UK visit visa refusal: insufficient financial documentation

Question

My friend applied for general visit visa from Kampala to UK but the officer refused his visa. The reason I'm going to mention:

1: I have refused your application for a visit visa because I am not satisfied that you meet the requirements of paragraph V4.2 and V4.3 of Appendix V: immigration rules for Visitors because.

1. In order to be able to make a decision on whether or not to grant you entry clearance in this category I have taken into account your stated circumstances in Nigeria, the reasons for your visit,and your proposed travel arrangements. You have declared that you are a self employed and that you earn US$2,500 (£1,644.73 using an exchange rate of US$1.52 to the £1) per month from all sources after tax. You have stated that you have no further paid jobs or occupations. In support of your application you have submitted business registration documents and a bank statement in the name of Atlas Motors U limited. I am not satisfied that these documents are an accurate reflection of your personal circumstances because; this statement is for a business account and represents funds used for the activities and running of the business and is no satisfactory evidence that these funds are available to support anything else. Furthermore these funds do not necessarily reflect an individual's personal financial circumstances,even if that individual is the sole owner of the company. I am not satisfied therefore that this bank statement accurately reflects your personal circumstances; neither am I satisfied that the indicated funds will be available for your exclusive use. You have not provided any satisfactory evidence of other funds being available to you, or of your own personal and financial circumstances.

   I must take into your account your personal and economic circumstances in Uganda when coming to my decision. However given the statements you have made and the documentary evidence you have presented to support your application I am not satisfied that your circumstances, coupled with your reasons for wishing to travel to United Kingdom, are such that you intend a genuine visit and have sufficient intention to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit. Nor am I satisfied that the funds presented will be available to you as stated given the concerns raised. I am not satisfied that you are genuinely seeking entry that you intend to leave the United Kingdom at the end of the period of the visit. I am therefore not satisfied that you meet the requirements of Paragraph4.2(a) and (c). Nor am I satisfied that you will be maintained and accommodated in the UK without recourse to work or public funds.

Your application for a visit visa has been refused under paragraph V4.2(e).

Now please read all this and answer me what should we have to do further for next application. There is no right of appeal or right to administrative review.

Answer 1

You are self-employed and claimed a monthly after tax income of USD 2,500 from your own company. To support your claim you sent the company registration documents (that was fine) and the company bank statements (also fine). They replied that your documents were insufficient because they could not tie everything out and there was no evidence that the money was actually available to you. Self-employed applicants are more complex because they need to be sure that the income was lawfully gained and that the balances are actually available (i.e., corporate and personal taxes have been paid).

What they will want to see in this type of situation is...

1. Company bank statements showing a regular dividend stream along with nominal salary payments into your personal account; and
2. Personal bank statements that tie out to the dividend/salary streams; and
3. The formation documents showing your ownership of the company; and
4. Corporate and personal tax vouchers for the dividend/salary streams; and
5. Evidence that your after tax earnings is actually USD 2,500 as claimed.

Sending these things will give them the needed level of comfort that your circumstances are as claimed and that said funds are both legal and actually available to you.

The importance of regular funds movement between the various accounts cannot be understated. Sometimes self-employed applicants in Nigeria and elsewhere avoid the rigmarole of dividends/salary and segregated bank accounts because the funds movements can create both corporate and personal tax liabilities. If this is the case with you, then you would need to undergo a period of compliance, say 6 - 12 months before having enough documentation to successfully apply again.

For the refusal specifics, they mentioned V 4.2 (a) & (c), suggesting that you were looking for a chance to go underground once you arrived in the UK, but they actually got you on V 4.2 (e)...

must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds. This includes the cost of the return or onward journey, any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities such as private medical treatment.

This would indicate that if you clean up your company/personal situation, you have a chance to be successful. The refusal notice does not mention any other show-stoppers, but success cannot be guaranteed without seeing all of your other stuff.

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Now please read all this and answer me what should we have to do further for next application.

1. Most needed is to show a change of circumstances. You can examine the 5 items listed above and take the steps needed to bring them about. Usually 6 - 12 months of evidence should be sufficient, but of course you can apply any time, there is no required interval between successive applications. Patience is key.
2. You also need to study the guidance about the other evidence that they want to see. The BHC in Kampala can be tough players sometimes and it's better to get everything spit-spot to avoid more refusals.
3. Finally study the rules to cover yourself for any other grounds for refusal.

There is no right of appeal or right to administrative review.

Yes, the government believes, reasonably so, that tourism is not a human right; it's cheaper and more expedient to submit a fresh application (as long as the applicant's circumstances have significantly changed).

should we have to apply now through any solicitor or not.

It is not a requirement to use a solicitor, but I have it in mind that more applicants would be successful if they were to instruct a solicitor. The solicitor should be a member of the UK Law Society, avoid sham operators in Africa.