Judicial Review for UK Visitor Visa

Visitor Visa to UK Refused? Challenge Decision Through Judicial Review

Jun 07, 2018
Last Updated on Mar 14, 2024

Visitor Visa to the UK is rejected with unreasonable reasons? It is hard not to take it personally. There are no Administrative Review or Appeal rights available, one action you can take is to apply for a Judicial Review. However, this can happen to anyone – even those involved in high-profile events. It was reported in April 2018 that the cousin of Yulia Skipral had been denied a UK visa to visit her in hospital. Yulia and her father, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, were poisoned by a Russian-developed Novichok agent nerve agent, causing intense diplomatic tensions between the UK and Moscow. The Home Office stated, “We have refused a visitor visa application from Viktoria Skripalon the grounds that her application did not comply with the immigration rules”.

Unfortunately, due to the UK government’s strong policy of reducing immigration figures, the number of UK Standard Visitor Visa applications whether it is family or business visitor being denied is steadily increasing. In 2016, almost 300,000 UK Visitor visas were refused by UK Visas and Immigration. The high level of refusals can result in families being separated, sometimes for years at a time.

Last year, the Guardian newspaper reported the case of an 83-year-old widow who worked for the NHS for 30 years before retiring to Jamaica. She has children and grandchildren in the UK, all of whom hold British passports. She made a trip once a year to visit them; however, in 2014, she was refused entry on a visit visa and has been unable to come to the UK ever since.

“I’m 83, and no one knows how long we have to live. I want to visit my sister’s grave in Nottingham. I want to see members of my family who are sick. I have great-grandchildren who don’t know me. We are a very, very close family and I’m scared I’ll never see them all together again,” she said. “I don’t understand it: I lived and worked in Great Britain nearly all my life. I looked after the country’s children.”

What Can I do if my Visitor Visa is Refused?

Unfortunately, if your UK Standard Visitor Visa is refused, you will be unable to apply for an Administrative Review and you will only be able to appeal if you can show that in refusing you entry-clearance, UKVI is breaching your human rights. The only other alternative is to apply for a Judicial Review.

One of the reasons it is imperative to work with an immigration lawyer when making a UK Visitor Visa application is they can check if you may have human rights grounds on which an appeal can be mounted if your visa is refused.

If there are no human rights grounds on which to appeal, you can apply for Judicial Review. Before doing so, there are a few important points to note:

  • A Judicial Review is concerned with the legality of a decision, not whether the decision was necessarily the right or wrong one. In a Judicial Review for a UK Standard Visitor Visa refusal, the judge will consider whether the decision-maker acted legally, reasonably, and proportionally, rather than examine the merits of the decision.
  • Judicial Review must be applied for, and the court will decide whether the case can proceed.
  • As Judicial Review is a remedy of last resort, all other possible dispute resolution methods and avenues must be explored before an application is made.

Do you have a way to calculate the Visitor Visa UK cost?

Yes! Use our calculator below to calculate your Visitor Visa Visa cost.

Please answer the questions and you will be able to calculate the approx. cost for The Visitor Visa –

Pre-Action Protocol Letter and a UK Standard Visitor Visa Refusal

Prior to applying for Judicial Review, under the Civil Procedure Rules, the claimant must follow a standard Pre-Action Protocol. This will include sending UKVI a Letter Before Claim. This will set out why you, the claimant, believe UKVI was wrong in rejecting your application for a UK Standard Visitor Visa.

In many cases, UKVI will reverse their refusal decision upon receiving the Letter Before Claim. This is another reason why it is crucial to have an expert immigration lawyer advise and represent you from the beginning of your application. Doing so can save you a lot of time, money and distress. We have brought successful results for our clients.

How Can an Immigration Lawyer Help?

If you have been refused a UK Standard Visitor Visa, you may be able to apply for a Judicial Review. For the best chance of success, it is best to instruct an immigration lawyer in London. They will take the time to examine the reasons for your application being refused and provide you with practical advice on the next best steps to take to have the refusal overturned.

Client Says, “The Service Was Awesome

To tell the truth, I have been in contact with many service providers in this country and A Y & J Solicitors is one of the organisations which stands out in doing professional work and offer excellent customer care.

To tell the truth, I have been in contact with many service providers in this country and A Y & J Solicitors is one of the organisations which stands out in doing professional work and offer excellent customer care.

I found their information on the internet and you know what, my first call to them won my heart …….. I also had a privilege to meet the company’s director Mr Yash Dubal wow the gentleman is accommodative.

The most important thing to me was to see the outcome of my case, indeed which came out Positive. I tell you I am a happy person and I can gladly tell other people to use A Y & J Solicitors”.

Applying for a Judicial Review following the refusal of a UK Standard Visitor Visa can seem a little overwhelming. However, by engaging an experienced immigration law solicitor, you will receive the best immigration law advice and representation, which can go a long way toward assuring your success.

A Y & J Solicitors are specialists in immigration law based in central London. If you would like to have more information, please contact us at [email protected] or call +44 20 7404 7933.

Disclaimer: No material/information provided on this website should be construed as legal advice. Readers should seek an appropriate professional advice for their immigration matters.

Profile Picture

A Y & J Solicitors

A Y & J Solicitors is a multi-award winning, 14+ years experienced, recommended by Legal 500, boutique UK immigration law firm based in Central London. Having assisted 5000+ clients, we are well equipped to help you with our ‘In It To Win It’ approach. For your assurance and confidence, we are pleased to share our trust rating of 4.9/5 based on 1000+ reviews on Trustpilot & Google.

More from A Y & J Solicitors

EEA Family Permit / Residence Card refusals are occurring in large numbers and many families have been left devastated by UKVI immigration decisions. An example

EEA Family Permits and/or Residence cards refused for many EEA family and extended family members. On 23rd June 2016, Britain was turned upside down. In

Tier 2 Visa been refused? It is becoming more common for talented, skilled employees to be denied entry into the UK. This is frustrating, not

Experience Fast and Reliable Results

Click here to contact us Phone icon+44 20 7404 7933 WhatsApp icon+44 20 7404 7933
Contact us by mail iconContact us by phone iconContact us by WhatsApp icon