How to Make A Successful UK-Visa Application!

APPLY EARLY:The UK & other countries receive visa-applications as much as 3-months to departure date. So apply early to avoid a refusal due to lack of adequate time to process your category of visa application.

BE DETAILED, BE ARTICULATE:Visa applications are sometimes refused out rightly, when not properly packaged in a meticulous, coherent & orderly manner. You may have over-heard people say “I was not even asked anything; (in cases of a personal interview) they did not even go through my papers/docs, (in cases of non appearance evaluations). Be assured your application speaks volume about your person and your circumstances, & it’s usually stronger when sufficient information is provided about your visa-application, never neglect or play down on the importance of any document or information no matter how trivial it may seem in your eyes, as they all cumulatively add to the strength of your application. Remember a visa is not a right but a discretionary privilege.

BE HONEST, SUBMIT ONLY GENUINE DOCUMENTS:Never attempt to submit forged documents or give false information, or perpetrate any form of deception of whatever nature in the course of an application as this will seriously undermine your visa-application & your credibility, making you guilty of misrepresentation or 'deception’ which is a ground for a visa refusal, in addition to the current immigration rules effective From 1 April 2008 stipulating mandatory refusal of such applications, and recommending penalties to be imposed on anyone who has either:

•previously overstayed their leave to remain in the UK,
•entered the UK illegally on a previous occasion,
•used deception in any immigration application less than 10 years ago, or
•not kept to the conditions of his or her permission to stay in the UK when here previously
The penalties are severe, particularly in cases where deception is involved. Any application from people refused entry clearance after having used deception in their applications will be refused outright. This will go on for 10 years.

CONFORM TO ALL RULES & GUIDELINES:When making a visa-application, endeavor to adhere to all the requirements of your visa-application category, & any other general or specific guidelines (guidance notes) that has been issued in regard to your visa-application category.
APPEAL IF GIVEN THE RIGHT TO:Many visa-applicants see an opportunity to appeal, if given a right to appeal as a waste of time or resources. Nothing can be far from that. When given any opportunity to appeal, exercise your rights!

CONSULT! CONSULT! CONSULT! There is ‘wisdom’ in ‘wise’ counsel. When applying or after haven been refused consult with a competent immigration law firm or a specialized travel consultancy firm.For many not conversant with immigration/visa application matters this may well be an outlet to familiarize oneself the basic rules & requirements within the industry most especially as required by the embassies. Note that the embassies may not be in a position to tell you every single detail concerning your application.

CASE STUDY:Why do you think in the case of the UK the relevant immigration rules that should otherwise be available to all applicants before they apply are printed as part of the refusal notices rather than the application forms as it ought to be! – Question? When do potential applicants need the rules before or after refusal?).


FACTS BEHINDE THE FIGURES OF UKVISAS!{Information Courtesy - UKVISAS - 06/07 ANNUAL REPORT}

"As the number of travellers needing visas rises, so do the complexities and, potentially, the costs of the visa operation that has to meet the challenges.So UKvisa needs to become increasingly innovative to stay effective and continuously improve" Mark Sedwill - (Director of UKVISAS)- 2006/07 Annual Report.


UKVISAS MANAGE 146 VISA OPERATIONS AROUND THE WORLD WITH OVER 100 NATIONALITIESREQUIRING VISAS TO COME TO THE UK FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES UKVISAS IS SELF FUNDINGTHROUGH THE COLLECTION OF VISA FEES WITH NO TAXPAYER SUBSIDY FOR ITS OPERATIONS IN 2006/2007 THE TOTAL INCOME FROM VISA FEES WAS 190MILLION POUNDS FROM 2.75MILLION APPLICATIONS, OUT OF WHICH OVER HALF A MILLION APPLICATIONSWERE REFUSED, MAKING 19% OF THE TOTAL.
THE TOP TEN NATIONALITIES BY DEMAND ARE 1) INDIA, 2) NIGERIA, 3) PAKISTAN, 4) CHINA, 5) RUSSIA, 6) TURKEY, 7) PHILIPPINES, 8) BANGLADESH, 9) GHANA, 10) IRAN. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MAKE AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION OF AROUND 5BILLION POUNDSTO THE UNITED KINGDSOM ECONOMY. IN 2006/2007, 313,000 STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED, 79,000 FOR WORKING VISAS (WORKING HOLIDAY MAKER EXCLUDED) {Courtesy - UKVISAS - 06/07 ANNUAL REPORT}

USEFUL LINKS: www.ukvac-ng.com, www.ukinnigeria.com, www.dfes.gov.uk, www.britishcouncil.org