Is additional documentation required for an application for a UK Standard Visitor visa?

Question

I would like to visit my friend in the UK for two weeks' holiday in March. I am employed, have an online business and a 3-year-old baby for whom I am the primary carer. I also own land in Kenya.

This are the documents we have put together:

From my friend: bank statement, payslips, passport copy, Kenya visa copies, invitation letter and sponsorship letter.

Myself: bank statement, savings account statement, baby's birth certificate, title deed, employment contract, letter from employer, tenancy agreement, flight itinerary, travel insurance.

I have known my friend since 2008 and have photographs from holidays in 2009, October 2015 and December 2015. We are going to attach photos to the application as well as screenshots showing the calls made to each other each day in WhatsApp. Unfortunately a phone bill can’t show the calls since we are using WhatsApp to talk.

Which other documents should I add to avoid refusal?

Answer 1

Your documents look almost perfect. The only changes I would recommend are:

• There is no reason to include pictures of your friend or Whatsapp logs. Since you have already well established that you have a friend in the UK by his documents, they are redundant. Don't supply these unless you're explicitly asked to provide further evidence of your relationship.

• Your own bank statements need supporting documentation. Every deposit into your bank account and savings account needs to be documented, whether it came from salary, sale of property, transfer from one account to another, or whatever the source was. Include documents for each deposit into your accounts that is shown on the bank statements which shows its source.

Ensure that you have enough money to pay for your holiday without a significant financial inconvenience, or obtain from your friend a statement that he will support you. If you propose to spend a large percentage of your money on the holiday, this looks suspicious and is likely to result in a refusal.

Finally, you may wish to include a cover letter which explains the purpose of the trip, and also explains each of the included documents and why they are included. The points that your documents need to demonstrate are that you are financially capable of taking the holiday, and that you have ties to your home country sufficient to compel you to return. If there is any possible ambiguity, an explanatory cover letter can help with this.

If you have these points covered, it is likely that your visa will be approved. Enjoy your holiday!