HomeFamily & Partner VisasAppeals & Refusals
Visa refusal appeals and reviews
A refusal is not always the end of the application. We read the refusal letter, tell you which of the three responses fits - appeal, review or reapply - and handle the one you choose, from lodging to the hearing.
Written by Georgette Thomas, Principal Solicitor · Last reviewed 12 July 2026
At a glance
Deadline to lodge
From receipt of the refusal (in-country)
Tribunal fee
First-tier Tribunal (Immigration)
Merits assessment
We tell you plainly whether to pursue
Our packages
+ VAT, scope-dependent
Home Office fees and thresholds change - check gov.uk for the current figures. We confirm them in writing when we quote you.
What can be appealed
Not every refusal carries a right of appeal. Where one exists, the appeal goes to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) - an independent court where a judge hears both sides before deciding. Broadly, you can appeal where the Home Office has:
- refused or revoked an asylum or humanitarian protection claim
- refused a human rights claim - most family visa refusals fall here
- refused or revoked status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or a related permit
- decided to deprive you of British citizenship
- made certain decisions affecting frontier workers and S2 healthcare visitors
A tribunal fee is payable when the appeal is lodged, with a higher figure for an oral hearing before a judge - check gov.uk for the current amounts. Some appellants are exempt.
Appeal, review or reapply?
The refusal letter tells us which doors are open. Some decisions carry an administrative review instead of an appeal - a paper re-check for caseworking errors. Sometimes the fastest and cheapest response is a fresh application that fixes the problem the refusal identified, especially where your circumstances have changed since you applied.
Every route has a deadline, and they are short. Missing one usually means losing that option, so the first thing we confirm is the date the clock started.
How we handle an appeal
- We review the refusal and give you a plain opinion on the strengths and weaknesses.
- We identify the grounds - errors of fact, errors of law or human rights arguments.
- We lodge the appeal in time and deal with the Tribunal's directions.
- We advise on the evidence that answers each refusal reason, including material that was not available first time round.
- We prepare the bundle and arrange advocacy at the hearing.
Further submissions and fresh claims
If an asylum or human rights claim has been refused and any appeal is exhausted, further submissions let you put new evidence to the Home Office and ask for a fresh decision. The new material must be significantly different from what was considered before and give the claim a realistic prospect of succeeding.
Accepted, it produces a new decision - and a refusal at that stage carries a fresh right of appeal. We advise on whether your new evidence is likely to clear the threshold before anything is submitted.
What it costs
| Service | Our fixed fee |
|---|---|
Full appeal package Merits review, grounds, lodging, preparation and advocacy at the First-tier Tribunal | £1,296–£3,571 + VAT |
Single services Merits test, lodging only, preparation or permission to appeal | £386–£1,718 + VAT |
Initial consultation We read the refusal and tell you which response fits | from £50 + VAT |
Appealing an immigration decision
Appeals and refusal questions
Human rights, protection (asylum) and EU Settlement Scheme decisions carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. Most points-based system refusals do not - the remedy there is administrative review or a fresh application.
Usually 14 days from the date of the decision if you are in the UK, or 28 days if you are outside. Miss the deadline and you can only appeal out of time with good reasons. Do not wait to get advice.
Administrative review is a paper reconsideration by the Home Office looking only for case-working errors. An appeal is a full hearing before an independent judge who can hear evidence and take a fresh view of the facts and the law.
First-tier Tribunal listing times vary by region and category. Straightforward hearings can be listed in a few months; complex or contested cases can take longer. We keep you updated at each stage.
Usually yes, if you were in the UK with leave when you lodged an in-time appeal. Section 3C leave keeps your status alive while the appeal is decided. Some certified human rights cases require you to appeal from abroad.
The judge allows the appeal and the Home Office normally grants the leave they refused. If they seek permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal, we handle that too. Costs are rarely recoverable in immigration.
You may have grounds to appeal to the Upper Tribunal on points of law, subject to permission. Otherwise a fresh application addressing the reasons for refusal is often the way forward - the judgment tells you what to fix.
Tribunal fees plus our legal fees, which we set out on a fixed basis at the start. The complexity of the case drives the total - grounds and skeleton drafting, evidence bundle, hearing representation - and we agree the scope up front.
Refused? Get the refusal letter read properly first
Book an initial consultation, from £50 + VAT. We will tell you which response fits, what it costs and what the deadline is.