Should I mention my Canadian visa refusal in my UK visa application? [closed]

Yes you should mention it (because they do ask you that). A possible refusal is better than a ban for deception.

A previous refusal from another country, or even the same one, does not mean that your application will necessarily be refused.

Here is the exact text of the questions as of November 2018.

Have you ever been:

• refused a visa for the UK

• deported from the UK

• removed from the UK

• required to leave the UK

• refused entry at the UK border

Have you ever been:

• refused a visa for any country other than the UK

• deported from any country other than the UK

• removed from any country other than the UK

• required to leave any country other than the UK

• refused entry at the border of any country other than the UK

If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then you get a section to provide details. If the answer is No, then the wizard moves forward.

The form is not available for download online so i don't have a reference to link to but this can be verified at https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk

The form explictly asks if you have ever been refused a visa by any country. You must answer all questions on your visa application truthfully and accurately. If you are found to have lied, this is taken very seriously and will usually mean that you're banned from getting a visa for a number of years or even forever.

There is no requirement to disclose information you have not been asked for, unless and until you are asked. Therefore, if the visa application you are filing requests further information about entry to other countries, Commonwealth countries, or Canada in particular, then you should disclose the information you have been asked to provide. If it includes visa applications and their approval or refusal, outside the UK, then you would need to disclose your refusal by the Canadian authorities.

Preparing for an interview, however, should involve documenting any point of potential uncertainty for the consular officer, and being prepared to answer any questions, ideally with something in writing to back it up. If there are or were mitigating circumstances that explain or justify your position in relation to the refusal, then you should prepare yourself to answer questions with that information, and take with you any supporting evidence. This often requires thinking outside the box and is not as straightforward as an application form.

My answer comes from having both successfully applied for my own visas and assisted others in filing applications and preparing for interviews, including in/for the UK, and for both immigrant and non-immigrant classes.