# Why Standard Visitor visa applications from India are refused The paragraphs entry clearance officers cite when refusing the Standard Visitor visa to Indian applicants, what each means and how a reapplication differs. Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/standard-visitor-visa/refusal-reasons · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST. - V 4.2(a): the officer is not satisfied you will leave the UK, usually because your job, income or family ties in India look weak on paper - V 4.2(c) and V 4.3: funds do not match your declared income, a large deposit appeared just before applying, or the trip costs too large a share of your savings - V 4.2(b): frequent or long visits suggest you are making the UK your main home, common for parents who stayed 5 to 6 months on each previous visit - Sponsor problems: the UK relative's income or accommodation was not evidenced, or the relationship was not proved - Inconsistency: the online form says one thing (employment, travel history, purpose) and the documents say another - Part 9 suitability (9.7 and 9.8): a false document or a statement the officer treats as deception, which can bring a 10-year ban - Purpose not permitted: the plan looked like work, a long course, or treatment on the NHS rather than paid private care ## Refusal paragraphs decoded (verified 2026-10-08) ### V 4.2(a): Genuine visitor: will leave the UK at the end of the visit The officer was not convinced you would go back to India when your trip ends. This is the most common refusal paragraph for Indian visitors. It is about your 'ties': job, family, property, business, studies, and whether the trip makes sense for someone in your position. What to fix: ITR acknowledgements for 2 to 3 years, Form 16, salary slips and 6-month statements that reconcile with each other; employer letter confirming approved leave and the date you resume work; property papers (jamabandi, registry), business registration (GST, Udyam), fixed deposit receipts; a short cover letter: who, where, how long, who pays, why you will return; explain every large credit with its own document (sale deed, maturity letter, gift letter) ### V 4.2(b): Genuine visitor: will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits The officer thinks you are using visit visas to effectively live in the UK, usually because of long or back-to-back stays with a child or spouse there. Common for parents of UK-based Indians on long-term visas. What to fix: show the pattern of past visits honestly with dates and a reason for each; keep visits well under 6 months and leave real gaps; evidence of your own home and life in India (pension, property, medical care, community) ### V 4.2(c): Genuine visitor: genuinely seeking entry for a permitted purpose The officer did not believe the reason you gave for the trip, or the reason is not one a visitor is allowed to come for. Tourism, visiting family, short business meetings, short courses and medical treatment are permitted; a job, long study or settling are not. What to fix: a dated itinerary with bookings or at least quotes; invitation letter with the host's status document, address proof and relationship evidence; for business: letters from both companies naming the meetings, dates and who pays ### V 4.2(d): Genuine visitor: will not undertake prohibited activities The officer believes you intend to work, study beyond what visitors may, get NHS treatment you have not arranged privately, or marry without a marriage visitor visa. What to fix: state the activities precisely and check them against Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities; for a course under 6 months: acceptance letter from an accredited institution; for medical treatment: apply under the medical visitor requirements with the consultant's letter and funds ### V 4.2(e): Genuine visitor: sufficient funds for the visit The officer thinks you cannot afford the trip from your own money, or that the money shown is not really yours or not normally available to you. There is no fixed amount; what matters is that the balance fits your income history and the trip cost. What to fix: 6-month statements from a bank, with name, account number and bank stamp or e-statement verification; a one-page funds note: monthly income, monthly savings, trip budget; source letters for each large credit; if a relative pays, use V 4.3: their statements, status proof and relationship evidence ### V 4.3: Funds provided by a third party A UK relative, friend, employer or sponsor can pay for your trip, but the officer must believe the relationship is real, the sponsor is legally in the UK and can actually afford it. Refusals here say the sponsor's support was not proven. What to fix: sponsor letter stating relationship, what they pay for, and the dates; sponsor's status proof, 3 to 6 months of statements, payslips or accounts, tenancy or ownership proof; relationship proof: birth or marriage certificates, Aadhaar family details, photos, money transfer history ### V 4.4: Prohibited activities: work The officer thinks you plan to work. Even an unpaid internship or helping in a relative's shop counts. Only the specific business activities listed as permitted (meetings, conferences, site visits, intra-company activities) are allowed. What to fix: describe the exact activity using the words of Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities; letter from the UK host confirming no work, no payment and no placement; for training: evidence it is classroom-based and under 6 months ### V 4.5: Prohibited activities: study beyond what visitors may do You said you would study, but the course or provider does not fit the visitor rules. Visitors can do a course of up to 6 months at an accredited institution; anything longer or at an unaccredited college needs a Student visa. What to fix: acceptance letter showing the course length and the institution's accreditation; if the course is longer, apply for a Student visa with a CAS instead ### V 4.6: Prohibited activities: medical treatment and marriage Either the officer believes you plan to use the NHS (including giving birth) without a private arrangement, or that you plan to marry in the UK on a standard visitor visa. Marriage needs the marriage visitor visa; private treatment needs the medical visitor evidence. What to fix: for marriage: apply as a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visitor (same fee, £135); for treatment: consultant's letter, cost estimate, proof of funds, and the private hospital booking (V 6.x requirements) ### 9.2.1: 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 ### 9.3.1: Presence 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 ### 9.4.1: Criminality: 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 ## FAQ **How much is the UK visitor visa from India in 2026?** £135 for the 6-month visa, which the Home Office charges in rupees at about ₹17,865. Add about £500 for priority or £1,000 for super priority if you want a faster decision, plus any VFS add-ons you choose. Our fee calculator converts the total at today's rate. **How much bank balance do I need for a UK tourist visa?** There is no fixed figure. The officer compares the cost of your trip with your income and savings over 6 months. A balance built up gradually that covers the trip comfortably, with normal salary credits and spending, is far stronger than a large sum deposited last month. **Can my parents in Punjab get a 6-month visa to visit me in the UK?** Yes. Parents usually apply with a sponsor letter from you, your payslips and bank statements, your eVisa share code and your tenancy. They still need their own ties: pension, land records, other children in India, and a history of returning from previous trips. Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/standard-visitor-visa.md --- UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed. We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.