In this video, I give three tips to improve your chances of successfully obtaining a visitor visa.
It seems unfair that different levels of of scrutiny seem to be applied by the UK authorities depending on which country you are applying from.
But if you look at the statistics for visitor visa refusals, they vary wildly and it appears that it is harder to apply from certain developing countries.
It seems that there is almost an extreme level of scepticism applied to visitor visa applications from, for example, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.
So what can you do to improve your chances of your UK visitor visa application succeeding?
Firstly, go short, then long. Don’t apply first for the 5 year multiple entry visa immediately.
Start first with a short visit. Begin with a 6 month visa application, then 2 years, then 5 years.
Secondly, make sure that, especially for your first visa, you have a clear itinerary. Leave out generic explanations and explain specifically what you will be doing on your first, say, one week visit.
Thirdly, don’t put a huge amount of funds into your cash account immediately, just before applying. Some people do this to evidence sufficiency of funds, but it can be counter-productive and appear contrived. More often that not, that was certainly not the intention, its just that many people tend to keep their money in investments and keep their cash levels low. This is one of the main reasons I see for refusal, when people approach me for the first time having been refused.
A slow, deliberate plan, thinking at least 6 months ahead, and implementing this approach, may put you in a much better position to apply successfully.