Applying for a UK Visit visa with a history... Please help!!

[Mardavich]

Hi all,

Thanks in advance for reading this. Really would appreciate some help on the matter.

I came to the UK in September 2002 on a student visa and finished my masters in June 2006 at Imperial College London, I was lucky enough to get a job right away and received my work permit to work at Goldman Sachs in June 2006. In November 2008 I applied for a Tier 1 General Visa and got it. I was made redundant due to the recession in February 2009. I attempted to change my career but I was technically unemployed for a while. From Feb 2010 to August 2010 I worked at a self-employed position but I made no money so I don't think that counts. I got a job in August 2011 with a retail bank. I applied for ILR in October 2011 but unfortunately I was not successful due to having a gap in my employment history and the incompetency of the lawyer I used.

The home office was asking me for more and more documents relating to my self employment period and the lawyer I was using informed that in all probability I would be rejected (After convincing me to apply for ILR and explaining that it would be fine in the first place!). I never received a no per se (although it was no doubt inevitable) because unfortunately my grandfather passed away so I withdrew my application and left the UK to be with the family.

The problem is my girlfriend/friends and life pretty much is/was in the UK and unfortunately due to the stricter conservative regulations (Could not get a Tier 2 work permit because of new rules released in April 2011 retroactively) I have been unable to return to the UK since (Eventhough, I lived there for 9 years!)

I applied for a visit visa in March 2012 and was rejected on the grounds of not having enough ties from the country I was applying from (Of course! I had only been back for roughly 3 months!) I declared that I had been working from Jan 2011 in the current country and they said that is also impossible as I was in the UK. I was hoping I would have a chance to explain this during the interview but I was not given that courtesy. I currently work full time and have been technically employed from Jan 2011 (eventhough I was in the UK) at our family business.

My question in summary is I wish to go back and visit my girlfriend/friends/get my things properly from my friends and come back. It has now been almost one year since I last applied. Should I just reapply for the visit visa? What should I say regarding my work? I work full time here now and was employed from Jan 2011 although I took on a more permanent full time position once I returned around December 2011/Jan 2012.

I really look forward to your reply and any help you can give me. For the time being, I just want to go and see my girlfriend/friends/get my things and come back.

Thanks in advance.

[Lucapooka]

If you have a steady job that is not a the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, it should be okay. If, however, you clean the ear wax out of bus passenger's ears for a very low reward, you might still have a problem. Basically, they will want to see that whatever you have as a life is not something that you would be prepared to give up in order to remain in a mature welfare state.

[Mardavich]

If you have a steady job that is not a the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, it should be okay. If, however, you clean the ear wax out of bus passenger's ears for a very low reward, you might still have a problem. Basically, they will want to see that whatever you have as a life is not something that you would be prepared to give up in order to remain in a mature welfare state.

My job is fine, I get paid a decent salary as well. But just to clarify, would they still throw a fuss if I apply this time and when should I say I began work with the family business? The Truth (Jan 2011) or should I change it to Jan 2012 just to satisfy them? And would this cause me any problems as I said Jan 2011 before?

Any ideas if getting a no previously affects my chances now?

Thanks

[thebionicredneck2003]

Hi,

You should always say the truth in every application. You can include some notes to explain that although you were in the UK, you were already working for the business and then took up a permanent role in Jan 2012.

The key thing as Lucapooka has already said is having strong ties to your home country. Obviously, you have had rejections within a very short space of time and you have a girlfriend in the UK which can raise a suspicion on your possible intentions. These are things you need to consider before making the new application again within such a short space of time.

You need to remove all reasonable doubt from the caseworker dealing with your application and prove that your intention is just to visit and not to come and start a life with your girlfriend.


Good luck

[pennylessinindia]

Looks like you were a bit silly saying you were working for the family business when you were in the UK, unless you can show that was really the case why did you put it? To make your application look better. Now your credibility will be questioned when you apply again and perhaps rightly so. You could try and explain why you said what you said last time and see if it sounds reasonable.
Given you long history in the UK it is likely to be hard to show you have strong connections with the country you are now living in, you still have strong connections in the UK with a girl friend so I think you may find it hard to show your connection with your own country

[Ted]

The problem is my girlfriend/friends and life pretty much is/was in the UK


My question in summary is I wish to go back and visit my girlfriend/friends/get my things properly from my friends and come back.


Thanks in advance.

These are the reasons why you were probably denied entry.

Why cant your friends sent you your property via a delivery service?

If your girlfriend is a BC she can sponsor you as a prospective spouse.

Why should the UKBA except your weak reasons to want to return to the UK.

Your previous visa was denied, why? How much time in the UK did you ask for?

Maybe if you ask for a one week visa to unable you to gather you things then they may consider this.

[Mardavich]

Hi,

You should always say the truth in every application. You can include some notes to explain that although you were in the UK, you were already working for the business and then took up a permanent role in Jan 2012.

The key thing as Lucapooka has already said is having strong ties to your home country. Obviously, you have had rejections within a very short space of time and you have a girlfriend in the UK which can raise a suspicion on your possible intentions. These are things you need to consider before making the new application again within such a short space of time.

You need to remove all reasonable doubt from the caseworker dealing with your application and prove that your intention is just to visit and not to come and start a life with your girlfriend.


Good luck

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately I have had a couple rejections within a short space of time.

I have no intention of coming and staying in the UK illegally otherwise I would have done that when I was there! But I understand your point in that the UKBA needs to be convinced with hard evidence. I have now been working at the family business in a more full time role. I actually need to be here and can probably only head to the UK for a week or 2 at most. Is this sufficient for a reason? My entire family is here as well (Parents, siblings, uncles etc...). I never really mentioned my girlfriend in my application because although we are more serious now, we had only been together for a year at that point and it felt unnatural to bring her into the equation. We just weren't there in our relationship at the time.

My life was pretty much in the UK but I've had no choice but to build a new life with new friends (still in touch with the UK ones but the distance makes it difficult to see them!). I am in love with my girlfriend though and she me so there is no way our relationship is ending due to a more conservative government.

My intention is just to visit, to see my friends and my girlfriend (though I might not mention this if it will be used against me) and come back.

Sorry to ramble on a bit but any information I can get on here will be useful.

[Mardavich]

Looks like you were a bit silly saying you were working for the family business when you were in the UK, unless you can show that was really the case why did you put it? To make your application look better. Now your credibility will be questioned when you apply again and perhaps rightly so. You could try and explain why you said what you said last time and see if it sounds reasonable.
Given you long history in the UK it is likely to be hard to show you have strong connections with the country you are now living in, you still have strong connections in the UK with a girl friend so I think you may find it hard to show your connection with your own country

You may well argue I was silly but the only thing I'm guilty of is telling the truth. My visa in the country I'm currently in was renewed but tied to my family business in Jan 2011. Although I was still living in UK, I was technically employed there as well. But I regret putting that now, I think it would have made more sense to put it down as Jan 2012.

Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it btw. I'll mention it in my visit visa and explain my situation and hope for the best.

[Mardavich]

The problem is my girlfriend/friends and life pretty much is/was in the UK


My question in summary is I wish to go back and visit my girlfriend/friends/get my things properly from my friends and come back.


Thanks in advance.

These are the reasons why you were probably denied entry.

Why cant your friends sent you your property via a delivery service?

If your girlfriend is a BC she can sponsor you as a prospective spouse.

Why should the UKBA except your weak reasons to want to return to the UK.

Your previous visa was denied, why? How much time in the UK did you ask for?

Maybe if you ask for a one week visa to unable you to gather you things then they may consider this.

Thanks for your reply, let me clarify a few points.

I never mentioned I planned to see my girlfriend or friends in my last visit visa application, I merely said that I want to visit the UK which is true. I want to go as a tourist and have a good time while also visiting my friends and girlfriend (a point that I didn't mention and from the sound of the above posts, it's best I don't)

My friends can send me my things via delivery service but I've already gotten all the essential things, this was more a side point for my visit.

My girlfriend is a british citizen. I think at this point it would be easier if she moved here with me which we are keen on. We have discussed this though and it's an option we might take in the future but for now, I just want to visit the UK and not move full time. I wouldn't have a job if I moved there whereas I do here.

My previous visa was denied because they said after weighing everything they don't believe I have enough ties to the current country. However, this was last march, almost a year ago and only a few months after I had returned from the UK. I believe I have a better chance now. Have been working full time, getting paid a better salary and consistently for the past year. I applied for a year's visa last time, this time I will apply for the least possible time, believe this is 3 or 6 months.

I just want to visit the UK for around a week or 2 tops and see my friends and girlfriend. I don't really understand why this is a weak reason? I have never stayed illegally in the 9 years I lived there and I don't intend to. I'm way too classy for that hehe.

I look forward to your reply.

[Mardavich]

If you have a steady job that is not a the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, it should be okay. If, however, you clean the ear wax out of bus passenger's ears for a very low reward, you might still have a problem. Basically, they will want to see that whatever you have as a life is not something that you would be prepared to give up in order to remain in a mature welfare state.

My job is fine, I get paid a decent salary as well. But just to clarify, would they still throw a fuss if I apply this time and when should I say I began work with the family business? The Truth (Jan 2011) or should I change it to Jan 2012 just to satisfy them? And would this cause me any problems as I said Jan 2011 before?

Any ideas if getting a no previously affects my chances now?

Thanks

Looking for a bit of clarification on these questions. Should I just go ahead as one of the posters above said and explain that I began in Jan 2011 but took a full time role in Jan 2012. Will I face any problems? And would getting no's in my previous visit visa application affect my future application?

Thanks in advance.

[Lucapooka]

Yes, apply. Getting no's [sic] in previous applications won't matter if, in the new application, you have successfully overcome the reasons for these refusals. A poor person with no ties to homeland, who is still poor person with no ties, will be refused. A poor person with no ties, who is no longer in that situation, will be granted.