The UK Home Office has announced that regulations were laid in Parliament on 18 June 2012, that will set out who qualifies for a full right of appeal against a refusal of a visa to visit family in the UK. These regulations will come into force on 9 July 2012.

The changes that are being made will only change the right to appeal, and not the rules governing who can qualify for entry to the UK as a visitor.

The Home Office said that the new rules will change the appeal rights of family visit visa applicants and that those persons applying to visit an uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or first cousin, or a relative who does not have settled, refugee or humanitarian protection status in the UK, will no longer have a full right of appeal if refused. The UK Home Office further said that only a limited right of appeal will remain for these persons based on human rights and discrimination grounds.