Should I List This As A Visa Refusal On Aplication Form.

[sattahipchris]

In early 2010 my wifes cousin aplied for a visa. I was sponsoring her for a family visit. She was going to pay for her own ticket to the UK. I had filled the form in for her but still needed to give her extra details unfortunately on the advice of some friends she decided to go ahead and apply through and agency, as a result she applied with an incomplete set of documents and was refused a visa BUT she did not have a refusal letter nor was her passport stamped in any way. Plus I don't know what the agency did or said only that they charged her 60,000 baht that so depleted her saving she could not really afford to pursue the matter further.

Chris

[KamnanT]

Assuming that the "agent" did, in fact, file the application (rather than just pocket the fee and then tell her she was refused), then yes, record of her application will be in the UKBA system and will be easily found when she makes a subsequent application. Having a refusal is not an insurmountable barrier to obtaining a visa, however - she simply needs to address the ECO's concerns in her next attempt. Of course, without the refusal notice, it's hard to know what those were.

If you must use an agent, use a reputable one. THB 60K for a visitor visa application is way, way over the top - a reputatable agent would have handled it for a lot less than that.

[Thongkorn]

Simple dont use Visa agents.

[Basil B]

Not sure when Biometric were introduced for Visa applications but I understand from a trawl of the search engine they were being taken in Jan 2010 for every visa applicant so presumably she would have had to attend the VFS at Richmond Hs to have her Biometrics recorded before the VFS forwarded her visa application on to the Embassy.

Presumably she was scammed, but would suggest just to be safe submit a covering letter explaining why she is uncertain.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Basil B

[theoldgit]

If the application had been submitted and been refused a refusal letter would have been issued, there would also have been a small stamp on the passport, often on the last page, that would have a reference number on it that corresponds with the case file.

By what you have said she could have possibly been scammed, 60,000 Baht fee for a Visit Visa, well and truly scammed if that's the case.

I personally wouldn't make the blanket statement "Simple dont use Visa agents" though, whilst I personally probably wouldn't use an agent, some people aren't as confident and for them it's a godsend, there are a few decent agents out there.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I would think she never even submitted an application.