ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a statistically relevant sample of files relating to refused students coming to the UK for periods of six months or less, and refused visitors coming to see friends, distant family relatives, for tourism, business, conferences, medical treatment and in transit to other countries. A quality control mechanism offered by the government when appeal rights were removed in 1993 was that applicants would receive a more detailed refusal notice rather than simply a statement that they did not qualify under the rules. UK visas has many difficulties in running a consistent and coherent visa system. It has only recently managed to set up a system which processes statistical data from the computer applicant records, and fears that this data may not be entirely reliable. Entry clearance officers can of course validly raise the issue of any previous overstaying of a visa or working in breach of conditions.
