It was with great hope and expectation that I applied, on July 22, for Entry Clearance to the United Kingdom as a family visitor for a period of three months. I provided what I believed to be sufficient documents and financial income evidence. What’s more, I had a fine record of abiding by the U.K. immigration laws as demonstrated by my last entry and departure of the U.K. Therefore, it came as a major surprise when I received your notice of Refusal of Entry Clearance. However, I believe that some misunderstandings have occurred and I wish to clarify those misunderstandings by means of this letter of appeal.

The greatest misunderstanding of my application is related to my financial condition. It is true that I will bear the cost of the visit by myself and I have produced a bank book to demonstrate that I have the capability to bear the cost. However, because of the complicated bank procedures, it was not readily apparent to you that the money was saved and deposited over a period of time.

If you look closely at my bank book, you will understand that the money was indeed saved and deposited over a long period of time rather than what it appeared to you to be only a two-week period. The truth is that the money is my income for a quite a number of years and it has been deposited in the bank for more than three years. A closer look indicates the money was transferred from an old bank book to a new bank book on September 21, 2002 (please refer to the date of the first transaction on the new bank book), the duration is 3 months and the deposit would be automatically continued at the end of the three-month duration, until June 21st, 2005. A few days after this date, on July 12th, 2005, I went to the bank and renewed the deposit for one more year. Therefore, you have mistaken July 12th, 2005 for the day of my deposit whereas in fact it was the date of the renewal of the deposit, which can be traced at least to September 21st, 2002. My daughter developed her plan of pursuing education outside China many years ago and these funds have been deposited for the purpose of visiting her and the cost of the trip is entirely commensurate with my financial status. Moreover, apart from covering her own tuition and living expenses, my daughter has approximately 7,000 pounds to cover my tours if necessary (please refer to her HSBC bank account).

Maintaining family ties has always been important to me and becomes increasingly important as I grow older. This is why I have to visit my daughter twice within one year. However, I have several specific reasons for visiting my daughter for a second time within a relatively short period of time. It was true that, during my last visit, I stayed in the U.K. for approximately six months. However, for most of the time, my daughter was undergoing a training program in London (please refer to her training certificate) while I was living in Durham City, where my daughter’s university—the University of Durham—was based. Therefore, we did not have much time to stay together, and naturally there were only limited opportunities for my daughter to accompany me to satisfy my tourist curiosities.

My daughter studied her MBA programme in the U.K. from August 2003 and as she was busy concentrating on her study I refrained from visiting her during her programme. In the coming October she is to undertake a new programme of postgraduate study (please refer to the Offer Letter issued by the University of Durham) and in the coming one or two years I would not have any chance of seeing my daughter. Therefore I plan to spend the forthcoming August and September, the two months when she is not occupied by her study and training, traveling around the U.K. together with my daughter. As you know, those two months will be the best time touring the UK and being together, we would be truly happy and enjoying ourselves.

Assuming that I would obtain my visa without much difficulty, my daughter has made full preparations for my planned visit. She has booked an apartment for me, signed a contract with the Property Agency and paid the rent in full (please refer to the copy of the contract and the payment notice). She will live in there until the end of September, thereupon we will spend two weeks traveling in Scotland, visiting such places and sights as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, and Scotland Highland. In the middle of October, my daughter will move back to her university to begin her study and I will return to China.

Li Shan is my sole child and we have always been emotionally deeply attached to each other. She has never been too far away from our family, not even during her education in China. Over the recent few years she has been far away from home in a country on the other side of the earth, seeking education all alone. My concern for her wellbeing and the yearning for spending time with her, especially when she is relatively free, have been exceedingly strong. Such a feeling is more than anybody can imagine and only understandable to an anxious mother. Therefore, there should be no irregularities in my proposed second visit to my daughter.

Neither should be any doubt about my impossibility of returning to China. I have been living in Beijing for dozens of years and my husband is in Beijing too. I have many relatives and long-time friends and we need to care for one another. I have a house of our own (please refer to our document). My daughter will return to China upon completing her programme and there will be no possibility for me to stay in the U.K. as I do not know English and except my daughter I have no relatives or friends in the U.K., therefore there is no reason for me to forsake all my beloved ones simply in order to stay in the U.K.

My past record of traveling outside China can also demonstrate that I am a law-bidding person. Over the past three years, I have traveled to France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and Philippines. I have no record of exceeding the time limit as set in the visa (please refer to my visa record). In addition, I wish to travel to other countries and regions such as America and Africa in the next few years while I enjoy sound physical conditions. By now you should understand that I am a person of wanderlust and traveling in U. K. and see many places in detail is just part of my wanderlust.

I have provided the foregoing information to demonstrate that I have adequate reasons for applying for entry clearance and that financially I meet all the necessary requirements for such an application. Therefore, your refusal of my entry clearance is not well founded and I appeal for a re-examination of my application and grant me the visa for which I believe I am eligible. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely yours

Signature: __________________ Date: ___________________