29/04/2013
An important change is due to be made at the end of June 2013 to the right of appeal for anyone who has been refused a family visitor visa for the UK. Essentially, the right of appeal has been removed from the list of options for people who find themselves in this position. Instead, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has undertaken to speed up the processing time at which it deals with re-applications. This change to the appeal process will apply to anyone making an application to enter the UK in order to visit a family member, including partner, husband or wife, on or after the implementation date at the end of June 2013.
Removal of the right of appeal would appear at first glance to be a little harsh but in fact it is being implemented to bring this visa category in line with all other visitor visa categories. Because anyone who has been refused a visitor visa can re-apply rather than simply appeal the decision, they will be able to re-address anything which caused the refusal in the first place and it is expected that re-application will be faster and more cost efficient than the appeal process. Applications (and therefore re-applications) typically take around three working weeks to be processed, against the usual time the appeal system was taking, which could be as long as eight months.
