Visitor visa refused. How to clarify this for reapplication?

[nafi14]

Hi All,

My mother in law applied for 6 month standard visitor visa to come visit her daughter and me to witness the birth of our first child. She was refused based on 4.2 and 4.3 of the visitor clause. I have added the refusal reason below.

Just to help with more info, father in law provided 4 bank accounts. 2 savings account in his own name with total money of around £25k. And another 2 current account with his business name (he is the sole owner of the account) which showed regular money withdrawals to run his business as well as his family maintenance. He has no other bank accounts. We showed proof of his ownership of the businesss as well as property owned by him in Bangladesh.

Mil does not have any such financial ownership, and is fully dependant on her husband (very common in our country).

Now only MIL is planning to visit for three weeks and FIL cannot come due to his commitments to business.

But the visa officer incorrectly thought the visit was for three months (it's not) and did not accept the business account as proof of sponsorship.

Also to add, my MIL has her parents and one sister as British citizen, but that has been for more than 20 years. She has no plan to stay in UK as she is in committal relationship in Bangladesh, as well as 4 other sisters, none of them ever tried to come to UK permanently. She also has another son, who studies in Canada.

Please help me with some advice with how to answer these rejection for reapplication. Thanks.

Visa refusal letter:
"The decision I have refused your application for a visit visa because I am not satisfied that you meet the requirements of 4.3 and 4.2 of Appendix V: Immigration Rules for Visitors. This is because:

• You state you wish to visit the United Kingdom for a period of 3 months for the purpose of visiting family. Whilst I recognise that family visits are important, I must consider the information regarding your sponsor’s support of your visit separately in my assessment of your application. To consider whether or not I am satisfied that your intentions are as stated and that you meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules, I must assess your own personal and economic circumstances.

• You have stated unemployed and declared no personal income. You state you spend £600 per month on living costs, also stated you intend to spend £3000, on your trip to the UK, and your husband shall fund £3000 towards your trip to the UK. You have stated he will help you meet your costs for this visit by paying for your maintenance and accommodation whilst you are in the UK. However, whilst I have taken this into account in assessing your proposed maintenance and accommodation the UK, this is only one aspect of the visitor rules. The onus is on you to qualify for entry clearance based on your own circumstances and intention. The sponsorship does not satisfy me of your own intention to comply with the Immigration Rules.

• You have indicated that your sponsor will pay £3000 towards the cost of your trip. However, the documents you have submitted do not show that they are able to do so, since the business bank statement you have provided from IFIC bank (account number ending 7001),United commercial bank plc ( account number ending 1217) represents funds used for the activities and running of the business and you have not demonstrated that these funds are available to support anything else. You have not demonstrated that your sponsor is a signatory to this account, or that funds may be available to your sponsor by any other company or official authority. Furthermore, these funds do not reflect your sponsor's personal financial circumstances. I am therefore not satisfied that your sponsor can and will provide you with support for the intended duration of your stay. Your application is therefore refused under paragraph V4.3 (c) of the Immigration Rules.

• I note the submission of a fixed deposit from IFIC (account number ending 3203), United commercial bank (account ending 1793) held in your husband’s name. Whilst I accept that this indicates you hold the required finances to cover the costs, I am mindful that it provides limited insight into your financial circumstances in your own country. I note that this stands in isolation as evidence of your own personal finances. Therefore, whilst you appear to hold the funds required to cover the costs of your trip, I am given reason to doubt that the finances presented by you are an accurate portrayal of your circumstances, which consequently undermines the economic ties you have evidenced to your home country. I am therefore not satisfied that you have demonstrated that you are a genuine visitor and will leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit.

• I have carefully considered your family ties to both the UK and your home country. I note the presence of your daughter, parents and sister residing in the UK. It is reasonable to conclude that your familial ties are stronger in the UK than in your home country. This, in conjunction with the concerns relating to your economic ties stated above, gives me reason to further doubt that you will depart the UK at the end of the period stated by you. This, therefore, leads me to doubt the credibility of your application and, I am not satisfied that you have demonstrated circumstances that would encourage you to depart the UK following your proposed visit. .

• The concerns noted in the paragraphs above mean that I am not satisfied that you have accurately declared your personal and financial circumstances, which in turn means I am not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that you are a genuine visitor. I have made this decision taking into account other factors relevant to your application, however, I am not satisfied that any of these other factors outweigh the concerns noted above. Therefore, I am not satisfied that you are genuinely seeking entry as a visitor and that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit. Your application is therefore refused under paragraphs V4.2. (a) and (c) of Appendix V: Visitor as contained within the Immigration Rules.