Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department assesses references from British nationals during the visitor visa application process.

The Visit caseworker guidance provides guidance to decision makers when assessing Visitor applications. It sets out that all information provided by the applicant must be assessed which may include supporting statements or references provided by British nationals to support the application - Visit caseworker guidance (accessible) - GOV.UK

Visitor visa applications are assessed on their individual merits, considering all aspects of the case. This may include supporting documents provided by a sponsor, which are then evaluated, along with the rest of the application, against the balance of probabilities to determine if the application meets the requirements of the Visitor Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor - Guidance - GOV.UK.