Something happened before
I was refused a visa before
Draft — not yet legally reviewedA refusal in your past does not automatically stop you applying again. What matters is why you were refused, whether a ban was imposed, and whether you declare it.
What the words mean
- Disclosure
- Telling the Home Office about your history when an application form asks. Not declaring something is usually treated more seriously than the thing itself.
- Re-entry ban
- A period during which an application will normally be refused, imposed in some circumstances. Whether one applies to you, and for how long, depends on what happened.
- Deception
- A finding that false information was given. It has consequences for later applications that go well beyond the original decision.
What to do first
Step 1. Find the refusal letter. The reasons in it decide what your next application has to answer.
Step 2. Note the date and the exact reason given.
Step 3. Work out whether anything in the reasons is something you can now show differently.
Step 4. Declare the refusal when a form asks. Do not leave it out.
Step 5. Speak to a regulated adviser before you apply again.
What to gather
The refusal letter, and the envelope if you still have it
The application you made at the time, if you kept a copy
Anything that has changed since: a job, a tenancy, money, family
Who can help
Whether a ban applies to you, how long it lasts, and how to answer the reasons you were refused are all questions about your own case. That is advice, and it has to come from a solicitor regulated by the SRA or an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority.
Find a regulated adviserFor more detail than we carry, Free Movement is the better source: freemovement.org.uk.
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