No explanation for visa refusal

I am in the process of helping my Chinese parents-in-law apply for long-term family visit visas, and my Chinese neice to apply for a short term family visit, so that she can come to see us for the summer holidays. It's my neice who I am most concerned about.

The three of them applied for tourism visas in 2003, to attend my then-GF's graduation ceremony followed by our wedding. My in-laws were granted visas, but my niece was declined. I was told at the time by my FIL that it was because she wasn't a close enough relative, and at the time I knew nothing about appeals process or the fact that a visa refusal stays on the record.

However, I only found out this month that a refusal notice was never issued by the Consulate in Guangzhou - the local staff simply stated verbally that the visa had not been granted, and the above reason was my FIL's presumption.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the impact on this year's visa application - I have drafted in the "refusals" section the date of the refusal, but under reason/reference no. I have drafted "not given".

Also, is there any way of finding out retrospectively the reasons for the refusal?

Thank you.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the impact on this year's visa application - I have drafted in the "refusals" section the date of the refusal, but under reason/reference no. I have drafted "not given".

I would not worry to much about why she was refused back in 2003 as they will already have her previous record, but instead prove that you can afford to maintian, support and accommodate her without recourse to public funds by way of documenatry evidence

Furthermore show as much proof that she is going to go back before the expiry of the visa as this is the most common grounds for family visitors refusal.

Also, is there any way of finding out retrospectively the reasons for the refusal?

If it happened in 2003 its a bit to late to do anything about now

Under the Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations 2003, a family visitor is defined as:

1. the applicant's spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or first cousin (NB: "first cousin" means, in relation to a person, the son or daughter of his uncle or aunt);