Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 1:56 pm A friend of mine tried to get his girlfriend a visitor visa (up to 2 years) and made two applications. Both were unsuccessful.

AFAIK, the one and only issue is will they return. The UK authorities have no prejudices, it's all about the likelihood of their timely return home. The burden of proof is high and it's all on you.

The application costs are not cheap (£500 each in his case) and their refusals are couched in generic terms, offer no solutions to overcome that decision beyond statements like, "insufficient and/or inconsistent financial information supplied". Refusals are not subject to appeal. You have to start from scratch, re-apply and pay up again. He was over £1000 in the hole with no idea if he was close or not. He just wanted to phone the case officer and ask an honest question even if that meant being told he had zero chance. But you can't call anyone and get straight answers.

You might want to consider seeking the advice of a solicitor who specialises in immigration law, but be aware most of them will be specialists in asylum cases and other in-country people trying to avoid deportation or business/investor visas. Good old fashioned applications made out of the country don't attract legal aid payments.