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I applied for a UK visa (visitor) from India to attend an academic competition in London. The organizer provided the participants with an invitation letter. For my visa application, I used my father's bank statement.

My first visa application was denied due to inconsistent bank history, the reason why it was inconsistent wasn't explained. On my second try, I attached airlines tickets (both ways), accommodation details (it had been present in the first attempt, but was conveniently ignored) and two other bank statements from my father's different accounts along with the account that was used previously. Like in the first application, I attached copies of his Income Tax details (current).

However, even after making these changes my application was again denied. On further frivolous grounds:

  1. That my studies would be ongoing when my visa expires - while accepting that my university has confirmed that I am a bona fide student they felt my studies would not extend to 6 months, which was the duration of the visa.

  2. That the new accounts presented showed deposits entering my parents' accounts that had not appeared on the Income Tax ledger. It is important to note that the said Tax details were for 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, the most current tax details going back three years had been provided. The transaction so pointed out was for December 2017, the assessment year for which would be 2017-18, which has not yet come to pass. Furthermore, the amount mentioned was for arrears, which is very common for government employees, who receive lump-sum payments.

Both my attempts have not only affected me financially (the cost of the application was around INR 8,000 and INR 9,000 approximately), it has also affected me mentally as my participation in the International Rounds was crucial for my team (who have interestingly all received a positive response, even when I had cited their application as well). I wanted to know steps if any that can be taken to:

  1. Ensure that this matter be rectified, without incurring any financial cost.
  2. Make changes for my future application.
  3. Ask for a financial statement of my dad that has not been delivered to me, which has been kept back without any statement as to the reason.

I have attached my rejection letters along with my question.

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Prateek
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    You're funds parking and you don't demonstrate ties to your home country and you haven't changed your life in a way that meaningfully shows your visa application is any different from the previous rejection. This isn't some paper pusher in India, this is a professional who's made an effort to see if you have made an effort, and was disappointed. – Nij Feb 09 '18 at 04:45
  • @Nij It is hardly fund parking, you are making the same mistake that the said "paper pusher did" as I have explained the amount was arrears from the central government further this was an official account. The funds do not appear on the Tax ledger because the assessment year hasn't come to pass. Further, regarding the changes that I had made - added two new accounts added my flight tickets (which I had to later cancel and incurred losses there as well). I had attached my college ID proof and a bonafide issued by the college. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 05:09
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    @PrateekSemwal to all intent and purpose, it looks like funds parking because the sums were not adequately explained in your application. If the funds do not appear on the tax ledger, then that needs to be explained, and other documentary evidence should be provided to show the legal source of the deposits - pay slips, business accounts with invoices etc etc etc. If the applicant does not explain it themselves, then the IO has every right to assume the funds are unexplained and therefore suspicious. –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:40
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    @PrateekSemwal you should also never purchase tickets prior to applying for a visa - the UK government even say it isnt required in their advice FAQ and other places: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/614897/UK_Visa_FAQ_South_Africa_PPA_May_2017.pdf –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:43
  • Yes, I can see that now. However, what if there are tens of such transaction would it be logical to provide proof on all of them and frankly I did not predict that such a minute issue would be taken up in making a denial. Would it help if I use my mothers account in the future. And what about the documents retained by the authorities. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 05:45
  • @Moo yes, I have gone through that information before. The flight was booked as the date of the competition was from the 09/02/18 and in order to avoid further inflation in the ticketing cost me and my teammates had all decided to book flight tickets. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 05:48
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    @PrateekSemwal you provide evidence for any and all substantial deposits - pay, sold your car, sold a kidney, it doesn't matter, you need to present evidence or else your application can be denied on the grounds yours was. It doesn't matter how many of them there are, they need to be backed up with evidence that they are legitimate and legal. Every. Single. One. –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:52
  • @PrateekSemwal regarding documents, how did you submit them? Originals via post, or did you go to a VFS centre along with biometrics? –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:53
  • I used VFS centre. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 05:54
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    Aside from the actual question, I'd be loathe to delve into to this at all because of the complete lack of structure in the text. @PrateekSemwal you might not think it matters but people are much more likely to offer help if they can understandd what you want. Take time to format your question properly. –  Feb 09 '18 at 06:00
  • @PrateekSemwal according to VFS, your documents would have been scanned by VFS during your visit and returned straight to you. https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/india/pdf/New-Scanning-Process.pdf –  Feb 09 '18 at 06:01
  • @Airsick If you could elaborate on the confusion. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 06:05
  • @Moo thanks for the reference, the pdf states that the document is scanned before being posted by the VFS center. The documents have been retained by the high commission, I am questioning the legality of there action. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 06:18
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    @prateek No confusion. I merely ask that you format your question to make it more legible. –  Feb 09 '18 at 06:21
  • @Prateek the PDF states this: "Apart from an applicant’s passport, all supporting documents will, where possible, be handed back at the Visa Application Centre after they have been scanned". On what basis do you question the legality? –  Feb 09 '18 at 06:25
  • @Moo I am understandably confused, perhaps, I have been unable to explain the issue to you. The VFS center is a mere facilitator, they under there rules scan the documents provided by the applicant. The High Commission, however, is under a duty to return back all the documents submitted to it. They have retained my father's financial statements. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 06:30
  • @Prateek are they under a duty to return all documents? Where do you get that impression? VFS scan and accredit your documents, give you the originals back and send the accredited copies to the decision centre - are you under the impression that you would definitely get the accredited copies back or...? –  Feb 09 '18 at 06:32
  • @Moo https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/burma/pdf/Changes-to-process-for-UK-settlement-visa-applicants-Lidpro-Egnlish.pdf. The policy clearly provides that the documents have to be returned back with the decision. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 07:29
  • @Prateek well, firstly that page is for settlement visas, not your visa - that can matter. Secondly, it says "original hard-copy supporting documents retained by UKVI will be returned to the customer". As I understand it, given your timeline, VFS should have returned the original hard-copy documents to you before you left the appointment, after they have been scanned. VFS almost certainly won't be printing those scanned documents, they will be submitted electronically to the decision centre, so there's nothing to return. If VFS didn't return your originals, you need to complain to VFS. –  Feb 09 '18 at 07:36
  • I graduated two years ago and I still have a valid university ID, I know at least two lecturers who would absolutely bona fide me (naïvely, since such documents are then easily altered). Flight tickets don't prove anything except that you have paid for flights. I haven't made a mistake at all - you, have not proven that this isn't funds parking. When it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, no ECO is going to treat it like a swan. – Nij Feb 09 '18 at 07:45
  • They 'conveniently ignored' your air tickets and reservations because Parliament told them to do that. And the ECO's obviously read the guidance that you did not, hence the misunderstanding. They can, and do, retain documents, including originals, for a variety of reasons, including when they are considered dubious (or have established that they are fraudulent). – Giorgio Feb 09 '18 at 16:05

2 Answers2

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First I strongly recommend reading this excellent answer. Not only it explains the same issue as yours, but it also has additional points worth considering regarding reapplying.

There is also a generic answer about bank statements here. It is a long one, but very well written and contains lots of useful information, including sponsored applications.

Specific to your case is another answer on a similar topic (yes there are plenty):

On the other hand, borrowing money from family is not forbidden per se but you still need to document your own income thoroughly and account for the sudden cash deposit. The problem here is that it looks a lot like you obtained money just to make yourself look richer than you really are and increase your chances of getting a visa. Also, the consulate wants to know that you (and your family) obtained the money legally, i.e. that you are not involved in criminal activities, money laundering, etc.

Another reason - and this is why I'm writing it as an answer instead of dumping links in comments - is that you probably think of this paperwork as being similar to Indian government bureaucracy. Which, in my experience, is that you are required to bring a lot of papers, which are time consuming to get, but would mostly be ignored when your paperwork is reviewed, and many are hardly even relevant.

Based on a lot of feedback, this is not how the UK consulate works. They pay a lot of attention to the paperwork submitted and are very good in sniffing out inaccuracies. For example they explicitly mentioned the unexpected deposit which are not explained by ITR or by anything else. Explaining those issues is your responsibility.

Note that they are under no obligation to issue a visa. Again, this is different from the case where you WILL get your government paperwork anyway, they would just annoy you with more requests of useless documents. There is no "right to visa" - it is a privilege which you need to prove you'd qualify for.

George Y.
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  • Thanks for the reply, in reality, it was not an unexpected sum and some inquiry into my father's finances would have explained the same. He was a high ranking officer in an O&G firm and as expected has sizeable deposits. The amount deposit in question is actually a meager part of his total deposit in that account, let alone his and my families net worth. It is frustrating because it seems as if the officer did not apply himself properly. And of course, I understand that availing a visa is not a right. But retaining applicant documents without disclosure as to the reason ? – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 05:23
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    @PrateekSemwal unless the evidence was actually presented in document form to the immigration officer as part of the application, then its not their job to "inquire" - its their job to judge the application on its own merits, which is the evidence presented with the application. If your fathers finances were not explained with evidence as part of the application, then the immigration official is right to question it. If your fathers 2017-2018 tax related transaction appeared on bank statements then it needed to be explained, the ICO will not make any assumptions in your favour. –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:35
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    @PrateekSemwal part of the UK visa process is to demonstrate that not only you have adequate funding, but that the money is actually and legally yours. The applicant has to meet the same legal standards as any person living in the UK has to when it comes to demonstrating legality of finances - this isnt a test the UK just subjects foreigners to, its a test everyone in the UK must undergo if scrutinised. –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:37
  • @Moo you see that's the issue, the assessment year 2017-18 has not started yet. It would start after 31st March, how can I present documents that do not exist. The transaction took place in December and it would only appear in the Tax returns later that year. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 05:37
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    @PrateekSemwal the IO is concerned about a deposit in your fathers account - therefore there has to be documentary evidence as to where that deposit came from, they don't just happen unexpectedly (and if they do, you should be reporting that to the police and your bank). So where is that evidence? The following years tax returns will not be the only evidence of that deposits source and validity, I can guarantee that, so you need to present that evidence. You didn't, and thus the deposit was assumed to be of dubious credibility. –  Feb 09 '18 at 05:47
  • @Prateek: deposits can be explained not only by tax returns, but by other evidence. A copy of a paycheck, an official company form summarizing yearly earnings, a statement from the accounting. There has to be some evidence proving that he did get a bonus, and not for example a cash bribe. – George Y. Feb 09 '18 at 06:20
  • @GeorgeY. thanks for the comment. I couldn't comprehend that such a reason would be cited, I accede that I should have made further inquiries. I simply couldn't fathom why such documents would be required, but alas, I was short on time. Perhaps, I could modify my future application by using my other parent's accounts. Comments. – Prateek Feb 09 '18 at 06:22
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    @Prateek please read the answers I linked in my answer, and do not reapply until and unless you have a very clear and obvious case. Please pay extra attention to sponsor applications (which yours is because your family sponsors your trip) and correct those weaknesses. It is not only about money - lack of your economic ties to India has been explicitly stated in refusal, and it needs to be overcomed for a chance to succeed. – George Y. Feb 09 '18 at 06:29
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Relax. Don't be so defensive and don't shift the blame to the ECO and don't judge the legality of their actions on a mere refusal. They know their country's laws much more than an applicant does.

Once you have calmed down and come out of this state of mind simply go hire services of an immigration specialist and let them build your cause for you.

You have mentioned that your father has sizable assets so i assume having some consultancy won't be a dent on your pockets. I believe everything you're saying is true and you are a legitimate visitor but you are not being able to make a strong case for it in front of the ECO.

So stop digging yourself in further and take some help that you can easily afford.

Hanky Panky
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