Objective
I’m here to help you, because I’ve gone through two visa rejections. I know how it feels. I know how depressing it can be. But I want you to be hopeful. Because most of you can and will get your visa. I’m going to help you, in light of my visa refusals.
When you go through my cover letter for my visa application, you’ll realize that my chances of getting a visa were pretty bleak. My case was pretty messed up after two rejections. All the visa consultants had told me to give up. But I got my visa, because of my cover letter. And when I can get my visa, then so can you.
My Story
I am someone who had never traveled abroad. So when I was applying for my visa for the first time, I had no guidance and I didn’t know how to apply.
The first rejection was probably fair, since my visa application was poorly made.The second rejection was slightly harsh; I had made the error of not attaching a cover letter.
First Visa Rejection
I was heartbroken after my first rejection. I saw nearly all the visa consultants in Karachi. None of them knew what PLAB was. Their comments were very disappointing. According to most of them, it was impossible for me to get a visa. None of them gave me any hope.
I decided to keep my head down, work hard for the next 12 months, improve my case and reapply. So 12 months later, I finally found a visa consultant from Lahore, who knew what PLAB meant. With his help, I applied for my visa. This time I was hopeful, since I was following a professional consultant’s help.
Second Visa Rejection
My visa was rejected the second time as well. This was more depressing because this time a consultant had applied for me. I knew the errors he had made in my application and I pointed them out before he applied. But he told me it won’t be a problem. And since he was a professional, I decided to trust him, which was a mistake. The lesson I learnt was to trust myself and not anyone else. Because I knew my case better than anyone else.
Third Time’s a Charm
In my third attempt, I followed my gut and I did whatever I felt was necessary. There were the factors which helped me in my third attempt:
i) Cover Letter
| First Application | Second Application | Third Application |
| Not Attached | Not Attached | 12 pages |
I attached a 12-page cover letter along with my application and I explained every small piece of information in detail. And I think it was my lengthy cover letter which got me my visa. I was afraid of attaching such a lengthy cover letter. During my visa interview, I apologized for such a lengthy cover letter. But the ECO told me that it was his job to go through it no matter how lengthy it was and he told me that I did not need to apologize. He was very nice about it.
ii) Bank Statement
| First Application | Second Application | Third Application |
| 700 GBP | 2000 GBP | 5000 GBP |
I did not spend any of my salary and I waited until I had a healthy bank statement, comprising of my own earning.
iii) Financial Sponsor
| First Application | Second Application | Third Application |
| Father and Uncle | None | Father and Uncle |
I was worried about using my father and my uncle as my financial sponsor in my third application, since I hadn’t used them as sponsors in my second application. But I went with my gut. Because, no matter how much money you have, it’s always wise to use a sponsor. And I explained it pretty well in my cover letter.
Please go through my other posts to see what factors to keep in mind when using a financial sponsor.
iv) Length of Stay
| First Application | Second Application | Third Application |
| 6 weeks | 11 days | 4 days |
Some people had warned me that I might get a 4-day visa. But I knew it was technically impossible, since visa clearance begins from the day that it is stamped at the Embassy. So I knew that I would get my visa clearance at least until my exam date. And that was good enough for me. I was prepared to take my exam and come back home immediately. But I knew that I would probably get visa clearance for 6 months. And that’s exactly what happened. I got a 6-month, multiple-entry visa.
v) Cost of Trip
| First Application | Second Application | Third Application |
| 2000 GBP | 1103 GBP | 584 GBP |
Shortening the length of trip and making earlier reservations reduced my cost of trip significantly.
Summary of Third Visa Application
i) Detailed explanation of my circumstances, using a cover letter.
ii) Better finances because of a healthier statement and two sponsors.
iii) Reduced cost of the trip because of a shorter stay and early reservations.
Conclusion
If I can get my visa after making the silly mistakes that I did in my first two attempts, then so can you. You just have to build a good application.
Go through my cover letter to have a better idea of the mistakes that I made in my first two applications and how I overcame them by building a good application.