UK visitor visa refused twice

Question

I recently applied for a UK standard visitor visa to attend PLAB 2 exam. However my visa got refused twice.

The first time was due to a large deposit in my bank statement, which I clarified was from my father (sponsor). The second time, the reason was that my employment letter didn't state my salary or that I was granted time off.

Although I can supply a new employment letter which state my salary and that I can get time off for the visit, I am worried that I will be refused again. Knowing I was refused for a USA visa and a Czech visa 5 years ago (while I visited Turkey, Russia and Saudi Arabia), I don't know if I have to apply again and just solve the problem stated in the letter or if I have to find an immigration solicitor.

Answer 1

Solving the problems cited in the refusal letters will improve your chances of securing a visa. Given two close-in-time refusals, however, the improvement may not be enough.

Hiring a qualified UK solicitor will also increase your chances of securing a visa. Hiring a solicitor will cost money.

You can estimate the cost by asking several solicitors for their estimates of fees. In explaining your case, you could also ask for their assessments of your chances for success. Because no qualified solicitor can or will promise success, you're likely to hear only generalities like "Perhaps we'll be successful, but a good result is far from certain and you shouldn't count on it" or "It will be difficult to succeed with your history," or maybe even "Your chances are non-existant, and you should not spend your money to hire me."

It's impossible to be more specific: exactly how much a solicitor will charge, and precisely how much expending this sum will improve your chances, are both matters of opinion. The same is true of working yourself to address the perceived deficiencies.

A qualified solicitor will have a more accurate opinion than a group of strangers on the Internet. Whether the opinion motivates you to move forward is your call alone: only you can assess how important it is to you to secure the visa, and whether applying (either with a solicitor's assistance or not) is worth the cost.