Tier1(General)|UK Degree and Currency Conversion-Help Req

[Korey]

Hi All - First of all I apologise for having to open a new topic for my questions - I could not find matching results for my degree related question anywhere in this thread. I have been following on the topics for almost 3 months and since its just abt the time to apply did not want to miss out from clarifying. I would be very grateful to anyone who can help/guide me on the 3 clarifications I require.

1) I hold a UK Master's degree and I am using this for claiming points for qualification. Since the points calculator automatically picks up this course for my english requirement, I have decided to use this for my english requirement as well (Although my under graduation degree has been certified by NARIC as equivalent to UK honours and the university is listed in the drop down for english requirement, it wont let me claim 10 points during the calculation for some reason). I also intend to claim 5 points for my UK experinece with the same master's degree used for qualification (I am getting a separate letter from the university to confirm start and end dates of the course, also mentioning that it was full time)

Now my question is, would it be sufficient if I mention that I have attached the degree certifcate in the qualifications section, while writing the covering letter for english requirement and UK experience? Please clarify

2) Secondly I wanted to confirm on the currency conversion during the previous earnings points calculation for Overseas salary (India in my case). Are we supposed to convert the gross salary of every month to Pounds and total it up and do the adjustment (multiply by 5.3) or would it be the sum of the gross for 12 months INR salary and then conversion and adjustment. The reason I am asking is because i am able to claim 45 points if I do it using the first method, or if done with total I get 40 points. So which is the right way of doing it ? Please clarify

3) Finally I have seen a couple of posts in the forum about the maintenance Funds, where people mention that for Indian applicants this should not overlap with salary period . So advising to show salary for a 12 month period and show the maint funds for a separate 3 month perid. making it 15 months in all.

I am showing my maintenence funds in the same account where my salary gets credited and plan to show the salary for a perid between July2007 and June 2008. For the maintenance funds, I am showing the 2800 pounds to be in my account for the period between April 8th till July 20th (Say I plan to apply before 27th) .

Would this be fine since I have a 2.5 months overlap with my salary period. I do not see anything like this mentioned in the guidelines for Tier 1, which is why I wanted to confirm it with someone who has obtained the Visa. Please clarify.

Many Thanks for u'r time and support!!!

Looking forward for any reply/guidance

Korey

[CoolestGuyC]

Now my question is, would it be sufficient if I mention that I have attached the degree certifcate in the qualifications section, while writing the covering letter for english requirement and UK experience? Please clarify

Yes.

2) Secondly I wanted to confirm on the currency conversion during the previous earnings points calculation for Overseas salary (India in my case). Are we supposed to convert the gross salary of every month to Pounds and total it up and do the adjustment (multiply by 5.3) or would it be the sum of the gross for 12 months INR salary and then conversion and adjustment. The reason I am asking is because i am able to claim 45 points if I do it using the first method, or if done with total I get 40 points. So which is the right way of doing it ? Please clarify

Read Tier 1 policy guidance notes (paragraph 112):

112. An applicant should use the closing spot exchange rate on the OANDA website at http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic on the last day of the period for which he/she has claimed earnings in that currency. This is an independent website, for which we are not responsible.

3) Finally I have seen a couple of posts in the forum about the maintenance Funds, where people mention that for Indian applicants this should not overlap with salary period .So advising to show salary for a 12 month period and show the maint funds for a separate 3 month perid. making it 15 months in all.

There is no such requirement. If VFS India says you have to show past 15 months' statements, it doesn't mean that 12 months should be "past earnings" and next 3 months should be maintenance funds.

I am showing my maintenence funds in the same account where my salary gets credited and plan to show the salary for a perid between July2007 and June 2008. For the maintenance funds, I am showing the 2800 pounds to be in my account for the period between April 8th till July 20th (Say I plan to apply before 27th) .Would this be fine since I have a 2.5 months overlap with my salary period. I do not see anything like this mentioned in the guidelines for Tier 1, which is why I wanted to confirm it with someone who has obtained the Visa. Please clarify.

What you are planning to do is perfectly ok, and your understanding of rules is also correct. Salary period can definitely overlap with maintenance funds period(and in fact there are very few people whose maintenance funds period and salary period do not overlap).

[Korey]

Hi CoolestGuyC,
Thanks a lot for u'r prompt response on this topic. I was travelling, so could not reply on time. OK I only have one question leaft in my mind now.. For my second question you had asked me to read paragraph 112

112. An applicant should use the closing spot exchange rate on the OANDA website at http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic on the last day of the period for which he/she has claimed earnings in that currency. This is an independent website, for which we are not responsible.

So I am assuming that i should calculate the gross Indian salary for the 12 month period and total it first then do the conversion based on last month's conversion rate, then do the adjustment (multiply by 5.3)??

Sorry that i am confirming this again, because there are two things involved, one is the conversion and other is adjustment. So am I OK to proced in the above specified way.

Again I really appreciate your time

Thanks

Karthik

[CoolestGuyC]

So I am assuming that i should calculate the gross Indian salary for the 12 month period and total it first then do the conversion based on last month's conversion rate, then do the adjustment (multiply by 5.3)??

Sorry that i am confirming this again, because there are two things involved, one is the conversion and other is adjustment. So am I OK to proced in the above specified way.

Yes your understanding is correct. Use conversion rate on last day of earning.

[Korey]

Thanks again..u'r help and promptness makes me feel really as if i have someone to ask for help right here..will keep this post going with all updates of my application. hoping to do it by first week of August , as I am awaiting 1 letter from my UK Uni....

Thanks

Karthik