As with any tool, AI has both advantages and limitations in the context of immigration applications. As Stuart McWilliams explained in the article Can I use AI for my visa application?, AI does not always produce accurate information and may introduce additional requirements that do not in fact apply, which can in turn increase the risk of refusal.
Given the recent developments in AI, we ran a few tests to see if the current generation is any better at helping with visa applications than previous generations. Our main findings were:
- The results still tended to include evidence that is no longer needed for a successful application, such as passport photographs, and continue to suggest that photos of a couple together are a key part of the relationship evidence, despite the Home Office listing this as weak evidence and encouraging applicants not to provide large numbers of photographs.
- Like any question to AI, the prompt is crucial. Ask a generic question and you will receive a general overview, but if you ask more detailed questions the answers will be more useful. However, in order to enter the correct prompts you need to know what to ask. As an example, we asked for the documents needed to show someone meets the spouse visa financial requirement if they are an employee, and the list which was produced was broadly accurate. However, the system did not ask for more detailed information about the company, and someone relying on this document list would face issues if they were employed by their own company or a company in which a family member held shares.
- While AI-generated document lists are more accurate than they were previously, problems can still arise when looking at bigger picture questions. For example, one model told us that the spouse of a British national can apply for citizenship after three years living in the UK, which is technically correct, but they must hold indefinite leave before applying and that usually takes five years to acquire. Another model told us that a child born in the UK can apply for citizenship rather than indefinite leave to remain when one of their parents has ILR. Again, this is technically possible, but doing this means the child's current leave does not automatically extend, they become an overstayer and could become liable for NHS costs. Therefore, in many circumstances applying for citizenship without indefinite leave is an expensive risk to take.
One clear advantage is the speed with which AI can provide information to help draft an application. However, immigration law and visa requirements can be highly detailed, and AI cannot apply legal judgment in the same way that an experienced adviser can. The consequences of relying on incorrect or incomplete information may include not only the loss of the application fee following a refusal, but also wider implications for future applications. For example, if someone relied on the answers we received and applied for citizenship as the spouse of a British citizen rather than applying for indefinite leave to remain, they could become an overstayer and the Home Office rules would now require them to live outside the UK for 12 months before returning.
Can you still use AI to help with an application?
Although there are risks involved, AI can still be a useful starting point when preparing a visa application, provided users still question and verify the answers they receive. Given the potential consequences of getting it wrong, one way to combine AI with a more traditional approach to visa applications would be a "Checking Service".
Our experienced team regularly work with clients who have prepared their own visa application but want some peace of mind before submission. We take the prepared application and supporting documents, consider your personal circumstances and advise on whether there are any gaps or additional documents needed before you submit the application to the Home Office. This helps avoid the possibility of being refused based on an AI hallucination or because of an obscure Home Office rule you did not know to ask your AI model about, but still provides cost benefits compared to a full support package.
If you would like to discuss our fixed fee checking services, or any other level of support with your visa application, please get in touch and we can provide you with a range of fixed fee options to fit your budget.
