Giving a ground to the UKVI for your UK visa refusal may be a costly affair to you. If you are found to be deliberately using deception or misleading the officials your visa application may berefused and you may face a ten-year re-entry ban to the UK.

Other general grounds lead to or can lead to the refusal of your application for entry clearance, permission to enter, or permission to stay in the UK. Thus you need to know UK visa generalgrounds for refusal so that you can avoid a possible refusal by the immigration officials.

There are certain mandatory grounds that mandate the officials that they must refuse an applicant’s visa application. There are also certain discretionary grounds which allow the Home Office to use its discretion whether to refuse a visa application or not depending on the applicant’s circumstances.   

Part 9 of the Immigration Rules sets out the general grounds for visa refusal. These grounds are:

1. Breaches of immigration laws

Breach of immigration law includes but is not limited to the following:
a. If you overstayed in the UK beyond the granted leave to remain period or
b. You breached a condition attached to your visa route or further permission was not subsequently granted in the knowledge of the breach; or
c. You were or still are illegally in the UK; or
d. You used deception when applying for a UK visa even if it failed;
e. You previously contrived in a significant way to frustrate the intention of the rules

2. False representation

False representation means the following:
a. There were false representations found, or false documents or false information(related or unrelated to the application) was submitted with or without the applicant’s knowledge or
b. Failure to disclose the relevant facts

3. Criminality grounds

Criminality grounds include where the applicant:
a. Has been convicted of a criminal offense in the UK or overseas and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more is an automatic refusal and ground for deportation; or
b. Is a repetitive offender, shows no respect for the law; or
c. Committed a crime, which caused serious harm.

4. Sham marriage or sham civil partnership grounds

If you are found to be guilty of entering into a sham marriage or civil partnership by the decision makers, your visa application must be refused as per part 9.6.1 of the immigration rules or may be refused as per clause 9.6.2 of the immigration rules.

5. Non-conducive grounds

This is a mandatory ground for refusal. If your presence in the UK is found to be non- conducive to the public good because of your conduct, character, associations, etc., or you have been convicted for a serious immigration offense that is not covered in criminality grounds, your visa application must be refused as per the immigration rules, 9.3.1 and 9.3.2. Examples can be that you are a threat to national security or that you are involved in extremist activities, etc.

6. Exclusion from asylum or humanitarian protection grounds

Exclusion from asylum or humanitarian protection means the applicant has made previously a protection claim in the UK and any of the two applies:The secretary of state has at any time decided that any of the below rules apply to the applicant:
a. Paragraph 339AA (exclusion from Refugee Convention),
b. 339AC (danger to the UK),
c. 339D (exclusion from a grant of humanitarian protection) or
d. 339GB (revocation of humanitarian protection on the grounds of exclusion); or
   1. The secretary of state has decided that paragraphs 339AA, 339AC, 339D, or 339GB of these rules would apply, but for the fact that the person has not made a protection claim in the UK, or that the person            has made a protection claim which was finally determined without reference to any of the relevant matters described in paragraphs 339AA, 339AC, 339D or 339GB.

7. Exclusion, deportation order, or travel ban grounds

This is a mandatory ground for refusal. If any of the following is true your visa application must be refused:
a. The Secretary of State has personally directed that the applicant be excluded from the UK; or
b. The applicant is the subject of an exclusion order; or
c. The applicant is the subject of a deportation order, or a decision to make a deportation order.

8. Not providing the required documents ground

This is a discretionary ground for refusal. If the applicant fails to provide required information without a reasonable excuse his/her visa application may be refused.

9. Other grounds

Other general grounds can lead to a visa refusal such as:
 Debt to the NHS
 Unpaid litigation costs
 Medical grounds
 Purpose to enter or stay not covered by the Immigration Rules