mikeyp

Update to my original post.

We decided to re-apply for my step daughter UK family visit visa. We addressed the two points on her first refusal, however she was refused for a second time on 4 completely different points that the EC officer should have asked in the first refusal. These additional points could have been easily addressed on the first refusal if they had the fore thought to just ask.

I had already covered two of the refusal points in our first application, but the Embassy seem to have completely missed this or not bothered reading the first application in addition letter. I dont know what these guys are doing, but it smacks to me of just a money grabbing from UK embassy or they have already met thier quotos for the year and are just nit picking to refuse visa's. I was told by a relative to try and avoid applying for  visit visas during March and April because more than likely the UK gov have already met thier quotos on certain visa types.

The thing that really irkes me is that all they are doing is keeping a family apart even longer for really no legitimate reason.

Wife fly.s back to UK next week, which means we really don't have time to get a reply back from embassy if we re-apply or appeal before she fly's.

I am currently going through this at the moment, due to my step daughter being refused a family visit visa on Monday. I was going to appeal until I spoke to the first tier tribunal service in Leicester. They say a basic appeal can take a minimum of 4 months. 11 days for them to say they got your appeal, they then have to send it back to the clearance office that you applied at, they have eleven days from then to tell you that they have received it, then another 11 days to reply back to first tier tribunal. All your paperwork then has to be sent back to uk first tier tribunal with the clearance officers first decision on refusal. First tier can then take upto 3 months to arrange date and time of your hearing dependant on if you want paper or oral hearing. They did mention that paper hearing is quicker, but depends on any additional paperwork required from you.

After talking to one of my work collugues who is a Nigerian now resident in uk for 6 years, who in the past has tried to get his mother and sister over for uk family visit. Both refused. He appealed for mothers case, took 8 months to finalise outcome, with his sister he re-applied with additional letter discussing the points for refusal, the original refusal was overturned in 10 days and his sister was given visit visa.

I my case I have decided to re-apply for step daughters visa.

Good luck with whatever course you take

7by7, on 2011-02-26 23:33:46, said:

Thanks 7by7, going to book ticket anyway. I will be meeting wife and step daughter at airport, if any questions by IO at least i will be there so they can call me and I can answer any questions.

Thanks again for your valued input.

My wife got settlement visa 18 months ago. We supplied letter in addition to application. It was two a4 sheet that i wrote out for her, she then hand write it and sign. It covered alot of things. these are:

date we met
how we met
how many times she had seen me, time, duration, where we stayed
my address in uk
that she knew my mother and father names, and that they are retired
that she had met other members of my family, my two brothers (brother is married to Thai also, even mentioned her name)
how i get on with her daughter
how i have helped support her and daughter, sent the usual money transfers paperwork,
added about 10 emails, ranging in date from day one to the week prior to handing application in at VFS
send daughter to school in thailand, we paid for school fees, etc, books, uniform, SHOW RECEIPTS
our intentions when we live in uk
what work i do, how long i have been doing it (i was self employed at the time)
what she is looking to do for work, what she has been doing to look for work prior to getting visa, ie working on cv, looking at uk internet job sites (researching)
what she might do about english language courses if and when she arrives in uk,
out future what we are planning on doing, where we are going to live, etc
added about 10 photos, inside house with everyone together, mum, daughter, her me, and photos of the two of us outside the house, also added photos of us, her brother and my brother when we signed marriage paperwork.

her friend was also police officer, and i knew him for about 4 years on and off. He wrote a character reference for me in Thai (was not translated when attached to application form)

and most important of all. THAT YOU CAN LIVE THE TWO OF YOU BY YOUR OWN MEANS, I.E NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS. (FOR HER ANYWAY)

that was about it, don't know if it helped, but surely having as much information about the two of you must be a bonus. I.e the embassy staff can see that you have known each other for a certain amount of time, that you have shown details of a lengthy relationship.

Hope this helps, good luck