Maintenance Funds - Black/White Letterhead

[amuk]

Hi all,

My bank printed the statement in black/white - no colors. They seem to print the letterhead (logo and name) _along with_ the statement and not on pre-printed letterheads.

When I asked them to print it on a pre-printed stationary, they said they don't do it this way.

The date I paid was December 22nd.

I ended up asking for:
1. bank statement in black/white (signed and stamped) from September 1st to date December 27th.

2. a certificate printed on a color letterhead confirming that the minimum balance is XX (where XX is the amount in my currency and is more than 2800 GBP according to oanda.com on December 22nd)

My question to all experts: would that work?

Thank you!

Edit: bank statements I receive at home are fully colored and on very nice paper. But for that, I'll have to wait for about a month.

[amuk]

Anyone please?

[push]

What is your current VISA status and where are you applying from?

[amuk]

Thank you for your reply, push.

I'm applying for T1G from outside of the UK.

Barely made it before the 23 Dec. deadline.

[push]

Thank you for your reply, push.

I'm applying for T1G from outside of the UK.

Barely made it before the 23 Dec. deadline.

You have already submitted the application so there is no point in stressing out about it. Even if people tell you that you would be OK, you wont get any real comfort unless you see the final outcome. So, relax and wait for the decision.

[amuk]

You have already submitted the application so there is no point in stressing out about it.

Totally agree. But I haven't submitted supporting evidence yet. =)

My appointment is set for the 9th of January where I'll submit biometric and supporting evidence.

[push]

You have already submitted the application so there is no point in stressing out about it.

Totally agree. But I haven't submitted supporting evidence yet. =)

My appointment is set for the 9th of January where I'll submit biometric and supporting evidence.

Oh, so you applied online? From which country?
Suggest you get a letter from the Bank to say that the funds in the last three months remained above the min required amount at all times.

If the above is not possible then as long as the B/W statements that you are submitting are on official letterhead/stationery you should be fine.The guidance notes say:

Ad hoc bank statements printed on the bank’s letterhead/stationery are admissible as evidence (this excludes mini-statements from cash points)

UKBA has a clear requirement:

All statements must be on the bank’s letterhead/official stationery

[rizwan567]

You should be alright. It is not mentioned in the guidance notes that bank statement should be on colour letterheaded paper.

[amuk]

Many, many thanks for your valuable inputs and apologies for the late reply.

@push: Yes, I applied online on December 22nd from outside of the UK.

Suggest you get a letter from the Bank to say that the funds in the last three months remained above the min required amount at all times.

If the above is not possible then as long as the B/W statements that you are submitting are on official letterhead/stationery you should be fine.

You should be alright. It is not mentioned in the guidance notes that bank statement should be on colour letterheaded paper.

The consensus seems to be I'll be alright. But posts like this keep me worried. :\

While my statement is not on dot-matrix, it's also not on an "official-looking" stationery. As said, it's not pre-printed, but rather seems to be printed along with the statement itself using a monochrome laser printer. It does hold the bank name and logo though.

I've tried to push for a better statement as well as the letter stating the minimum balance during the 4-month period the preceded my date of payment. I'll be visiting the bank tomorrow to collect these documents and will report back here!

---

Meanwhile, I am also considering using another account: a "money market fund." (MMF)

MMF's do not invest in stocks and are basically as safe as savings accounts; they don't go down. I can also withdraw funds on any business day.

Is that something I should avoid using for maintenance funds? Can I use it along with my savings account as evidence?

Thank you!

[amuk]

I'll be visiting the bank tomorrow to collect these documents and will report back here!

Thank you for your patience. I would really appreciate your inputs!

I just got the following:
(again, paid online on 22 December, 2010)

1. Monochrome, printed statement from 1 Aug, 2010 to 4 Jan. 2011 with a balance equivalent to more than 2800 GBP according to Oanda historical currency conversion. The black/white statement is stamped and signed by branch manager. Stamp holds the bank logo and name. Also, printed in black and white at the top of the page is the bank logo and its full name. There are no contacts details on this page.

2. A color letter on official stationery, signed and stamped by branch manager, addressed to "UK Border Agency" and dated "4 January, 2010." The header holds the bank logo and name, and the footer holds full the address and contact info. There is no mention of the account number on this paper.

The letter states:

We hereby certify that Mr. X Y Z maintains an account at XYZBank - XYZArea branch.

A Saving account with minimum balance at last four months is XYZ XXXX (only X Y Z) as closing balance of 03/01/2011.

Attached is an authorized copy of the official bank statement for the same period.

This certificate is issued upon our client's request with no responsibility on our part.

XYZBank
XYZArea Branch
[sign and stamp]

I hope this gives you an idea of what I have on hand. I would really appreciate your inputs; do you see any problems with this combination? If so, can I use the statement (#1) only? Can I use the letter (#2) only?

I do have other options if this won't be a safe evidence. But I'm afraid my other option is a "money market fund" (see desc. above) which I see no rules or guidance about.

Thank you once again!

[amuk]

Thoughts anyone? Much appreciated.

[push]

Thoughts anyone? Much appreciated.

You should be fine.

[amuk]

You should be fine.

That is re-assuring. Thank you very much, push and rizwan567.

[amuk]

Some developments thought I'd share:

1. I just amended the letter with the account number. Hopefully, this will be sufficient.

2. Additionally, I requested another letter from another bank for a 'money market fund'. The letter does not mention that it is a money market fund and does have all requirements of a 'confirmation letter'. Only, instead of 'savings' [account], it says 'day by day' (i.e. daily interest)

I am inclined to use both as evidence (or maybe as primary and secondary evidence):
1. Signed and stamped black/white statement with headed, signed/stamped and colored supporting letter confirming minimum balance, and

2. Headed, signed and stamped color letter confirming minimum balance for the "day by day" account.

If anyone has suggestions (or objections), please let me know. I'd greatly appreciate it.