UK Visitor visa - will previous history count in my favour?

Question

Background:

I was refused a UK visitor visa in 2015; due to the ECO having difficulty believing my partner was a legitimate person who I was visiting (Signatures on docs did not match) & that because I was spending so long there (4 to 5 months) they were not satisfied I had funds.

I cleared all that up in my subsequent application and was granted a visitor visa later that year.

Since then, I have had three additional visitor visas approved without incident and always mention the refusal on each application.

My last visa was in 2021 - which was approved.

I have also had a visa for Greece and still hold a valid visa for the US - which was issued in 2019.

I have of course mentioned this on my application and provided details for each visa.

I have never overstayed or broken any rules on any of the visas.

I've now applied again for a visit in July of this year for three week - as we are visiting family (My wife is a British citizen and stays with my in my home country) - we have an 11 month old son now, which we are taking to the UK on this visit.

The one difference here; is that I had a large amount of money come into my account, from my company as a bonus. I attached the pay slips, bonus letter and bank statements. So it's very clear where that money came from. It's 3 x my salary amount. This is the money I am using to fund the trip - I did not state it explicitly - but just stated I had 4000GBP as savings to fund the trip - which is the bonus money I was paid.

This is the part that worries me. I hope they don't see it as funds parking or disregard it as money not accessible to me. It's in my main banking account and I can prove and have proved where it came from.

For whatever reason; I am nervous about the application. Maybe it's because I listed my son who I am traveling with now or the above bonus - never the less, I am nervous.

Will the UK government consider the previous travel? I hope it will demonstrate that I am a genuine visitor and have a good track record.

And will they take issue about the large amount of money in the account, close to visa application?

Answer 1

You cleared up the problem and have been granted a visa to the UK since. All your travels since have been without problems, and you have done enough for the UK visa not to have been a fluke.

The money in your bank is yours, you have added the bonus letter to all the usual payslips and so on, so that should not be a problem either.

No need to worry about your visa. Children do usually get visa to travel with their parents when the parents are deemed safe to get a visa, so I think you have no reason to worry about that either.