Steep rise in rejection of UK visit visa applications to attend graduation ceremonies

It is the time of year when exams have ended. Students and their families are looking forward to graduation ceremonies. After all, if you have studied for three or four years, the graduation ceremony is a rite of passage that graduates and their family want to enjoy. Imagine your disappointment if the Home Office turns down your application or a family member’s application for a UK visit visa, resulting in you or your loved ones not being able to attend the graduation ceremony.

Ok, you have a degree but the ceremony, the graduation robe, pictures and the traditional meal with family afterwards makes all the studying seem worthwhile and is a moment to share with proud parents.

You may think that getting a visit visa is straightforward and that the best London immigration solicitors are unnecessarily spreading doom and gloom about visit visa applications to attend graduation ceremonies being rejected. That certainly isn’t the case. OTS Solicitors have seen a steep rise in enquiries about how to challenge visit visa refusals when visas are refused, preventing attendance at a graduation ceremony.

Kristine Lauriaga, a paralegal in the Immigration department and a member of the graduate services team says:

"I am a recent law graduate and often take calls from new clients to discuss how OTS Solicitors can help. I am not sure if it is because I only graduated a couple of years ago that I noticed the trend of graduates and their families being refused visas to attend graduation ceremonies. This year we have seen a marked increase in requests for help because either a graduate or a member of their family has had their application for a UK visit visa to attend a graduation ceremony rejected by the Home Office.

"Coming from a migrant background I can really empathise with distressed students and their parents who are desperate to attend the graduation ceremony. Everyone at OTS Solicitors understands just how important the graduation ceremony is for all graduates, but particularly if you are an international student or from a migrant family.

“In our most recent case, a client contacted us at the end of May as she had her graduation on the 16th June and her father was refused a visit visa to attend her graduation. After a speedy response from me and my colleague Hans Sok Appadu, we were able to draft and send a pre-action protocol within 3 days and we got the refusal overturned in 1 week! Safe to say our client was delighted to have her father join her at her graduation and share her special day.”

OTS Solicitors are specialist in Immigration law matters and are recommended by The Legal 500. For advice and help if your UK visit visa application has been refused or to learn more about our graduate services please call us on 0203 959 9123 to arrange an appointment to speak to one of our experienced London immigration solicitors.

The UK standard visitor visa covers non-EEA nationals wanting to visit the UK to attend a graduation ceremony or for leisure, tourism or to see family and friends.

top London immigration solicitors advise that when a Home Office caseworker is deciding whether to grant or reject a visit visa application they look at:

• The purpose of the visit;

• Whether the applicant meets mandatory checks , including identity and suitability;

• Whether the applicant is a genuine visitor;

• Whether any person providing support to the visit visa applicant is in a genuine relationship with the applicant.

In essence, the Home Office is assessing whether an applicant is a "genuine visitor" by assessing:

• Genuine intentions to visit;

• Personal circumstances;

• Credibility;

• Travel and Immigration history.

What to do if a visit visa is refused

If an application for a visit visa to attend a graduation ceremony is refused, an applicant can:

• Make another application for a visit visa; or

• Apply for a judicial review of the Home Office rejection decision.

Most applicants for a visit visa are wary of applying to judicially review the Home Office decision to refuse a visit visa application to attend a graduation ceremony.

top London immigration solicitors say that is normally because applicants are worried about the cost of judicial review proceedings and the length of time the proceedings will take. These are very understandable concerns but threatening judicial review proceedings can result in the production of a visit visa more quickly than making a fresh visa application.

Why? Well a judicial review application can be made if the Home Office decision to refuse a visit visa was illegal, irrational or there was procedural unfairness but the start point to judicial review proceedings is to send a pre-action protocol letter to the Home Office threatening judicial review proceedings.

The graduate services team at OTS Solicitors have found that they are achieving a fantastic success rate in persuading the Home Office to review decisions to refuse visit visas to enable a graduate or family member to come to the UK to attend a graduation ceremony based on the pre-action letter.

Kristine Lauriaga says:

“The graduate services team at OTS Solicitors have found that submitting a pre-action protocol letter to the Home Office, supported by our in depth knowledge of the 66 page Home Office visit visa guide, has really paid dividends for graduates and their families. The results are generally positive and speedy and it is great that graduates and their families are able to celebrate the graduation together. The reward for the graduate services team is receiving pictures of graduation ceremonies, often sent by grateful parents.’’

OTS Solicitors specialise in visa applications and have substantial experience in obtaining UK visit visas after the Home Office have rejected an application.

The success of OTS Solicitors and the graduate services team on UK visit visa appeals is down to quick action in threatening judicial review proceedings and a thorough knowledge and understanding of the complex Home Office Immigration Rules and regulations surrounding visit visa applications.

The law directory, The Legal 500, recommend OTS Solicitors for Immigration law. OTS Solicitors also have Law Society accredited solicitors status as trusted specialists in Immigration law.