I heard previous immigration history is a factor under the Home Office’s general grounds for application refusal. I have resided in eight different countries since childhood and am curious what implications this may have for me.
Answers
The Home Office is talking about whether you have lived illegally in any country: If you had overstayed your visa or lived in a country without holding any valid leave to remain. This is what they mean when they talk about immigration history. They should not be concerned if you have lived in several countries since your childhood. Please be aware that, as part of your application, you will need to provide criminal records bureau checks from every country you have lived in (resided in for 12 months or more) over the last ten years.
Previous immigration history refers to negative history such as refused visas or refused entry. It does not refer to previous travel or legal residence.
It would be poor immigration history that may have a negative impact on the application. If you were lawfully resident in different countries, there is nothing wrong with it. You are strongly advised to get expert help with the application, though, as one has to be very careful disclosing all the relevant information. A mere failure to disclose relevant information may result in a ban for 10 years and it is often far from clear on the form what is relevant and what is not. You can easily avoid all these pitfalls with expert help.
The answer to this question depends on several factors including whether you have contravened the immigration laws of any country, overstayed a visa, etc. The UK authorities also look at the intention to reside in the UK as a factor, so a person who moves frequently may attract extra scrutiny during the application processing stage/interview. On the other hand, if you have resided lawfully in several countries with similar laws to the UK, then this could be a very positive factor in your favor.
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