Something new and strange, i think ! (Tier 1 General)

[jagmanziz]

Dear all

In March 2010 i applied for Tier 1 General. I had made an in person appointment at the home office and they refused me a visa because the amount on my payslips and the amount on my bank statements did not match (though i had earned more than what i had claimed for on my application). In May before my IGS ran out i once again made an in person appointment and got my Tier 1 visa stamped, however because of the new guidelines which came into effect after 6 April 2010 i had to show higher earnings (I received two big bonuses from my employer)

BUT yesterday the company chartered accountants got a call from the immigration investigation department/team enquiring where the company is based and where this employee (who has earned high bonuses is based), When said that all queries will be answered if they leave their details they declined! When i was informed of this incident i spoke to my employer and he hasn't got a clue why they had called.

Can any one please advice why they called and why after about two months of issuing the visa ? Also is my visa related to 'how well the company is performing' or how good is the company with the HMRC payments? Please let me know if I need to prepare any documents inorder to give them an explanation?

[push]

Dear all

In March 2010 i applied for Tier 1 General. I had made an in person appointment at the home office and they refused me a visa because the amount on my payslips and the amount on my bank statements did not match (though i had earned more than what i had claimed for on my application). In May before my IGS ran out i once again made an in person appointment and got my Tier 1 visa stamped, however because of the new guidelines which came into effect after 6 April 2010 i had to show higher earnings (I received two big bonuses from my employer)

BUT yesterday the company chartered accountants got a call from the immigration investigation department/team enquiring where the company is based and where this employee (who has earned high bonuses is based), When said that all queries will be answered if they leave their details they declined! When i was informed of this incident i spoke to my employer and he hasn't got a clue why they had called.

Can any one please advice why they called and why after about two months of issuing the visa ? Also is my visa related to 'how well the company is performing' or how good is the company with the HMRC payments? Please let me know if I need to prepare any documents inorder to give them an explanation?

Could have been a routine scrutiny or instigated because of unusually high (as you claim it is) bonus. As long as you did not falsify the documents, you should not have any reason to worry.

[Vitavi]

When you said 'big bonuses', what figure did you mean? I also received a bonus in March of £5000 and claimed it as part of my earnings when applying for Tier 1 G. Does that mean i could be a subject for investigation too?

[jagmanziz]

Thanks for the reply push. Nothing is falsified, somehow managed to get to know that the company though is not trading at the moment is paying all taxes to the HMRC in instalments, i probably got worried because the company i work for did not pay me for the following two months as they had already given me big bonuses. I will start getting paid from this month onwards again. Also the company is operational since the past 9 months or so and still are establishing themselves to sell their eco friendly products and have hired me for marketing. I wonder whether the immigration department are enquiring because of these not so usual pay patterns?

[jagmanziz]

I was once paid GBP 7000 in March and GBP 8000 again in May.

[ukswus]

Dear all

In March 2010 i applied for Tier 1 General. I had made an in person appointment at the home office and they refused me a visa because the amount on my payslips and the amount on my bank statements did not match (though i had earned more than what i had claimed for on my application). In May before my IGS ran out i once again made an in person appointment and got my Tier 1 visa stamped, however because of the new guidelines which came into effect after 6 April 2010 i had to show higher earnings (I received two big bonuses from my employer)

BUT yesterday the company chartered accountants got a call from the immigration investigation department/team enquiring where the company is based and where this employee (who has earned high bonuses is based), When said that all queries will be answered if they leave their details they declined! When i was informed of this incident i spoke to my employer and he hasn't got a clue why they had called.

Can any one please advice why they called and why after about two months of issuing the visa ? Also is my visa related to 'how well the company is performing' or how good is the company with the HMRC payments? Please let me know if I need to prepare any documents inorder to give them an explanation?

What I don't like is that if "immigration investigation departments" start harassing UK companies even in straightforward cases like this, that may discourage them from employing Tier 1 applicants in the first place.

[jagmanziz]

Can anyone please give some advice on this?

[innocentdevil]

I do not think you should be worried at all. during my extension I was working in a company like a donkey but got paid high salary for 6 months and they didn't complain.

you have the visa now. like others said, if there isn't any malice in your application then just chill. If they would be bothered, they would call again and if they think you have done something wrong, they will call you as well. So, let them take the headache, not you.

[vinata]

There is no need for any advice. I belive the HO got suspicios about your case because your bonuses matched the exact amount required to qualify to Tier 1 visa and because your company was not well established at the time of the bonuses. However, if your company is fully backing you up, there is nothing that the HO can do. Bonuses are an allowable form of qualified income, so you should be fine.

If there were a formal investigastion going on, the HO would have left their contact details and requested some further information. Since this hasn't happened, i believe, they were simply testing the ground. You are an employee of your organisation, so don't worry. If your company happens to receive a formal letter confirming investigation process, then it will get more serious.

[jagmanziz]

thanks!

[d1o]

Regarding bonuses, just a few questions:

For Tier 1 visa purposes, how is a bonus supposed to reflect on your documents. Say your month's salary is £2000 a month (£1500 after tax) and you get a £5000 bonus (£4000 after tax) for the same month, is your bank statement supposed to show a single payment of £5500 for the month or two seperate payments of £1500 and £4000. Same question applies to the payslip as well. Does the bonus need to be identified as a bonus on the payslip?

Also, say I started a second job in June. however due to some error on the company part, my june salary did not get into my account on 30/06. rather it went in on 01/07. can I still claim that as june earning as I will be getting another payment on 31/7 (basically two payments in the month of july)

[push]

Regarding bonuses, just a few questions:

For Tier 1 visa purposes, how is a bonus supposed to reflect on your documents. Say your month's salary is £2000 a month (£1500 after tax) and you get a £5000 bonus (£4000 after tax) for the same month, is your bank statement supposed to show a single payment of £5500 for the month or two seperate payments of £1500 and £4000. Same question applies to the payslip as well. Does the bonus need to be identified as a bonus on the payslip?

Also, say I started a second job in June. however due to some error on the company part, my june salary did not get into my account on 30/06. rather it went in on 01/07. can I still claim that as june earning as I will be getting another payment on 31/7 (basically two payments in the month of july)

HO is not bothered about the breakdown of amount as long as figures on the payslip & the bank statements corroborate each other.

[d1o]

HO is not bothered about the breakdown of amount as long as figures on the payslip & the bank statements corroborate each other.

Thanks, but will it matter if my June payslip is dated 30/6/10, but the June salary only reflected in my account on 01/7/10 (the next day)?

[jagmanziz]

It should not matter! , but it is always good to have the date of payslip generated and the date of your salary/income been paid into your bank account to be the same or at least in the same week.

If you have this flexibility of requesting your employer accountant / HR to match the dates then it would be keep your documents well in order.

[jagmanziz]

And also it is very important that amounts match all the time! ie the amount reflected on the payslip should be EXACTLY the same even on your bank statement.

[beecharmer1800bc]

And also it is very important that amounts match all the time! ie the amount reflected on the payslip should be EXACTLY the same even on your bank statement.

Hi jagmanziz,

I sent you 3 PMs and not received a reply.

I am keen on what we discussed, unless you don't want to take it forward.

Holla back mate

[jami]

Now a days new companies have been incorporated to issue documentation for salary for Tier 1 applicants. They are not paying income tax and national insurance. Home Office may have come to know this new scam. Hence investigating and may cancel leave in such cases.

[d1o]

Folks,

I need to be clarified on one thing. How many days difference could be considered as reasonable between the Payslip date and the date the money reflects on my account. I did ask this earlier on as June salary only got to my account on 01 July instead of 30 June. But my payslip for June is dated 30/6/10. The implication of this is that my account will show two payments for july.. 01 Jul for my late June salary and 30 July for my July salary. I hope this does not pose a problem as other months reflect on the account same date as on payslip and I cannot claim it is the pattern with my employer if you know what i mean.

Any advice please

[nm]

Folks,

I need to be clarified on one thing. How many days difference could be considered as reasonable between the Payslip date and the date the money reflects on my account. I did ask this earlier on as June salary only got to my account on 01 July instead of 30 June. But my payslip for June is dated 30/6/10. The implication of this is that my account will show two payments for july.. 01 Jul for my late June salary and 30 July for my July salary. I hope this does not pose a problem as other months reflect on the account same date as on payslip and I cannot claim it is the pattern with my employer if you know what i mean.

Any advice please

Hi
There wont be any issue on that part, its normally happens. Even in my case, the salary slip was generated on 30th and the salary credited on 1st. Its due to the bank holiday.

Home office will not take this as an issue, you can write it in your bank statement explaining this.