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UK visitor visa refused: what you can do next

A refused UK Standard Visitor visa application has no administrative review (Appendix Visitor is not on the list in Appendix AR) and visitor refusals do not usually carry an appeal. The usual next step is a new application, which costs £135 for a 6-month visa and is decided on the evidence it contains. Judicial review is only for unlawful decisions and must be started within 3 months.

Most visit visa refusals turn on one question: did the Home Office accept that you will leave the UK at the end of the visit and can pay for it? Because there is no review or appeal for the decision, what you send in the next application carries all the weight.

This guide explains the test the Rules apply, the remedies that do and do not exist, what a reapplication costs, how an earlier refusal affects later applications, and when judicial review comes into the picture. It draws on GOV.UK's Standard Visitor pages, Appendix Visitor, Part Suitability and the fee table, all read on 9 October 2026. It explains how the rules work. It does not tell you what is wrong with your application.

The test the refusal is written against

Appendix Visitor, paragraph V 4.2, sets out the "genuine visitor requirement". The applicant must satisfy the decision maker that they:

(a) will leave the UK at the end of their visit; (b) will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home; (c) are genuinely seeking entry for a permitted purpose; (d) will not undertake any prohibited activities; and (e) have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs of the visit without working or accessing public funds, including the return or onward journey, costs relating to dependants, and planned activities such as private medical treatment. Funds relied on must be held in a financial institution permitted under FIN 2.1 of Appendix Finance.

GOV.UK's Standard Visitor page puts it in plain terms: you must be able to show you will leave the UK at the end of your visit, can support yourself and your dependants during the trip (or have funding from someone else), can pay for your return or onward journey, and will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home.

Third-party support is allowed, with conditions. Under V 4.3 a third party can provide travel, maintenance and accommodation only if they have a genuine professional or personal relationship with the applicant, are not and will not be in breach of immigration laws, and can and will provide support for the whole stay.

A refusal letter normally cites one or more of these limbs. Reading the letter against this list tells you which part of the test the caseworker was not satisfied about. That is the part a later application has to deal with.

Permitted and prohibited activities

A refusal can also be about what the visit is for. A Standard Visitor can come for tourism, to see family or friends, to volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity, to pass through the UK, for certain business activities such as attending a meeting or interview, for certain permitted paid engagements, for a school exchange, for a recreational course of up to 30 days, to study, do a placement or take an exam within the limits set out, as an academic, senior doctor or dentist, or for medical reasons.

The Rules also list what a visitor must not intend to do (V 4.4 to V 4.6): work in the UK, including employment, self-employment, internships, direct selling to the public and providing goods and services unless expressly permitted; study except as permitted; access medical treatment other than private treatment or organ donation; marry or form a civil partnership unless applying as a Marriage/Civil Partnership Visitor; or receive payment from a UK source other than listed exceptions such as reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.

If a stay is longer than 6 months, a different category applies. Appendix Visitor V 1.1(c) requires entry clearance for a visit of more than 6 months, and the GOV.UK pages show the longer categories: visiting academics at £234, private medical treatment at £234. Each has its own additional requirements.

Standard Visitor visas can also be long-term: £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 years and £1,128 for 10 years, with a maximum of 6 months on each visit. GOV.UK warns that UKVI may give a shorter visa than requested if it believes you cannot meet the requirements for the whole duration, and that a visa may be cancelled if travel history shows repeated extended stays.

No administrative review, and usually no appeal

Administrative review. Appendix Administrative Review lists the routes eligible for review in AR 1.1. Appendix Visitor is not on that list as read on 9 October 2026. A request would be treated as not meeting the validity requirements (AR 2.2 and AR 2.13).

Appeal. Section 82(1) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 gives a right of appeal against refusal of a protection claim, a human rights claim or revocation of protection status. An ordinary visit application is none of those. GOV.UK's page on visa and immigration appeals says you can only appeal "if you have the legal right to appeal" and that your decision letter will usually tell you.

The visitor page on GOV.UK says that when the Home Office has made its decision you will get an email explaining "what you need to do next". That email is the document to follow for your application.

The practical effect is that the two cheap remedies, the £80 review and the £82 or £144 appeal, are generally not on offer. The options that remain are a new application and, in a narrow set of cases, judicial review. Our guide to a refused UK visa compares the three routes.

Making a new application

You can apply again as soon as you wish. Each application is decided on the evidence in that application, so there is little point in sending the same documents again. The pages read set no waiting period between applications.

The costs add up quickly because the fee is not returned: GOV.UK says "you will not get a refund of the application fee if you get a shorter visa or if your application is refused". The fee table shows £135 for a short visit visa of up to 6 months. Each person needs their own application and fee, so a family of four applying together pays £540. A second attempt for the same family is another £540. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge for a visit of 6 months or less from outside the UK.

Timing: the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. GOV.UK says that once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks. You must attend an appointment at a visa application centre, which can be in another country, to give fingerprints and a photo and hand over documents. Allow for both when you have a fixed travel date such as a wedding or a graduation.

What the application asks for is listed on GOV.UK. It includes the dates you plan to travel, where you will stay, how much you think the trip will cost, your home address and how long you have lived there, your parents' names and dates of birth, your annual income, and details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences. Depending on your circumstances you may also need ten years of travel history, employer details, your partner's details, the name and address of anyone paying for the trip and of family members in the UK, and a TB certificate for visits of more than 6 months. Documents not in English or Welsh need certified translations.

If you do not need a visa for your nationality, GOV.UK adds one useful point: if you have previously been refused entry to the UK or have a criminal record, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even though you do not need one.

Worked example: how the funds test reads

Here is an illustration of how the Rules read, not a view on any case. The application form asks you to say how much you think the trip will cost. V 4.2(e) then asks whether the funds you rely on cover "all reasonable costs in relation to their visit", including the return journey. That makes three things matter at once: the figure you state, the money you can show, and who holds it.

Suppose a three-week visit is costed at £2,400 in total. If the applicant is paying, V 4.2(e) looks at whether the funds are held in a permitted institution. If a relative in the UK is paying, V 4.3 looks at whether that person has a genuine relationship with the applicant, is not in breach of immigration laws, and can and will support the applicant for the whole stay. A refusal letter will tell you which limb was not met.

None of this tells you how much you need. The Rules set no fixed amount for a visitor. They ask for enough to cover the costs of the visit as it is described, which is why the stated cost and the evidence of funds have to agree.

Honesty in the application and what a refusal leaves behind

The visit application asks about criminal, civil and immigration offences, and Part Suitability is strict about false information.

  • Under V 3.1, the applicant must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.
  • SUI 9.1 says an application "must be refused" where the decision maker is satisfied the applicant used deception by making false representations or providing false documents or information, or by not disclosing relevant facts.
  • SUI 10.1 says an application "may be refused" where the applicant or a third party made false representations or provided false documents "whether or not to the applicant's knowledge".
  • SUI 12.1 lists mandatory refusal periods after a breach of immigration law. For deception the period is 10 years, and the table notes that for visits this applies to applications for entry clearance only.

An ordinary refusal on the genuine visitor test is not one of those grounds. It is a decision that the caseworker was not satisfied on the evidence, and a later application can be better evidenced. But a refusal that cites deception or false documents is a different matter, and the letter will say so by citing Part Suitability. If your letter does, that is a point to take to a regulated adviser before applying again.

Visitors under 18

Children applying as visitors have two extra requirements (V 5.1 and V 5.2). Adequate arrangements must have been made for the child's travel to, reception and care in the UK, and if the child is not travelling with a parent or legal guardian based in their home country, that parent or guardian must consent to the child's travel, reception and care, in writing where requested.

GOV.UK adds practical detail. A child travelling alone needs the parent's or guardian's written consent and full contact details, plus proof of somewhere suitable to live: the name and date of birth of the person they will stay with, the address, their relationship, and that person's written consent. A child under 16 (or under 18 with a disability) who will be looked after for more than 28 days by someone who is not a close relative is in private foster care and the local authority has to be told. The application of a child who travels with an adult must identify the adult, and up to two adults can be named on the visa. A refusal on a child's application often concerns these arrangements, so the letter is worth reading against that list.

Judicial review

Judicial review is a challenge to the lawfulness of a decision in the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). GOV.UK is explicit: "Do not apply for a judicial review if you believe that the decision was wrong – only if you think it was unlawful." For a wrong decision, it says to appeal instead, which for most visit refusals is not available.

The application must reach the tribunal no later than 3 months after the decision. The first stage costs £179, and if permission is granted the fee for a final hearing is £897, payable within 9 calendar days of the tribunal sending the judge's decision. Late applications need an explanation. Because "unlawful" is a legal test, this is the stage at which most people want a solicitor, and the tribunal's own guidance tells people unsure about it to take independent legal advice.

GOV.UK gives about 3 weeks as the usual time for a visit visa decision. The judicial review guidance read does not give a standard timescale. That is a comparison of timing, not a recommendation: which route fits turns on the reasons in the letter.

When people use a regulated adviser

People bring in an adviser after a visit refusal when a trip has a fixed date, when the letter cites a suitability ground, or when they have been refused more than once. A typical engagement is a review of the refusal letter and the original application, a check of how the funds, the purpose and the personal ties are presented, and a written client care letter setting out the work and the fee.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

Can I appeal a UK visitor visa refusal?

Usually not. A right of appeal comes mainly from refused protection claims, refused human rights claims and revoked protection status, and an ordinary visit application is none of those. Appendix Visitor is also not on the administrative review list. The remaining options are a new application or, if the decision was unlawful, judicial review.

How long should I wait before reapplying for a UK visit visa?

The pages read set no waiting period after an ordinary refusal; each application is decided on its own evidence. A refusal for deception is different: SUI 12.1 sets a 10-year period for entry clearance applications. Check the reasons in your refusal letter.

Do I get my £135 back if my UK visit visa is refused?

No. GOV.UK says you will not get a refund of the application fee if your application is refused. Each family member needs their own application and fee, so a refusal for a family of four costs £540.

What does 'genuine visitor' mean for a UK visa?

Paragraph V 4.2 of Appendix Visitor says you must satisfy the decision maker that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit, will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, are seeking entry for a permitted purpose, will not do prohibited activities, and have enough funds for all reasonable costs.

Can someone in the UK pay for my visit?

Yes, under V 4.3, if they have a genuine professional or personal relationship with you, are not and will not be in breach of immigration laws, and can and will support you for the whole stay.

How long does a UK visitor visa decision take?

GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents. You can apply up to 3 months before you travel.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • UK visa refused: appeal, administrative review or reapply? — Your refusal letter says whether you can ask for an administrative review (£80; 14 days in the UK, 28 days outside, 7 if detained) or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (£82 or £144; 14 or 28 days). Appeals are only for refused protection or human rights claims and a few other decision types. Making a new application withdraws a pending administrative review.
  • Administrative review of a UK visa refusal — Administrative review is a Home Office check of whether a refusal was caused by a caseworking error. It costs £80 and must be requested online within 14 days if you were in the UK, 28 days if you applied from outside, or 7 days if detained. It only covers routes listed in Appendix AR, usually ignores new evidence, and GOV.UK says results can take 12 months or more.
  • Immigration appeal to the First-tier Tribunal — You can only appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) if the decision carries a right of appeal, mainly a refused protection claim, a refused human rights claim, or a revoked protection status. The fee is £82 without a hearing or £144 with one, and the notice of appeal must reach the tribunal within 14 days if you are in the UK or 28 days if you are outside it.
  • UK visitor visa cost: 6-month, 2, 5 and 10-year fees — A UK Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. Long-term visas cost £506 (2 years), £903 (5 years) and £1,128 (10 years), each with a maximum stay of 6 months per visit. Fees are per person and are not refunded if the visa is refused.
  • Spouse visa refused: options and deadlines — A refused UK partner (spouse) application is not on the administrative review list. You can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal only if the decision refused a human rights claim, which your decision letter should say; the deadline is 14 days in the UK or 28 days outside it and the fee is £82 or £144. Otherwise the usual step is a new application at £2,064 (outside the UK) or £1,407 (inside), plus the healthcare surcharge.