Visa Problems World Wide

[brianw]

After reading numerous reports over the years about visa refusals it seems that the British seem to have the biggest refusal rate is this so ??? do other countries in the world make it so difficult for their citizens to bring their thai wifes girl friends back home with them. (sorry and boy friends)

[the scouser]

GU22/Atlastaname,

We don't want this going down the ever-so-well-trodden path of discussion of the statistics as published by UK Visas and their accuracy or otherwise.

Scouse.

[GU22]

Understand, Scouse, but if Brianw wants to know what the actual refusal rates are for each British embassy, then the only place to find that information is the Entry clearance - facts and figures.

Like it or not, they do show that worldwide over 80% of applications for a UK visa are successful and for Thailand well over 90% of applications are successful. This would lead one to believe that Thailand is one of the easier places to get a UK visa; or is it that Thais simply prepare their applications better?

As to comparing the UK figures to other 'western' countries, good idea. Any one know where to find the US, Australian etc. figures?

(This page leads to the Australian figures, but they only give the total granted, no mention of refusals, and they are not broken down by country.)

[brianw]

I was not after facts and figures just a general observation on reading forum members comments. perhaps i should not have brought the subject up as when i think about it only members who have trouble getting visas would put there stories on the forum (stupid man).

[samran]

how many people would bother with threads like?

"First time success at the British Embassy for this UK university bound masters student"

"Those Australian immigration legends - working holiday application accepted"

or

"I'm a Thai executive working for a multinational firm flying first class...do you think I'll get a Shengen visa?"

This, I am affraid, it probably the norm.

Bit like wanting 'The Sun' to print something positive really.

[peter991]

Thanks for that link, GU22. I found it very interesting - especially the last set about the number of visitor visa approvals granted by Australia. The number of visitor visas Australia granted to people with a Thai passport has been steady for the past 5 years at around 47,000 granted.

These 47,000 are not business, medical or student visas - but visitor visas. I had no idea so many Thais were able to travel to Australia for a holiday. There's hope for those of us sweating over getting a tourist visa for our Thai loved one.

Peter

[atlastaname]

Without going down any well -trodden path , we all know statistics can say whatever you want them to say. Some would regard 10% refusals as high and some would say thats low.

What concerns me more when it comes to partners, husbands wife's girl/boy friends, is that given the life changing importance of their decisions , different ECO's will interpret an identical case differently and some refuse and some approve. Thats then a lottery to an extent, and thats not right. We have had some plain daft refusals here recently , which have made a mockery of the ECM review , and even Scouse in the last couple of days posted (i use my own words here)that it would be pointless contacting the Embassy (in a particularly absurd refusal) as they don't like to admit their fallability. So what value is the ECM review then? Makes it as valueless as i have always said.

To the OP , that then is my opinion which some others will not share. And some will. The system when it comes to partners (which in my opinion are the most important visas ) could do with a lot of improvement. I believe personally that the Government deliberately keeps its criteria vague in order that there is a way to refuse genuine cases that the Govt considers "undesirable" by their definition.

[GU22]

You are correct that we have had a couple of perverse refusals reported here recently, but to say that this has"made a mockery of the ECM review" is absurd. Two out of how many applications? Also, neither poster has yet reported back on what happened when they asked for a review.

As to the other points raised in your post; this is, as you say, a well trod path. Any one who wants to can read all our previous arguments on these points in the archives should they so desire.

Shall we leave it there and, for a change, let others have a say?

[mikeybee]

You are correct that we have had a couple of perverse refusals reported here recently, but to say that this has"made a mockery of the ECM review" is absurd. Two out of how many applications? Also, neither poster has yet reported back on what happened when they asked for a review.

As to the other points raised in your post; this is, as you say, a well trod path. Any one who wants to can read all our previous arguments on these points in the archives should they so desire.

Shall we leave it there and, for a change, let others have a say?

Would i be one of these perverse refusals?still waiting for my review but will let you all no what happens.

But to ask a question? when i have been to the embassy in the past which has been a few times,i have always seen sitting in the courtyard or leaving the embassy 1-2 thai ladys who look like they have just got the bad news of refusal and it does make you wonder what the acctual % is,we all now how the goverment figures work maybe someone should sit there for a week with a clicker counter.

well just a thought-sorry

[Deanuk]

Im thinking the same...when my wife went for her interview she was 4th inline...

3 of the girls came out from there interview crying there eyes out...my wife was soon to follow..

Beggars belief of how many girls/men they must interview on a daily basis to get the 90% overall figure.

Dean

[GU22]

The majority of visas are issued without an interview. With over 40,000 applicants each year in Bangkok alone you can see that interviewing each applicant would be impossible.

What the official figures don't show, unfortunately, is what percentage of applicants are interviewed and what percentage of interviews are successful.

[atlastaname]

The majority of visas are issued without an interview. With over 40,000 applicants each year in Bangkok alone you can see that interviewing each applicant would be impossible.

What the official figures don't show, unfortunately, is what percentage of applicants are interviewed and what percentage of interviews are successful.

Considering they seem to manage to count and break down all sorts of permutations in the official figures i wonder why they can't break down the above as well.? Then again the figure i would like to see is the percentage of refusals which the ECM sees and overturns. And another figure is the percentage of refusals the ECM upholds which are subsequently overturned on appeal. Then again i can quite see why they don't want to advertise those figures !!