Bank statement requirements for ILR Application can cause a lot of headache for those applying through the UKBA PEO same day service also now known as the Home Office premium Service. Many applicants have sleepless nights over what is and isn’t accepted by the Home Office for your application. Here we try to explain what statements are required for ILR and what to do if your bank won’t stamp your statements.
Bank statement requirements for ILR Application
Lets look at what the Home Office SETO guidance notes for Sept 2015 mention about bank statements for ILR.
Personal bank or building society statement: This must be the most recent statement dated no earlier than one calendar month before the date of the application. The statement must clearly show your: name; account number; the date of the statement; the financial institution’s name and logo; and transactions by the sponsor covering the period no earlier than one calendar month before the date of the application.We can also accept as evidence: A bank or building society statement printed on the bank’s or building society’s letterhead, but this excludes mini-statements from automatic teller machines (ATMs);An electronic bank or building society statement from an online account, but it must contain all of the details listed above. You must also provide either: a supporting letter from your bank or building society, on company headed paper, confirming the statement provided is authentic, or an electronic bank or building society statement bearing the official stamp of the bank or building society on every page;
You will notice here that the part in bold actual shows that the Home Office will accept a statement on the bank’s letterhead. Therefore if you enter a bank branch and they print a statement on the bank stationary showing the required information as highlighted above it must be accepted. the statement doesn’t have to show your address, but must show the other information that is requested for the ILR bank statement requirement.
But what about stamps or a letter from the bank for my ILR statements?
Getting your bank statements printed in the branch stamped or supply a covering letter is only required if your bank account is an online only account. Just because you have online banking doesn’t mean your bank account is an online only account. The term online only account means you have a bank account with a bank that has no branches or physical place you can walk into. These banks are not very common and you are unlikely to have an account with these for your wages to be deposited into.
So the bottom line is that you don’t need a stamp or covering letter if the statement is printed in branch and shows the required information.
If you bank with HSBC or NatWest you will have discovered they don’t stamp statements and may have a visa or ILR application at the PEO coming up soon. You should not panic or worry. Providing you get the requested statements from the branch you are fine. The key is to ensure they are not older than 1 month on the day of application and that they show the transactions you need for the application.
Bank Statements required for ILR from Tier 1 General
If you are ready to apply for ILR from Tier 1 General then you will need a considerable amount of bank statements. The first set of statements required is 12 months bank statements for your proof of earnings. The second set of statements required are proof of finances which requires your most recent 3 months statements.
Bank statements required for ILR from Tier 2 General
For Tier 2 General the bank statements required are your latest monthly bank statement and the most recent 3 months to cover the financial evidence requirement also. The issue that can arise with Tier 2 applicants applying for ILR is that they may only get paid a few days before the PEO or Premium appointment date meaning they don;t have their most recent payslip showing in their account. This is an issue for some and worth considering beforehand when preparing. If you are unfortunate enough to require a bank statement a few days before the ILR appointment then go to your branch and have them print off the statement on their letterhead. Based on the Home Office guidance this must be accepted.
If you are applying for ILR from Tier 1 General, Tier 2 general or any other visa and need our services then please contact us for assistance. We can offer a simple advice session, document check, full application assistance and Same Day representation for peach of mind.
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