Need urgent advice - Parents' family visitor visa refused

Hi,

I need some urgent advice.

I am a British citizen living in the UK and I had invited my elderly parents (over 70 years old) to visit me in the UK for about 5 months. My parents are Indian citizens living in India and they have visited me over 6 times in the last 10 years without any problem. Their visa applications in the last 10 years have always been approved and they have always left the UK within the 6 month period. They have followed all immigration rules.

But their recent application (in March 2011) for a family visitor visa has been refused.

The refusal letter states "You have not given any evidence of your personal and financial circumstances. I must look at all your circumstances when I assess your application for a visit visa. Without the evidence we asked for, I am not satisfied that you plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit or that you are genuinely seeking entry as a visitir for a period not exceeding 6 months"

They had submitted the application along with my sponsor invitation letter, proof of my status, my bank statements, proof of accomodation in the UK etc.

Given that an appeal process will take at least 16 weeks (as per tribunal website FAQ), my parents are thinking of not appealing but re-applying for the family visitor visa. Is this the best thing to do?

If re-applying is the better thing to do, is it necessary to leave a specific period (weeks/months) before my parents re-apply? If so, any views on this duration (gap between the two applications) would be most useful.

My father retired from Indian Central Govt service many years ago and gets a monthly pension and my mother is a housewife. They do not have property in India in their name. They have some savings accounts and most of my other relatives (aunts, uncles etc) live in India. In this context, how can my parents best convince the visa office that they will definitely come back to India at the end of their UK visit? My mother has arthritis and so she cannot withstand UK winter anyway.

My sister and myself are the only children for my parents and both myself and my sister are british citizens now living in the UK for many years.

Any advice and guidance would be most gratefully received.

Thanks.

I faced the same situation sometime back. My sponsor is a UK citizen and I was rejected a Family Visitor Visa on the exact same grounds as your parents. I would like to know what they did next. Did they appeal or reapply? A reply would be much appreciated. Thanks!