Although many documents are required for a UK visa, an important document which we are going to guide you about is the Bank Statement For UK Visa.
The UK is a destination with a lot of educational and job opportunities as well as many tourist attractions. As a result, thousands of students, job holders, and tourists from all over the world visit the UK each year.
Likewise, some people want to visit the UK, but they are confused about the process. The main reason for this confusion is that the UK does not provide proper guidelines about the requirements for a visa.
What is a Bank Statement?
A bank statement or an account statement is a document that contains the summarized information about the transactions of a month. This document is sent by the bank to the bank account holder and contains details about all the deposits and withdrawals during a month.
Simply put, the bank statement works as evidence to show that a person has sufficient funds to visit the UK.
How Much Bank Statement for UK Student Visa from Pakistan:
There are no specific guidelines about the financial status given by the UK visas and immigration UKVI.
However, after examining hundreds of refusals, we do have an idea about the sufficient income for a UK visit.
The UK is an expensive country and hence requires a lot of money.
ECOs Criteria:
The visa is refused or approved by the Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs), that observe whether a person has enough money to stay in the UK.
To approve or refuse the visa, they look at your visit’s total expense, your monthly income (which should be at least half of the UK visit’s expense), sufficient funds (which must be twice the expenses), and savings pattern (consistent savings for the visit)
Some Basic Requirements:
Following are some basic requirements that you must meet to approve your UK visa:
- To simplify, you must have at least half the income of your total UK visit expense.
- Also, your savings for the visit should be double the amount of the expected expense.
- There must be no large deposits of cash other than your salary. Otherwise, the ECOs may consider the money borrowed.
- The UKVI requires original documents. So, you should provide the original bank statement from the previous six months. A 6-month bank statement will tell them about your financial status.
- You must also save enough money to maintain your expenses for your UK stay or visit.
- Try to increase your savings every month.
- Do not use fake bank statements as the ECOs have the means to verify the authenticity of these documents. Such an act can lead to not only a refusal but a permanent ban from the UK.
UK Visa Fee From Pakistan:
The UK visa fee from Pakistan ranges according to the purpose of the visit. For example, a simple visit costs a minimum of 95 pounds (for 6 months).
For students, it can range from 190 pounds (for less than a year). Similarly, it varies for other purposes. The UK visa fee is the same for infants as well as for adults.
Parked funds:
If you borrow a large amount of money to show your sufficiency for approval, the ECOs may detect the large deposit. It may be considered as a parked fund.
If the money is yours, then you must explain to them in cover letters how you got that money. You could have gotten the money due to some investment or you could have borrowed it for some other reason.
Whatever the reason, explain it to them possibly with a piece of evidence showing that you own the money.
Online Bank Statements:
If you cannot provide paper documents, you can also use online bank statements but they must be original. Know that the UKVI also has the means to detect false online bank statements.
Two Bank Accounts:
Try to use only one bank account but if you use two bank accounts, provide a 6-month bank statement for each of them.
Also, mention in the cover letter about your dual bank accounts so that the ECO may not overlook the statements.
UK Student Visa requirements:
If you are a student, then it will cost you more than average as you also have to pay the institutional fees as well. So make sure that you have the required amount ready.
Have a look this detailed topic: What are the UK Student Visa Requirements?
As a Pakistani student, your bank statement for a UK student visa from Pakistan should contain about 15-20 lac savings.
To have the best chances please check how to prepare for IELTS.
UK Business Visa Requirements:
For a UK business visa from Pakistan or any other country, you must provide the 6-month bank statement of both your business and personal account.
If you only have a business account, then provide an application for a bank statement stating that your business funds are applicable for your personal use. Then, you will only have to provide the bank statement of the business account.
In Case of insufficient funds:
If you do not have sufficient funds for the UK visit, then you can opt for the following;
- Save your money beforehand. Try to start saving a year before the UK visit. If you don’t have the means now, then delay your visit.
- You can also shorten your stay. Plan the visit following your funds. Try to make the most of the short visit.
- Last but not least, you can use sponsorships for your visit to the UK. But, the sponsorship must be from a family member or a close relative, otherwise, it may not work.
With that said you can also check biometric residence permit, and live in a convenient way.
Conclusion:
In short, the UK is an expensive country and requires a lot of funds. Getting the approval of the ECOs can be quite difficult, especially when their guidelines are not clear.
But fortunately, there is an idea about their criteria. Whether you are a student, tourist, or business person, by following some basic requirements, you will be able to get approval from the ECOs.
