When it comes to how much bank statement is required for UK visit visa, there is a lot of confusion out there. Mainly because UKVI does not provide proper guidelines on bank statements. Not just on how many months of statements, but how much cash should you have, what kind of transactions are allowed, etc.
In this article, you will learn everything about bank statements for UK visit visa.
You must submit 6 months of bank statements that clearly show your monthly salary and financial commitments. There must not be any large deposits of cash other than your salary. Total savings must be at least twice your proposed UK trip expenses.
After examining hundreds of UK visa refusal letters from my readers, I have figured that there are a few things that you must definitely satisfy in your bank statements. Let’s look at these in more depth.
The Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) must make sure that the UK visit visa applicant has sufficient funds to support and maintain themselves for the entire duration of their stay in the UK. Bank statements work as evidence to prove that the applicant has sufficient funds.
The ECOs pay close attention to the total cost of the trip, monthly income, monthly expenses and any other financial commitments such as mortgage, dependents, etc. They want to see that you are a genuine traveler, you will travel within your means and you will not exhaust all your savings.
The ECOs are primarily looking at the following criteria in your bank statements.
| Factor | Criteria |
| UK trip expenses | Is capable to spend about £100-150 per day per person |
| Monthly income | Have a monthly income of at least half of total UK trip expenses |
| Sufficient funds | Have funds that are more than twice of the total UK trip expenses |
| Spending and saving patterns | Have been saving consistently for the UK trip and not borrowed money from someone else |
Let’s look at each of these criteria in detail.
The UK is an expensive country. A hotel room would cost at least £50 per night. Food is about £10-20 per meal. Add transportation, entry tickets to attractions, shopping, etc. So, total expenses can range from £100-150 per day per person.
DAILY BUDGET REQUIREMENT
£100-150 per day per person
This £100-150 per day per person is only for the visa. When you actually travel, you can minimize your daily expenses and spend a lot less than that.
UKVI does not provide guidance on acceptable monthly income. But, after going through hundreds of refusal letters, I figured that your monthly income must be at least half of your total UK trip expenses.
INCOME REQUIREMENT
Your monthly income must be at least half of your proposed total UK trip expenses
EXAMPLE: Say your proposed UK trip expenses excluding the airfare is £2,000. Your monthly income must be at least £1,000. Anything less than that can lead to ECO assuming that it’s not realistic for you to take this trip.
Make sure your monthly salary is directly deposited into your bank account. This results in a salary deposit transaction in your statements. This proves that you have a consistent monthly income.
If you are paid in cash or check, deposit the cash or check in your bank account on a specific date every month. You can withdraw again from your bank account for your expenses, but that consistent salary deposit every month must definitely be there in your bank account.
Apart from monthly net income, your monthly disposable income is also important. Monthly disposable income is basically your savings. If you save too little per month, that’s an indicator that a UK trip is not realistic for your financial situation.
SAVING/DISPOSABLE INCOME REQUIREMENT
Your monthly savings/disposable income must be a good percentage of your net monthly income
EXAMPLE: Say your proposed UK trip expenses is £2,000. Your monthly net income is £1,000. Your monthly living expenses are £950. That means you can only save about £50 a month. Even if you have enough savings for your trip, your savings per month (£50) are too small. ECOs will assume that a UK trip is too expensive and not realistic for your financial situation.
You must show that you have sufficient funds in your bank account. As a rule of thumb, you must have more than twice your proposed total UK trip expenses in your bank account.
FUNDS REQUIREMENT
Your funds must be more than twice your proposed total UK trip expenses
EXAMPLE: Say your proposed UK trip expenses excluding the airfare is £2,000. You must have at least £4,000 in your savings. Anything less than that can raise questions and lead to visa refusal.
Again, UK Visas and Immigration does not specify what is acceptable in terms of funds. So this is something I understood from referring to many visa refusal letters.
You must show that your savings are continually growing and that too consistently. If they are not, then the ECO may assume that you might have borrowed the money to make it look like you saved it yourself.
EXAMPLE: Say your salary is £2,000 per month. After all expenses, you save around £500 a month. Sometimes more, sometimes less, about usually around £500. You are saving continually but also consistently.
One more thing to keep in mind is that your savings must be large enough or at least a good percentage of your income.
Funds parking refers to borrowing money from someone to show as if it’s your own money. ECOs suspect any large deposits in your bank account other than your salary as parked funds.
EXAMPLE: Say your ending balance in your bank account has been £4,000 for the last 6 months. That means, your savings haven’t grown at all. This makes the ECO suspect that you might have borrowed money 6-7 months ago just to show that you have sufficient savings in your bank account.
If you had a large cash deposit from the sale of a property, investment, etc., you must provide documentary evidence to prove that it’s your money.
Also, if you had unexpected expenses such as hospitalization, purchase of property, investment in stocks or fixed deposits, etc. you must explain them properly in your cover letter for UK visa as well.
If you do not have sufficient funds for your UK trip, I suggest the following.
Should you put away your dream of traveling to the UK just because your salary is too low? Not really, but here are a few things you can do.
Bank statements are not just about how much cash you have in your bank. They tell a lot about your financial and personal circumstances. From your bank statements, ECOs can assess your sources of income, financial commitments and current lifestyle.
This information is extremely important for ECOs to decide whether they can support themselves during their UK trip. At least 6 months of bank statements are necessary to assess this formation.
If you lay down 6 months of bank statements in front of you, you can clearly see patterns such as your spending habits and saving goals.
Keep in mind that these 6 months of bank statements must start from the latest and go backward 6 months. Let’s look at an example.
Say you are applying for your UK visa on 14 Nov 2021 and your latest statement was for October. You must submit statements from May to October.
If UKVI suspects fraudulent bank statements, they can contact the bank to verify the authenticity of the statements. They have built relationships with banks over time and can take the help of third-party agencies to verify such information.
Manipulating or providing fraudulent bank statements will lead to visa refusal and a permanent ban from entering the UK.
Illegal migration and human trafficking are on the rise. Therefore, ECOs do their due diligence with visa applications. Document verification costs them money and time. There is a reason why the UK tourist visa is the most expensive and time-consuming visa process.
Yes, online bank statements downloaded from the bank website are perfectly acceptable. Online bank statements are a norm in most countries these days. I assume UKVI has connections with major banks in the world either directly or through third-party agencies. If need be, they can make inquiries and verify the authenticity of your bank statements.
A mere download of a list of transactions from your account will not work. Your online bank statements must include all the necessary information such as the bank name, bank address, bank phone numbers, full name, address, statement dates, transactions, balances, etc.
If any of the information is not included, you must request bank statements from the bank that include all necessary details.
Keep in mind that providing fraudulent bank statements will lead to a permanent ban from entering the UK.
If you are applying from a country with high UK visa refusal rates, I advise providing certified bank statements. These are bank statements printed on the bank letterhead, stamped and signed by the bank authorities. Sometimes instead of signing and stamping, a cover letter signed by the head of the bank branch is provided.
Certified bank statements help to convince the ECO that your bank statements are authentic.
If you have multiple bank accounts, you will have to submit 6 months of statements from each bank or account. If done incorrectly, this could lead to document bloat, which means the ECOs may overlook the most important bank statements.
Try to use only one bank account for salary, expenses and savings. If you have to use two banks or accounts, mention this clearly in your cover letter so ECOs do not overlook important bank statements.
Yes. If your bank statements are in a foreign language, you must provide a certified translation of them in English. If you have several pages of bank statements that need translating, it can get quite expensive. This is usually the case when downloading monthly statements from the bank’s website.
One way to handle this is to ask the bank to print the last 6 months of transactions as one statement. This will remove any repeated information such as bank address, etc. that usually appears on each monthly statement. This will reduce the bank statements to only a few pages. Translating and certifying these pages shouldn’t be that expensive.
A joint account is acceptable when both account holders are applying for UK visas together. The income and saving limits must also be doubled in that case. This is usually the case with couples, either both or one of them is earning. Either way, you must explain that your account is a joint account in your cover letter to avoid ECO making any decisions with partial information.
If only one account holder is applying for the visa, the ECO may assume that the applicant does not have sole access to the funds and may refuse the visa. Again, this is a tricky situation and must be clearly explained in the cover letter.
All the above rules apply to self-employed as well. Make sure to get paid from your clients directly in your bank account. If you earn cash, deposit your cash into your bank account first before using it for personal expenses. You can withdraw later for your expenses.
If you receive small cash several times a month, consolidate all the cash and deposit once a week or month. If you have multiple bank accounts, consolidate them too.
ECOs assume that business funds are for business purposes and not available for personal use. This is especially true if you are traveling to the UK on a personal holiday trip. Therefore, you must have a clear distinction between your business funds and personal cash.
Make sure to separate your business and personal accounts. Pay yourself a monthly salary into your personal account. Maintain a consistent financial pattern in your personal account. As a business owner, you must submit your business bank statements and personal bank statements for your UK visa.
Alternatively, you can provide a letter from you or any other business partners that the business funds are available for your personal use. In this case, just your business bank statements are sufficient.
UKVI does not provide proper guidelines on how much bank statement is required for UK visit visa. After referring to hundreds of UK visa refusal letters, I figured that ECOs are looking for certain patterns in your bank statements. ECOs are primarily looking for your sources of income, spending habits, financial commitments and saving goals. These factors are essential for ECOs to decide whether you are a genuine visitor and have sufficient funds for your trip.
There you have it. Everything you need to know about bank statements for UK visit visa. If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I will answer them as soon as I can.
WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI
Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.
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Hello, good day! I am eligible for complimentary 6 nights in Four Seasons Hotel London at park lane where I can use their service at no charge due to my eligibility to the employee travel program benefits. I can attach a confirmation letter from Four Seasons London and I think my spending would be 500 GBP for my visit to the UK. I have income from the company and some regular money from my family and a pension from social insurance all come into my bank account. In the application, it says how much money do you have in savings. What is its meaning? I have 2 saving accounts. Should I add the total amount of money? what documents are required for a short visa application? I don’t spend much money in my country. This is because I am working in a hotel beside my home about 5 minutes away, so no need for transportation and complimentary dedicated meals at the employee restaurant. I live with my mother in a wonderful home she makes payments for all living expenses so I feel good for my life in Egypt.
Hi Abdalla! You can mention that you have 6 nights complimentary at the Four Seasons in your cover letter. Also, attach a letter or booking confirmation from the hotel. Yes. Add the savings from both accounts and mention that amount in your application. Then mention that you have two savings accounts in your cover letter and provide 6-month bank statements from both bank accounts. You will have to explain in your cover letter why your monthly expense are low. Provide a copy of house ownership from your mother as well.
hi, your blog is quite detailed and helpful, I am a self-employed lawyer, planning to travel to the UK in Feb after my 6-month bank statement is complete. I have been consistently saving and depositing money into my bank account as per standard, however, most of my transactions were in the form of cash deposits about 80% of them, rest are bank transfers. My question is do I need proof for each of that cash deposits? some of them or none of them? Won’t the assumption be enough that my profession is a lawyer and receive mostly cash from hundreds of clients I consolidate them and deposit them 2 or 3 times a month?
Hi Ali! Yes, based on your profession, ECO may expect that you would receive payments in cash. But they would also expect to see if you indeed received that money from your clients. I believe you will have some form of proof for the payments received, such as a contract, invoice or receipt. You can attach those as proofs.
I want to invite my parents to UK and will sponsor their complete trip. Still, I need to show the bank statements of my father? He runs a cash-based business, however, he has savings in his account. What I should write in the cover letter? He doesn’t have any business registration. Could you please respond, will appreciate :)
Hi Nidhi! Unfortunately, just showing savings is not enough. He will have to show the source of those funds. It’s difficult to prove if the source of funds is a cash-based business. The best you can do is to provide as much documentation as possible to prove that he runs a cash-based business, the source of the funds in his bank is his cash-based business and he owns properties/investments in his country. This will help convince the ECO that he will return back to his country after his UK trip. Apart from that, having decent travel history to visa-difficult countries such as UK, US, Canada, Schengen, etc. will help take some of that weight off of his financial requirements.
Hi, I am sponsoring my brother and his family for a UK visitor visa. While uploading the documents on VFS, what should I upload in finance evidence as my brother doesn’t have enough money in his account? I am already uploading my bank statements in the sponsor evidence category. Shall I upload my bank statements in finance evidence? Will that work? Or should we also upload his bank statements given there is no saving in his account? Awaiting for your response.
Hi Nidhi! You will have to upload his bank statements for financial evidence. He doesn’t have to have great savings since you are sponsoring him. But his statements must show a sufficient amount to support himself or buy a ticket back home in case you decide not to support him after he lands in the UK. I’m not saying you will not support him while he is in the UK, but this happens quite a lot. So the UKVI is very strict about the financial situation of the applicant even if they have a sponsor.
Hi Thirumal, very well explained. Thank you. I would like to sponsor my mother-in-law to UK. My mother-in-law has a saving account where she has a regular income from rent. She also has a fixed deposit (fd) account. Does she need to show the source of fund for it as well? If so how, because she has deposited in it long back
Hi Aathi! Well, not really necessary. But it all depends on the ECO. If your mother-in-law’s income from rent meets the financial requirements necessary for her visa, I suggest not showing or mentioning her FD in the application. This will eliminate any questions arising from the source of funds of her FD. But if she will have to mention her FD, I suggest explaining the source of funds for her FD in the cover letter.
QN1. During applying do I submit only and all original documents or photocopied ones (passport, id)? QN2. What do you mean by numbers on the bank statements, income tax documents, and invoices? QN3. Do these criteria apply when applying for tourist visas to other countries like USA, Canada, Australia, And how much is required to be spent in those countries per day?
Hi Fortunetours! To answer your questions – Q1. You will submit only “photocopies”. Q2. If you are employed, your salary should match your employment letter, payslips, bank statements and tax records. For example, your employment letter says that you earn £24,000 per year before taxes. Then your monthly salary slip should reflect that, about £2,000 per salary slip every month. This amount should also reflect in your bank statements, about £2,000 deposited every month and finally, your tax records should reflect your yearly taxable income, which is £24,000. So in conclusion, if you manipulate or forge documents for the visa, you will be caught. ECOs are trained, so they can analyze the documents and figure out any manipulations. If you have additional income, you will have to have proper documentation to prove that. If not, do not mention that additional income in the visa application. Q3. No. This is financial requirement applies only to UK visitor visa application.
Hi there! My visitor visa has been refused. I feel disheartened but going to apply again. I’ve waited 8 weeks for a decision and I am supposed to leave in 4 weeks. I made the mistake of only sending immigration the money in my savings account which is not the same account my monthly earnings go into. In my new application since we can’t make lump sum deposits. Would I show bank statements for my daily account and my savings account (which is with another bank). My mom has offered to sponsor my trip as well. My flights are already booked and paid for. If she is sponsoring part of my trip do I send her bank statements as well as mine? Any help would be greatly appreciated
Hi Teneille! The numbers you mention in your UK visa application must match your bank statements. Therefore, you must provide all the bank statements related to your claimed earnings and savings. If you have enough earnings and savings, there is no need to use your mom’s sponsorship. If you introduce your mom on your application, you will have to provide a whole lot of documentation including her bank statements and employment (the source of her funds). Therefore, seek sponsorship from your mom only if necessary.
If we have a bulk amount which genuinely transferred to the account and if we can show the source of the fund clearly is that ok to apply for a visit visa using that fund?
Hi Sameera! Yeah, absolutely. As long as you explain and provide documentary evidence of the large deposit, you will be fine.
Hi. Thank you so much for your good information here. I’m on a skilled worker visa, and I have applied for a visit visa for my father-in-law. He is self-employed and we her business provided the following documents in the application:
– Bank Statement
– Official Business License related to my business
– business tenancy agreement for store and storage
– Pension/insurance payment confirmation letter However, the application was refused for the following reasons: “1)Whilst I note you have submitted various business documents, the documents you have submitted do not demonstrate that your business generates any income. The documents you have submitted do not demonstrate you are in receipt of any income from your business. 2) After reviewing your bank documents, I note the transaction history demonstrates numerous unsourced deposits. The documents you have submitted do not demonstrate the origin of the funds contained in your account or that they are related to your business. ” I think the decision is unreasonable. As these reasons are proof of each other! I’m going to apply for a pre-action protocol letter. Do you think there is any chance for change in the decision?
Hi Kana! Even though those two reasons are proof of each other, PAP will usually be refused in such cases. What they would like to see is an intermediary document. For employment, there are payslips. For business, there must be something similar. These can be invoices, receipts, payment confirmations, client contracts, etc. These receipts/invoices work as intermediary documents between business registration and business bank statements. Without these receipts/invoices, the deposits in the business bank account will look like unsourced deposits. And, of course, the business and transaction details must match between all these documents.
Good job Mr. My company is sponsoring my trip to the UK. Do I still need to provide my bank statement? If I have to, I have two accounts with the same bank. One is for my salary and the other is for my savings. And I have up to a million in naira (personally). What can you advise me on? Thanks!
HI Olurunwa! Even if you are traveling for business, ECOs emphasize the applicant’s personal circumstances. Therefore, proving your personal financial capability is important. You will have to provide both of your personal accounts. Make sure neither of these accounts has large deposits of cash that you cannot prove with evidence.
Thank you for your informative blog! My husband and I are South African citizens applying for a visa to visit family in the UK in December. We have a joint account that holds our savings but the account is in my husband’s name. We both have access to the account at any time. Should we transfer this money to each of our accounts for now? Or just mention it in our cover letter with proof of the money in the accounts?
Hi Denise! Do not transfer any cash from your husband’s savings account. This can get complicated and requires explanation and evidence. You haven’t mentioned if you both are employed or just your husband. If you both are employed then you use your salary accounts for each of your applications combined with your husband’s savings account.
Hi, I want to apply for uk visit visa for 6 months from Bahrain ( I am a Pakistani national living in Bahrain). I have a good salary and a regular income. But I do community savings. So my saving is in my community and I can withdraw my money from the head of the community whenever I want. Now I want to travel to the UK in November. so can I just take my money from the community saving and specify in my cover letter while applying that this money is from community savings?
Hi Muhammad! Just mentioning it in your cover letter will not be enough. You will have to provide evidence. If the community provides any kind of passbook or statement, or even an official letter, you can submit that.
Good afternoon, (I already had a 6-month visa for the UK) if my passport expires in 2026, it is true that I cannot apply for the 5-year visa due to the expiration date. Do I apply for the 2 years? I would like to go there every time I can travel through Europe.
Hi Alexandra. No, it’s not true. Also, you have about 4 years on your current passport, so you can apply for a 5-year visa. After your current passport expires, you can still travel to the UK but you will have to carry your current and new passports together. Or you can opt to have then transfer your visa to your new passport for a fee in 2026.
Hi Thirumal! I have read your article and you are amazing. I work in Dubai, but my company doesn’t provide NOC to its employees and my salary is $950 but saves $450 every month for the last 6 months. My brother is inviting me to the UK in December. But my residence visa will expire in January 2023. In 2010, I got rejected in Ghana, when he was inviting me and my mom to attend his inauguration ceremony and was given an appeal, but I ignored it. My question is;
1) Since my UAE residence visa is going to expire in January 2023, is it possible for me to apply in October, with the entry month being December?
2) Do I have to add my bank statement, though he’s sponsoring everything?
3) Do I have to inform them about my last rejection?
4) Since my company is not issuing NOC, can I apply without any rejection?
Hi Fiifi! 1) If your residence permit is expiring in Jan 2023 and you plan to travel to the UK in Oct 2022, your visa will likely be refused. You will have to first renew your UAE residence permit in that case.
2) Yes. You must add your bank statements even if your brother is sponsoring your trip. This is to prove that you can support yourself in case your brother decides not to support you after you land in the UK.
3) Yes. You will have to mention your previous UK visa refusal in your application form.
4) NOC is not mandatory. But you will somehow have to prove your employment and also that you will still have employment when you return. Usually, this can be done with an employment letter and a leave approval letter. If you can’t either of them, then it can lead to visa refusal.
Hi sir, thanks for the good information. Kindly guide me. I have a UK visitor visa refusal with the family reason of big transactions. Now I clear all confusion to the embassy officer on a written cover letter but when I apply for the first time, I provided a bank statement of 6 months. Now can I provide 3-month bank statements of savings and current account?
Hi Saloni! 6-month bank statements are recommended but you can submit 3-month statements too. But keeping in mind your previous refusal on the grounds of large transactions, I suggest submitting 6-month otherwise, ECO may assume that you are hiding something.
Hello Thirumal. Thanks for your insightful responses. In my case, I am self-employed and I have a brother who is a UK resident willing to sponsor my trip. He owns his house and will also accommodate me for the duration of my stay which is 3 weeks, also my flights and maintenance. My monthly income after conversion is about £330 pounds. But over the course of 6 months, I haven’t had sufficient savings for the trip, due to heavy expenses and my brother just decided to invite me over last month. But he is sponsoring my entire trip and providing his bank statements to prove he can afford to. I hope to travel in 2 months, and I’m now looking to save in the next 2 months consistently about £600 of my own money. Will there be any issues with my own financials? Please advise me on what to do. Thanks.
Hi Matthew! The savings must be consistent over the months. That’s why you will provide 6-month bank statements. If ECOs notice that you haven’t saved for 4 months and suddenly you are saving up your entire salary, it would look suspicious. Since your brother is sponsoring you, you don’t need to meet the financial requirements mentioned in this article. Just make sure your savings are consistent and you will be fine.
Hello, I am applying for a visa for my PLAB 2 exam in November. I currently don’t have a job so I was thinking about a financial supporter or a money gift to support my visit. If the gifted money covers my stay in the UK, will it be a better option than financial support as the money is already in my account? Will I need to provide a 6-month bank statement for my financial provider? If the money stays in my account from now till November that’s about 4 months will this solve my problem.
Hi Hadeer! Seek sponsorship instead of gift money. Gift money will most likely get your visa refused. Even if you receive gift money and wait out 4 months, still your beginning balance will be high with no monthly income, your visa will likely be refused. I covered all these points in detail in this article. So, your best best is to seek sponsorship from an immidiate family member such as parent, sibling or spouse living either in your home country or in the UK.
Hello Thirumal, thank you for all your detailed guides and responses. I am planning for a standard visitor visa for my Plab 2 exam in the UK in February 2023. But unfortunately, neither I nor any of my immediate family members have sufficient funds in their bank accounts. My close cousin has sufficient funds in his account and is willing to sponsor me. Will this affect the chances of getting the visa? Is there some specific way to show personal/professional relationship with sponsor? Moreover one of my cousins who is a UK citizen is also willing to sponsor me. Please guide. Your response will be greatly appreciated.
Hi Ajeet! You can seek sponsorship from either your cousin in your country or your cousin in the UK. You have to provide proof of relationship. Usually, it’s easy to proof of relationship for immediate family members but for cousins, it can be difficult.
Hi, thanks a lot for sharing this valuable information with us. Some questions for your kind support. My elder child is studying in UK on a student visa. We, the parents and the younger child need to visit her under a tourist visa.
Q1 If both parents together sponsoring the full trip how should we produce the sponsor letters?
Q2 Sponsor letter has to be attached with each application?
Q3.Does each application need a covering letter mentioning companions?
Q4.Do we need to mention about the child who is learning there in the covering letter?
Hi Mak! Q1) For your application, you will submit a cover letter and a sponsor letter from your wife. Similarly, for your wife’s application, she will submit a cover letter and a sponsor letter from you. For your younger child’s application, both of you will write one sponsor letter with two signatures.
Q2) Yes, especially if both of you are paying for the entire trip.
Q3) Yes. Each application must have a cover letter, mentioning the companions, sponsors, etc. Your companion details also need to be mentioned in your UK visa application.
Q4) Yes, since you are going to the UK to visit your elder child, you will mention about her in your application and cover letter.
Hello, your post is very informational. My father is self-employed and earns profit from the shop but in ITR we have to show earnings from interest and FD, etc, How do I prove that income in the visa application? He has FD in 5-6 different banks, Indian post, etc. Do I have to add statements of accounts of all 5 banks? Please help.
Hi Pavitra! Primarily you will have to provide his business proofs and 6-month personal bank statement. If the numbers in his ITR are not matching with his business income since it also includes his FD income, then yes, you will have to add statements from all of those 5 banks. But these can be just a one-month statement or bank certificates.
Hi, thank you for your kind gesture in replying to comments and questions. Please I’m due to deliver in September and my husband and I want to invite my mother in law over for visiting. I’m on a tier 2 skilled worker visa. We plan to fully sponsor her trip, in my bank account I have about £5,500 and my husband has about £1,500 in his. Please is that enough to sponsor her for 6 weeks? Also, my husband recently sent about 1,000,000 naira to my father-in-law and my father-in-law decided to send it to my mother-in-law’s account. She’ll be using her bank account statement for the visa purpose, please will that be an issue? My father-in-law is going to write a letter of consent for his wife and also show his landed property too. Just to add my mother-in-law is a housewife so no monthly income. But my father-in-law also doesn’t have a good bank statement to present for her visa purpose. Please I will need your kind advice on whether we are good to go with my above expectations. Looking forward to your reply, thank you so much.
Hi Peace! The savings you and your husband have should be fine for sponsoring your mother-in-law. But depositing cash in your father-in-law’s or mother-in-law’s account would pose a problem. ECOs do not usually like large cash deposits other than their salary. I have explained that in this article. If your mother-in-law is a housewife and doesn’t have her own income, I suggest using your father-in-law’s bank statements. They don’t need to be perfect since you are sponsoring her visa, but they should not have large cash deposits other than his salary. Your father-in-law can provide his consent, marriage certificate, bank statements, and land property to prove his ties. Any other proof showing that your father-in-law will remain at home during your mother-in-law’s trip will also help demonstrate her family ties.
Hi Thirumal, Here is my circumstance Closing balance from salary account 3,600GBP
Travel expenses (airfare inclusive) = 2,000GBP
Personal saving account = 5,200GBP Visited UK 4 times and USA once; As a logistics manager. there are funds paid into my salary account for outstations logistics expenses and others by my company. These fund deposits made my account statement looks a bit complicated. What are my chances for a successful application? Is there something I can do about my statement aside using a cover letter for explanation
Hi Emmanuel! Cover letter is the only option. Make sure you explain all “non-salary” deposits along with documentary proofs. You can also briefly mention about them in your “extra information” section in your UK visa application.
I have 4,600,000 in my personal account. My UK trip expenses are 2M. Should I remove the excess from my account or leave it there? Hope it will not be queried.
Hi Sowemimo! You must leave the excess. Your UK trip expenses must be less than half of your savings. 2M is less than half of 4.6M. So your numbers and balances are correct. If you remove any cash, your total balance will fall. This may lead to your expenses becoming more than half of your savings, which would jeopardize your chances of approval.
Hi Thirumal, thanks for sharing very useful info on the UK visa. I am applying for a tourist visa for myself and my wife, whose entire travel costs I will sponsor. We will be traveling to the UK as tourists and also be visiting our daughter who is currently studying in the UK. My queries are: 1) My wife is a homemaker with no regular income but she has savings in a scheduled cooperative bank- would that be acceptable as proof of savings and hence should her application state that I am the sponsor? 2) Should we declare that we will be staying with our daughter, though we may actually opt to stay in a B&B when in the place she currently resides? Elsewhere during our visit, she would also be accompanying us. In that case, will an invitation letter be necessary? Many thanks in advance. 3) What documents would be needed from my employer? 4) Will bank statements, payslips and ITR for 3 years be sufficient documents or should property documents also be submitted?
Hi KSharad! (1) If your wife is a homemaker, do not show her own bank statements. Instead, show your own bank statements for her. Since you both will be traveling together and you will be taking care of her expenses as well, just showing your own bank statements for her would be sufficient. If you show her cooperative bank statement, then the ECO might want to see the source of those funds. Then it can get complicated. (2) If your income and savings are sufficient enough to stay in a hotel, I suggest saying that you will stay in a hotel/B&b. If you mention that you will stay with your daughter, then you must produce her flat/house lease agreement and utility bill. You can add a letter of invitation from your daughter which will work as proof of your purpose for the trip. You can also add a copy of her passport and UK study visa/residence permit. (3) You would need a letter of employment indicating your current role, how long you have been employed, your salary, your job duties, etc. And a letter of leave approval indicating your leave details, dates and the date on which you must report back to your job. (4) If you own any properties, submit those as well. Properties and investments work as economic ties with your country. Similarly, if you are renting, then you can provide a rental contract. Here is the list of documents you both must provide
– Your employment letter
– Your leave approval letter
– Your bank statements
– Your property ownership documents
– Your daughter’s birth certificate (proof of relationship)
– Your daughter’s passport ID page
– Your daughter’s UK visa or residence permit
– Your daughter’s university letter or ID (proof that she is studying in the UK)
– A cover letter Provide these extra documents for your wife’s application
– Your marriage certificate (proof of relationship)
– A sponsor letter from you
