UK Visas and Immigration gets it wrong

What happened

Mrs B submitted settlement visa applications for her two daughters in the summer of 2012. UKVI refused them leave to remain. The refusal was wrong because UKVI had overlooked key evidence. Mrs B sent UKVI an email saying that its decision was wrong. UKVI did not respond to the email until after the deadline for appeals had passed.

Mr and Mrs B submitted fresh applications in winter 2013, which were granted the following month.

What we found

UKVI acknowledged that it made a mistake in refusing the applications.

UKVI did not act on Mrs B's email that queried the decision within a reasonable amount of time. Had it done so, we believe that that would have given Mr and Mrs B sufficient time to appeal the refusal decision.

Putting it right

UKVI apologised to Mr and Mrs B and the children for its initial error in failing to consider all the evidence submitted with the applications, and for its failure to consider Mrs B's email in a timely manner. It reimbursed the cost of the second set of application fees, almost £1,700 in total, and paid Mr and Mrs B £1,000 for the inconvenience and distress caused to them and the children when it incorrectly refused the applications.