Urgent: Maintenance Funds for Switching Employers

[jonser]

Hi All,
My friend is in a bit of a fix and we need guidance. He is switching employers and is to start a new job in August. His employer has generated a COS for him but he just realised that he requires the maintenance funds of £945 to sit in his account for 90 days in order to submit the application which he doesn't have. Are we right in thinking that he needs the funds to sit in his account for 90 days or are people switching employers exempt from this?

If yes, what are his options at this point?

[jonser]

Further to this, can he be added on to my account as a co-signatory to show that he has access to the maintenance funds as a solution?

[jonser]

Anyone?

[sachinis100]

It doesn't work like that, Maintenance funds should be on Applicants name.

[jonser]

A joint account can be in the Applicant's name and mine

[CR001]

A joint account can be in the Applicant's name and mine

A spouse yes, a friend no.

[jonser]

A joint account can be in the Applicant's name and mine

A spouse yes, a friend no.

Hi CR001,
Thanks for your reply. I have just checked the guidance and under part 7 point 167 it states,
"If you wish to rely on a joint account as evidence of available funds, you must be named
on the account along with one or more other named individual(s)."

There is no specification that it has to be a spouse. In fact the wording there states, "...with one or more other named individual(s)" which suggests that up more than 2 people can be named on the account and one cannot have two spouses in the UK. Let me know if I have misread this.

[jonser]

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Some people have told us that he is exempt from needing to show maintenance funds as he already has leave to remain in the tier 2 category and he is in the UK so he will be automatically awarded 10 points for maintenance without needing to show maintenance funds in his account.

[saliame]

No Maintenance is required for switching, if the main applicant holds Tier 2.

Points awarded for maintenance
165. You will be awarded 10 points if:
• you currently have entry clearance, leave to enter, or leave to remain as a Tier 2 skilled
worker; or

[jonser]

No Maintenance is required for switching, if the main applicant holds Tier 2.

Points awarded for maintenance
165. You will be awarded 10 points if:
• you currently have entry clearance, leave to enter, or leave to remain as a Tier 2 skilled
worker; or

Many thanks...that's what I thought too.