Family Visit Visa

[zorro]

Hi,

I am planning to apply for a UK Family Visit Visa for 2 weeks. Some of my close relatives (British Citizens) will be sending me a sponsor letter. So plz be good enough to clarify the following questions.

1.) In the year 2006 I applied for UK High Skilled Migration (HSMP) from Sri Lanka and I could only obtain 50 marks, but the requirement was 65. Hence my HSMP application was refused in 2006. (This occurred due to the fact that the submitted documents regarding the Earnings as Salary pay slips did not have dual proof. Therefore they didn’t give marks for earnings. At the time of applying, I didn’t know that I had to give dual proof.)
In the Visitor Visa Application Form (VAF) under the question no 5.2 it is asked whether you have ever been refused a Visa for any country, including UK?

a.) Is it necessary to mention about the above mentioned HSMP refusal? (But in the Passport there’s no evidence marked with regard to a refusal.)

b.) Is HSMP considered as a Visa?

c.) Do I have to attach a copy of the HSMP refusal letter?

2.) My friend is also planning to apply for UK visit Visa. He was selected for a Sports World Tournament in Netherlands in the Year 2005. All the team members including the coach applied for the Netherlands Visa. Initially the Visa of the Coach was refused by the Netherlands Embassy and subsequently the Visa’s of all the other team members were refused. (At that time my friend was 17 years of age and was a School boy) In the passport there is a seal marked by the Netherlands Embassy.

a.) Is it necessary to mention the details of the above visa rejection under the question number 5.2 of the VAF?

b.) Will the Netherlands Embassy visa refusal effect the UK Visa application approvals?

Expecting an early reply to the above.

Thanks in Advance.

[dubbayoo]

As far as forms and sections go, perhaps I'm checking the wrong form but in looking at form VAF1B (family visit visa application) the relevant section you're asking about is 6.3. http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/resources/en/docs/1903073/VAF1B is the form I'm referencing.

In the spirit of full disclosure you would be best to note being refused the HSMP previously. Yes the HSMP will be considered a rejected visa application. I'm not sure how thorough the high commission in Colombo is but if they cross-check your name and details they will likely come across the refusal and it wouldn't work in your favour if you say you've never been refused a UK visa yet they can plainly see you've had a past refusal. You likely don't need to attach a copy of the refusal letter though that's an option. If you quote the case number that would likely be sufficient.

For your friend, because the application form asks if one has ever been denied a visa for any country then he will have to list his denial for the Netherlands and yes, it could impact his UK application. The best advice there is again full disclosure; he should note exactly what happened and why so the entry clearance officer can fully understand the situation. The way you describe it makes it sound like your friend was not at fault and if that's the case then the impact ought to be minimal.

Best of luck in your application.
_________________
Chris Burgess
UK Ancestry visa holder from Canada.

[zorro]

Hi dubbayoo

Thanx for the reply for my previous post.

But I do have few more queries to be clarified.

1.) I am planning to visit UK for a holiday to visit my brother who is an UK University Student. And also there are some close relatives who will be sponsoring me with food and accommodation. So I want to make sure whether the UK Visa Application form that I m using is the correct one. (I m using the Visitor Form 'VAF1 OCT 2007') Because in your reply you have mentioned the application form should be 'VAF1B', but the form that I have is just 'VAF1', which was downloaded from the web.

2.) Since I m planning to visit UK for a holiday shouldn't I fill my details by referring the Question no. 6.5 (Family Visitor) instead of Question no. 6.3 (Business Visitor) which is in the 'VAF1 OCT 2007 form'? But in your previous reply you have mentioned about Q6.3.

Thanks you once again. I would dearly appreciate if you could please reply me at your earliest.

[dubbayoo]

You specified a family visit visa being required and the VAF1B form is the family visit visa form. If you're looking for a general visitor visa form then VAF1A is what you seek as per http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/vafs/

The form you've referenced is outdated and has been replaced as of last month (you will note VAF1A and VAF1B have a revision date of November 2008). First you will need to figure out which type of visa you plan to apply for, obtain the correct form from the page noted above, and then I can hopefully help you with specifics.

According to the visa guidance at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf2visitors#9278085 you're best to apply as a general visitor, meaning you'll use form VAF1A.
_________________
Chris Burgess
UK Ancestry visa holder from Canada.