UK Visa Rejection: Navigating the Aftermath of a UK Visa Refusal

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Updated February 2024

All non-British visitors traveling to the UK, whether for work, business, or leisure, must apply for a UK visa. If you have applied for a visa for your trip and received a rejection from the UK immigration office, it is important to understand how to handle the situation.

Continue reading as Wego helps you learn more about dealing with a UK visa rejection.

UK visa rejection

A UK visa rejection is when an application for a non-immigrant visa is rejected by the UK immigration authorities for various reasons. Upon rejection, the applicant will receive a letter from the UK Home Office or UKVI explaining the reasons for the refusal and outlining the rights to appeal and the relevant timeframes.

UK visa rejection rate

It’s been reported that the rejection rate of UK visa applications is around 15%, with some visa categories witnessing even higher denial rates. For instance, the Tier 1 (entrepreneur) visa has a rejection rate of a staggering 50%.

UK visa rejection reasons

The most common reasons for UK visa rejections include:

• deception – submitting fraudulent or false documents
• deportation order – if the applicant is the recipient of a deportation order
• criminal convictions – if the applicant has been convicted of a crime that carries a sentence of 4 years or more imprisonment
• withholding information about criminal records
• insufficient funds for the trip to the UK
• previous immigration violations – if the applicant has overstayed or submitted false documents on a previous trip to the UK
• non-compliance with visa requirements – such as failing to submit biometric information, providing a photograph, or undergoing a medical examination
• invalid passport or travel document
• concealing material information related to the visa application process
• purpose of visit not aligned with the visa category applied for

It’s important to carefully review the visa requirements and provide accurate and complete information in the visa application to avoid potential rejection.

UK visa rejection options

If your visa application was denied, you should carefully read the refusal letter from the Home Office to understand the reason for the rejection. There are three main options for proceeding after a UK visa refusal: an administrative review, a new application, or an appeal.

Administrative review

An administrative review is a process for reviewing a decision made on a visa application if you believe that it was processed or assessed incorrectly by a case worker. There are specific deadlines for requesting an administrative review, which depends on whether you applied from within the UK or from your country of residence. Details below:

• 14 calendar days, if you have applied from within the United Kingdom
• 28 calendar days, if you apply from the country of your residence

New application

If you or your immigration lawyer believe that you made a mistake in your previous application or did not provide the required documents, you can choose to reapply with a new application. Additionally, if your circumstances have changed, you may have a better chance of receiving a visa if you reapply.

Appeal

If a specialist who is assisting you with your application discovers errors made by a case worker that resulted in a refusal, you have the right to appeal that decision.

To file an appeal, you must complete a particular form. You will have different deadlines for submitting an appeal depending on where you applied:

• if you apply for a visa extension and are refused in the UK, you will be given 14 calendar days
• if you submit an application and get a refusal outside Great Britain, you will have up to 28 calendar days to appeal

How to appeal for UK visa refusal?

If your UK visa application has been rejected, you have the right to appeal the decision by following these steps:

• fill out Form IAFT-2, which is the appeal form against the Home Office’s decision to reject your visa
• submit the completed and signed form along with supporting documents to the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber)
• the Chamber will acknowledge receipt of your documents and forward them to the relevant authorities for review
• the original decision will either be overturned or upheld, and you will be informed of the outcome in writing
• a hearing will be scheduled, and you will receive details about the hearing. An immigration judge will review all relevant documents and make a decision within 10 days of the hearing
• if the hearing decision is in your favor, the visa office will contact you and continue processing your visa application
• if the visa rejection is upheld, you can consider submitting a new visa application.

The visa appeal process takes around 12 weeks, beginning from the submission of the appeal application to the hearing and decision by the judge.

UK visa rejection refund

The fee for a UK visa application is non-refundable, regardless of whether your application is approved or rejected. If your visa application is rejected, you may choose to reapply by paying the relevant fee again.

However, it is important to consider the reasons for the rejection and to ensure that all necessary documents and information are provided in the new application to increase the chances of approval.