after you have tweeted them, Facebooked them, called them and emailed them as it shows you have tried to solve it!

I have never seen my MP but I am sending a bunch of flowers on Monday to Julie his sectary for her help! As I may need it for the next visa... :(

Thanks chino that would be great! yeh it definitely sounds like YET ANOTHER way of getting money out of us!I will also be in great debt to my MP if she sorts it out, just waiting for a reply thanks again chino and im glad you got yours sorted fingers crossed for ours!

regards ben and jen

[joebloggs]

many visit visa's are refused for the same reason, i think you've been a bit lucky chino as you had no right to appeal, as you've mentioned in your post - that's what they told you, but maybe your MP made the difference, but not all MPs will do the same, I complained to mine years ago, never even got a reply, now he's major of Salford

but its worth complaining, if enough people do, then maybe the system will become more fairer

[chino]

I may have been lucky but she has made it here... we arrived last night and she only had a one way flight booked and we faced only a few questions....

[joebloggs]

I may have been lucky but she has made it here... we arrived last night and she only had a one way flight booked and we faced only a few questions....

excellent news.

sometimes you make your own luck
well done again for not taking 'no' as an answer