Mistakes
Parent of a British or settled child visa: the mistakes that get Indian files refused
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
From the desk
Mistakes we see
From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first. The fix is what the reapplication must show.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Applying as a parent while still married to and living with the British parent | Refusal under E-ECPT.2.1 because you are eligible as a partner and must meet the partner route instead | Separated families use the parent route; couples use the Partner route with the £29,000 rule |
| No court order or written agreement on contact | The officer cannot find direct access and refuses under E-ECPT.2.3 | Obtain a family court contact order or a signed, witnessed agreement with the other parent, with their status documents |
| A year or more of silence in the contact evidence | The active role test under E-ECPT.2.4 fails | Keep a continuous record of calls, visits, school involvement and money for the child, and explain any gap |
| Showing a £29,000 salary but no budget | Income is not the test; the officer looks at income after housing against income support levels and may still refuse if rent is unknown | Give a simple monthly budget with the rent, the income and the household size |
| A1 test booked at a non-approved centre | Refusal under E-ECPT.4.1 even with a pass | Book only through the approved SELT providers at centres such as Chandigarh, Jalandhar or Ludhiana |
| The child moved to the UK only after the application date | The child was not in the UK at the date of application and the route does not apply | Apply only once the child is living in the UK with the other parent or carer |
| Relying on an Indian custody order with no UK recognition evidence | The officer may give it little weight on access in the UK | Add the other parent's agreement or a UK order; an Indian order alone is weaker |
The grounds officers cite
- E-ECPT.2.3 and 2.4: parental responsibility or active involvement not proved, usually because there is no court order and contact evidence is thin
- The officer finds you are still in a relationship with the child's other parent, so you should have applied as a partner and met the income rule
- E-ECPT.3.1: adequate maintenance not shown, with no credible income, savings or support and a budget below income support levels
- E-ECPT.4.1: English test from a provider or centre not on the approved list, or a degree without the Ecctis confirmation
- The child is 18 or over, or is not British, settled or 7 years resident, or does not live in the UK
- Accommodation not shown to be adequate, or the carer's status in the UK not proved
- Part 9 suitability: an undeclared refusal, overstay on an earlier UK visa, or a document the officer could not verify
Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation.
Decode 9.3.1Criminality: custodial sentence of 12 months or more, persistent offender, serious harm
A mandatory refusal for a prison sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, or for repeat offending or serious-harm offences. Sentences under 12 months are considered under 9.4.2 to 9.4.5 (discretionary, with time limits for visitors).
What to fix: always declare convictions; non-disclosure leads to a 9.7.1 deception finding on top; for shorter sentences, show the time elapsed and rehabilitation evidence; get the court record and sentence length in English.
Decode 9.4.1False representations or documents, or failure to disclose (mandatory where deception used)
The Home Office says something in your application was false: a fake bank statement, an edited employer letter, an undisclosed previous refusal, or a document an agent made up without telling you. 'Whether or not to the applicant's knowledge' means you are refused even if the agent did it. Where deception is found, a 10-year ban under 9.8.4 usually follows.
What to fix: get your file: Subject Access Request to UKVI for the verification notes; if a document was genuine, obtain written confirmation from the issuer and a statement from them; if an agent submitted documents without your knowledge, gather the agent's receipts, messages and a police complaint; it does not remove the finding but can matter for later applications.
Decode 9.7.1False representations without proven deception (discretionary refusal)
A discretionary version: a previous application contained something false and the officer has chosen to refuse this one because of it, without a formal deception finding. The difference matters: 9.7.2 does not by itself bring the 10-year ban.
What to fix: address the earlier problem head-on in a cover letter with the correct documents; show that the current application is fully consistent with the earlier one where the earlier one was true.
Decode 9.7.2False documents in a previous application (discretionary)
Earlier deception, even in another route, can be used to refuse you for up to 10 years at the officer's discretion.
What to fix: count the 10 years from the date of the deceptive application; if you dispute the original finding, challenge it with issuer evidence rather than reapplying repeatedly.
Decode 9.7.3Related questions
How much does the Parent visa cost from India in 2026?ShowHide
£2,064 plus the health surcharge of £1,035 a year, charged for the 33-month grant, so about £4,900 before the A1 test, the TB test and VFS add-ons. Our fee calculator converts the total to rupees at today's rate.
Do I need to earn £29,000?ShowHide
No. That rule applies to the Partner route. The Parent route uses adequate maintenance: your household income after housing costs must be at least what a British family of the same size would get on income support. Savings and the carer's income can count.
I am divorced from my British wife and our daughter lives with her in London. Can I apply?ShowHide
Yes, if you have direct in-person access, usually shown by a court order or a written agreement with her, and you are taking an active role. Evidence of regular calls, visits and money sent for your daughter is the heart of the file.
Tools
English requirement lookup
The CEFR level for your route and the SELT centres near you.
Fee calculator in rupees
Every Home Office fee and the health surcharge, totalled in rupees at a dated rate.
Document checklist generator
A checklist for your route and situation, sent on WhatsApp.
Processing times tracker
Standard, priority and super priority times for Indian applicants, updated monthly.
Refusal reason decoder
Paste the paragraph from your refusal letter and read what it means.
Related routes
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.