PBS 7 days maintenance rule to change imminently

Ah, now please don't rain on my parade, garry. If you can't trust HO's on words, then who? 

Hahahahahaha! 

Vicky

I will be applying for Tier 1 in early January and will be using an online savings account (Countrywide) for my maintenance funds verification.  However, I'm concerned that this 7-day rule is still listed on the UKBA website.

I have a local credit union in the US that I use for my primary banking, where I use the online account for 'high interest savings'.   

My balance in the online account has been around $63k for the last year, where as my local credit union account never exceeds $2k.  I move money from the online account to the credit union when I need. 

If I move about $5k from my online account to my credit union account, so that the balances appear like this:

November 1:  Online - $63k, Credit Union - $2k
December 1:  Online - $63k, Credit Union - $2k
January 1: Online - $58k, Credit Union - $7k

Then when I submit my application on approx January 15th, I can provide all official bank statements dated the 1st of each month, and then a official letter from my credit union on January 15th verifying my current account balance.

Would that be acceptable?  or do all of the funds need to be in the same account for the 3 months prior?

However, I'm concerned that this 7-day rule is still listed on the UKBA website.

Understandable.  If you are nervous, re-read: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/aboutus/newsroom/?view=News&id=10358851.  I am afraid while we can point it out to them, but we can't make them change their websites!  We know the Chicago is fully aware of this change as they were part of the people working internally to get the policy changed.  If by some off chance you do get refused because of this, an administrative review would make short work of this, but the likelyhood of you getting refused solely on this account is very very unlikely.

Then when I submit my application on approx January 15th, I can provide all official bank statements dated the 1st of each month, and then a official letter from my credit union on January 15th verifying my current account balance.

Would that be acceptable?  or do all of the funds need to be in the same account for the 3 months prior?

When you say "official bank statements", my only pause is the "online" bit of it.  Do you have official paper statements for both your online and savings?  If you do, then there should be no problem.  The "online" is some sort of cash account too, not a stock trading account, etc, because you might run into issues if it isn't a cash based account.  They do want to see daily balances, so I don't know if your statements provide a balance after each transaction.

Good luck.

Basically, this extends the 7 days prior to 1 month prior to application?  I just want to make sure I'm interpreting the notice correctly.  Thanks!

Correct, you now have to submit evidence of the funds that is no older then one calendar month of the date you submit your application.  So if you are sending your paperwork on the 15 January, your most recent proof you have the required funds can be no older then 15 December.

Just to clarify, unlike with in-country applications in other categories, Tier 1 works on soonest working day after reciept at the consulate.  So, if your documents are dated 15th December, they must be RECIEVED by 15th January....unless the 15th January is a non-working day, such as weekend or holiday, then they must be recieved before then.  They are VERY strict on this.

Vicky

Just to clarify, unlike with in-country applications in other categories, Tier 1 works on soonest working day after reciept at the consulate.  So, if your documents are dated 15th December, they must be RECIEVED by 15th January....unless the 15th January is a non-working day, such as weekend or holiday, then they must be recieved before then.  They are VERY strict on this.

Vicky

Vicky, are you seeing instances where they VSDs are not following the guidance?  As per: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/tier1generalguidance.pdf

Date of application
43. The date of application will be taken to be the following:
For applications made in the UK:

• Where the application form is sent by post, the date of posting; or
• Where the application form is sent by courier, the date on which it is delivered to the UK Border Agency of the Home Office;

For applications made outside the UK:

• The date that the fee associated with the application is paid and the applicant's biometric details taken.

So, since in the US the fee is taken and then the biometrics is taken, the date the application is considered "submitted" should be the date the biometrics are taken.  I would love to find out if there are examples of where this isn't the case.

Different parts of the guidance give different info.  For age assessment and date for maintenence, we have been told it is date of receipt...it is in another bit of the guidance somewhere (can't find right now).


Vicky