# ILR advice re bank statements



## jaanep (Jul 29, 2013)

Hi all

I have my PEO appointment on Friday and have today gone through my paperwork again and realised the my bank statements for my debit card are missing. Grrr. Get sent my credit card statements in the post each month but debit card is only online and never really realised this. HSBC can't order/post the statements to me in time, so my question is do I cancel and book another appointment for a week's time or do I take the risk and go on Friday? 

I have all of my other documentation in order it is just this I am missing... I've just checked appointments and although I can't get one in Croydon before my current VISA expires I can get one in Liverpool so I'm willing to travel up there for the day. Alternatively I can go down the posting option but I am trying to avoid that.

My situation is that I am currently on UK Ancestry VISA and applying for ILR on the SETO form. My case is quite straight forward and I meet all of the criteria, just don't want to get turned down on a technicality. 

What are people's experience with the documentation? Do they actually check these bank statements? Or will payslips for the past 3 months suffice?

Advice would be appreciated.


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## wannagonow (Feb 13, 2011)

jaanep said:


> Hi all
> 
> _I have my PEO appointment on Friday and have today gone through my paperwork again and realised the my bank statements for my debit card are missing. Grrr. Get sent my credit card statements in the post each month but debit card is only online and never really realised this. HSBC can't order/post the statements to me in time, so my question is do I cancel and book another appointment for a week's time or do I take the risk and go on Friday?
> 
> ...




Hi jaanep!!

I hope this response isn't too late, but I have been told and have read in the guidance rules, (however, this is for ILR Set(M) settlement but this would probably pertain to general rules) that if you print your debit card bank statements off the internet, bring them to the bank and speak to a Customer Service Representative (not at the counter) and ask the representative to sign and date the statements and ask them to somehow indicate they are genuine documents, I would also ask if they have a bank stamp to affix to documents. I am missing a statement as well and will be doing the same. My appointment is on 02 Sept at Liverpool, I love that office, they are or were two years ago, lol, very friendly. 

Yes, they do check the bank statements....I am not sure if I am submitting three or six months of payslips....I have heard that some do three but others six and some Immigration Officers will ask for six but others settle for three. So confusing as to what is exactly needed. I would be on the safe side and do more, better safe than sorry, too much is better than not enough. I know, only problem is, it takes a lot more work to put the documents together and so much ink and paper!!! Oh well....

The best of luck to you...please keep us posted of the outcome, I know you will do fine


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## jaanep (Jul 29, 2013)

Hi

thanks for your reply! I did go to the branch this morning to see what they could supply, customer services and not the teller and they did print off what they could which wasn't official statements, no HSBC logo etc. To be honest it looked a bit dodgy and I wouldn't feel comfortable using just that as my documents. They said in they're experience customers need the official statements and I shouldn't risk it. 

They however have ordered the proper statements for me, much more helpful than the HSBC call centre who would not!

So have rebooked the appointment for the 12th August in Liverpool! Garr bit further from North London than Croydon but luckily there are some really cheap train tickets at the moment so probably costing me the same to travel to Liverpool than it is to Croydon  who knew?

Will keep you posted. Fingers crossed!

j


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## wannagonow (Feb 13, 2011)

Well, I wish you all the best. I have no idea what I will do at the moment regarding my missing statement. My bank also printed out (from the counter) a so called statement and you re right, looked a bit dodgy. I will need to figure what to do and possibly order one as well? I hate to as it costs £5 for one statement!!! Ridiculous. 

I am a nervous wreck and still need to take the life in the UK test  Lol, having trouble booking an appointment cos of last name, my ex-married name is on ID (Passport and Biometrics) but documents have my married name and so does my National Insurance card....more obstacles to overcome. Hope not a problem at the PEO. 

Well good luck on your appointment and please let me know the outcome....oh....celebrate in Liverpool!!! Lots of Beatles stuff, lol


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## Liz in UK (Jul 31, 2011)

My husband and I had to have a statement printed at the bank for my FLR(M) PEO appointment for one of our accounts as our most recent statement was older than 28 days. (For some reason the statements were only sent quarterly for that particular account.) Anyway, it was printed at the bank, then NatWest stamped it and signed it. We didn't have any issues with that statement two years ago, but the bulk of our funds were in a different account.


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## Liz in UK (Jul 31, 2011)

wannagonow said:


> I am a nervous wreck and still need to take the life in the UK test  Lol, having trouble booking an appointment cos of last name, my ex-married name is on ID (Passport and Biometrics) but documents have my married name and so does my National Insurance card....more obstacles to overcome. Hope not a problem at the PEO.


I just took my test last weekend. I finished it in about two minutes, and the test itself was actually a bit easier than the practice tests I had been taking. But I think I found it relatively easy because I genuinely enjoy history and knew the basics of the history stuff before I began to study, so I could concentrate a bit more on the things I had no idea about, like pop culture. As for the name stuff, I did overhear the moderator telling someone else that they can only accept a British marriage certificate as proof of a name change. So my guess is that if you booked the test using your BRP and that's in your maiden name and your proof of post code is your bank statement, in your married name, then you may be ok if you were married in the UK and bring your marriage certificate with you to show the name change. But I would do some research and make sure I'm right, as there were several people who were turned away from my testing centre for not having the correct documentation.

Best of luck to you!


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## wannagonow (Feb 13, 2011)

Liz in UK said:


> I just took my test last weekend. I finished it in about two minutes, and the test itself was actually a bit easier than the practice tests I had been taking. But I think I found it relatively easy because I genuinely enjoy history and knew the basics of the history stuff before I began to study, so I could concentrate a bit more on the things I had no idea about, like pop culture. As for the name stuff, I did overhear the moderator telling someone else that they can only accept a British marriage certificate as proof of a name change. So my guess is that if you booked the test using your BRP and that's in your maiden name and your proof of post code is your bank statement, in your married name, then you may be ok if you were married in the UK and bring your marriage certificate with you to show the name change. But I would do some research and make sure I'm right, as there were several people who were turned away from my testing centre for not having the correct documentation.
> 
> Best of luck to you!


Hi Liz in UK!!

Congrats on passing the Life in the UK test!!!

Thanks for the replies, I believe you are correct, there was a section in the Life in the UK testing centre site that listed info on questions people may have and it was mentioned that if a last name differs, due to marriage and name wasn't changed on ID, then a UK marriage certificate is ok to bring to test to prove name on proof of address. However, I did book my test for the 15th of August...they didn't record my middle name, I noticed it in my email correspondence from the testing centre. I should have put my middle name into the area where it said first name(s) as my ID has my first and middle name listed, can't remember how I filled the initial forms out when applied for Passport many years ago, lol...waiting for the testing centre to call me back as no one could answer my questions, grrrrrrr, they are taking their time to call me, I will call them before closing if I don't hear. This is so frustrating...I may post a new thread warning those not to wait to change their name if they have any more visa's to get...this is so frustrating and time consuming. 

As far as the bank statements go, I'll be making a visit to my bank this Friday, hopefully they will do the same for me as they did you...the last time I went, the counter person said they didn't have a bank stamp, who knows the reason. Either way, I'm seeing a customer service rep upstairs. Be glad when this is all over!!!

The best of luck to you, Liz and to jaanep!!!


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## bmerry8 (Aug 30, 2013)

My husband and I recently applied for a 5 year UK visa. We don't get paper statements any more either. But we booked an appointment to see an advisor in our (UK) bank and she printed off statements for us and signed, dated and stamped them with the bank's official stamp. It wasn't on headed paper but it had the official stamp and her signature, and she also kindly wrote us a little letter stating that that was indeed our account, how long we had had the account for and what the current balance was. We thought the lack of headed paper looked a little dodgy too, but it was all accepted by UKBA and we were granted the visa without a problem.


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