ILR Application Preparation - Housing and Bank Account Statement Questions

Alright, here we go again .  Thank you so much to everyone on this forum by the way, it has been SO helpful with my applications not only as a resource but also mentally as emotional support through this anxiety inducing process.

I entered the UK on May 3rd, 2017 under a Spouse visa.  As I understand it this means the earliest I can apply for ILR is April 5, 2022.  Is this correct or am I supposed to use a different date for the 5 year calculation?

My current BRP says it expires September 7, 2022 which I think is because I left my last application very close to my previous expiration date (January 4, 2020).  For some reason the September date seems really far away from my 5 year calculation so of course I'm second guessing whether the April 5, 2022 date is correct, or even if the BRP date of expiry date is somehow wrong and I didn't catch it.  Just seems somehow naughty that I can apply like 4 months or so before my BRP expires.

Also, I have a question about the housing requirement.  In the past application we provided a letter from our Landlord, however, my husband has recently obtained ownership of two properties.  We are currently still renting but I'd like to avoid bugging our landlord for another letter if possible mainly because we do not have a written rental contract and as everything is so informal with our Landlord it feels a bit awkward asking for the letter.  Can we provide the title register for either property in order to address the housing requirement even though they were recently acquired and we are not residing there yet (they need renovating)?  I guess I'm trying to find out if there is any sort of requirement where the property has to have been in his name for over a certain period of time.  Would it be an issue since we are not living in either home at this time?  Utilities and council tax are currently under my husband's name for both properties.

Do the bank statements still need to be originals?  I plan to go the savings route versus income again.  In the past I've been able to schedule my trips home around the time of my applications and therefore I've been able to collect most of my original account statements, as well as go to the bank and obtain a stamped letter.  Unfortunately, this time around I will not be able to go back home.  Do I need to have my family mail all my statements or can they be printouts?  Will a notarized letter from the bank confirming the current balance in the account be acceptable?  I know last year it was a pain for one of the banks to send me the right documentation (copies of statements with signature and stamp), and I'm wondering if i can just ask for a letter which confirming balance in the account for the 6 month period and request that they notarize and mail that.

I entered the UK on May 3rd, 2017 under a Spouse visa.  As I understand it this means the earliest I can apply for ILR is April 5, 2022.  Is this correct or am I supposed to use a different date for the 5 year calculation?

That’s correct - you can apply from April 5th 2022.

My current BRP says it expires September 7, 2022 which I think is because I left my last application very close to my previous expiration date (January 4, 2020).  For some reason the September date seems really far away from my 5 year calculation so of course I'm second guessing whether the April 5, 2022 date is correct, or even if the BRP date of expiry date is somehow wrong and I didn't catch it.  Just seems somehow naughty that I can apply like 4 months or so before my BRP expires.

Not a problem at all… in fact, it’s a good thing.

Spousal visas are issued for an extra 3 months so that it gives you more leeway for applying for FLR and ILR down the line.

The later your current BRP expiry date, the better for you, as it gives you a much bigger window to apply.

You can submit your online application on any date between April 5th and September 7th 2022.

Also, I have a question about the housing requirement.  In the past application we provided a letter from our Landlord, however, my husband has recently obtained ownership of two properties.  We are currently still renting but I'd like to avoid bugging our landlord for another letter if possible mainly because we do not have a written rental contract and as everything is so informal with our Landlord it feels a bit awkward asking for the letter.  Can we provide the title register for either property in order to address the housing requirement even though they were recently acquired and we are not residing there yet (they need renovating)?  I guess I'm trying to find out if there is any sort of requirement where the property has to have been in his name for over a certain period of time.  Would it be an issue since we are not living in either home at this time?  Utilities and council tax are currently under my husband's name for both properties.

Are both of you named on your current tenancy agreement? If so, you do not need a letter from the landlord anyway.

In that case, you only provide:
- tenancy agreement with both names on
- latest council tax bill

If the tenancy is only in one name, you will need the above, plus a letter from the landlord confirming the tenancy and stating they are happy for you to continue living there.

If you want to use one of the properties your husband owns, you will need:
- the Land Registry document in his name
- latest mortgage statement in his name
- latest council tax bill in his name/both your names

Do the bank statements still need to be originals?  I plan to go the savings route versus income again.  In the past I've been able to schedule my trips home around the time of my applications and therefore I've been able to collect most of my original account statements, as well as go to the bank and obtain a stamped letter.  Unfortunately, this time around I will not be able to go back home.  Do I need to have my family mail all my statements or can they be printouts?  Will a notarized letter from the bank confirming the current balance in the account be acceptable?  I know last year it was a pain for one of the banks to send me the right documentation (copies of statements with signature and stamp), and I'm wondering if i can just ask for a letter which confirming balance in the account for the 6 month period and request that they notarize and mail that.

You need either:
- original statements received in the mail
Or
- original statements printed in-branch by the bank
Or
- printed online statements that have either been stamped by the bank branch on every page, or are accompanied by a letter from the bank confirming that the statements you have printed are authentic (I.e. they need to be physically taken into the bank and stamped or confirmed in person)


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Aww man, really wish there was an alternative to the original bank statements.  Thank you for your prompt response Ksand, always very helpful.  I need to take my Life in UK Test still, of course I left it late and now the 3 book packet is out of stock.  I've been waiting for the books for maybe 3 weeks or so  using online tests for now.

Aww man, really wish there was an alternative to the original bank statements.  Thank you for your prompt response Ksand, always very helpful.  I need to take my Life in UK Test still, of course I left it late and now the 3 book packet is out of stock.  I've been waiting for the books for maybe 3 weeks or so  using online tests for now.

Most people buy just the official guide and use online practice tests.

https://www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk/official-guide-new-residents-book

If you want to use one of the properties your husband owns, you will need:
- the Land Registry document in his name
- latest mortgage statement in his name
- latest council tax bill in his name/both your names

No mortgage on the properties, but we are currently not residing in either as they need to be renovated.  Can I still use those properties while we are still renting/living in a separate property?  Again, since we have no contract with our Landlord (more of a gentlemen's agreemnet between him and my husband) I would like to avoid bugging the landlord for a letter (we already had to do this once in the past).  Would we need to provide anything to show the properties are owned free and clear?  One property is current not habitable, the other we have started clearning it out but there is no bathroom or kitchen now, would they request information about the state of the properties?

You need either:
- original statements received in the mail
Or
- original statements printed in-branch by the bank
Or
- printed online statements that have either been stamped by the bank branch on every page, or are accompanied by a letter from the bank confirming that the statements you have printed are authentic (I.e. they need to be physically taken into the bank and stamped or confirmed in person)

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Because of the original bank statement requirement being a hassle since my bank accounts are all in the US and I'd have to ask my family to mail the originals, I have decided to wait for my husband's accounts to meet the six month requirement so that we can go under the savings route with his accounts instead.  Can we count company shares towards the savings total?  They are not retirement stocks and as I understand it, he can cash out whenever.

Question for future Citizenship application:
Also, once I'm ready to apply for citizenship, the referree requirement has me stuck.  I thought I for the professional referree I could use somoene that does not reside in the UK and does not hold a UK passport.  I planned to use an attorney from the states for the professional b/c other than a driving instructor I don't have any other professional from the list that personally knows me for the required period.  I have worked with a solicitor in London but we have not met in person (only e-mails) and because our interaction is only through work e-mails I don't believe it meets the "peronsally known" requirement.  Would a Zoom meeting count if we do that now or would the 3 year requirement not count past interaction and start from the date meeting?  Can I use someone who recently became a naturalized UK citizen for the non-professional referree?  I have a friend who is on a simliar timescale as me in the naturalization process, he's able to apply for citizenship before me and I thought maybe I could have him be my non-professional referree.

No mortgage on the properties, but we are currently not residing in either as they need to be renovated.  Can I still use those properties while we are still renting/living in a separate property?

Again, since we have no contract with our Landlord (more of a gentlemen's agreemnet between him and my husband) I would like to avoid bugging the landlord for a letter (we already had to do this once in the past).  Would we need to provide anything to show the properties are owned free and clear?  One property is current not habitable, the other we have started clearning it out but there is no bathroom or kitchen now, would they request information about the state of the properties?

If you own the property and the Land Registry is in your name(s), then in theory you can use it for the accommodation requirement.

However, you will need to show the monthly housing costs that you are currently paying for that property in the form of your most recent council tax statement for the property… which could be an issue if it is the case the house is currently considered unoccupied for council tax purposes.

So the documents you need to provide are:
- Land Registry document/deed showing you own outright
- latest council tax statement for the property showing how much you pay each month

Having said that, it might look a bit odd if all of your cohabitation evidence up to your application date shows you have been living in a rented property and not the property you are using for the accommodation requirement, especially if you are using council tax statements from your rented property for cohabitation… so that may need explaining.

Personally, I would think the simplest thing for the visa requirements would just be to ask for a landlord letter for your rented property. That way there will be no confusion over where you live and no worry over the fact that the owned property is being renovated/needs renovating and you don’t actually live there.

Because of the original bank statement requirement being a hassle since my bank accounts are all in the US and I'd have to ask my family to mail the originals, I have decided to wait for my husband's accounts to meet the six month requirement so that we can go under the savings route with his accounts instead.  Can we count company shares towards the savings total?  They are not retirement stocks and as I understand it, he can cash out whenever.

You’ll need to check the requirements to see if they qualify - they may need to be cashed out before you apply, though you should be able to use them as long as you can show he owned the shares at the beginning of the 6-month period.

Question for future Citizenship application:
Also, once I'm ready to apply for citizenship, the referree requirement has me stuck.  I thought I for the professional referree I could use somoene that does not reside in the UK and does not hold a UK passport.  I planned to use an attorney from the states for the professional b/c other than a driving instructor I don't have any other professional from the list that personally knows me for the required period.  I have worked with a solicitor in London but we have not met in person (only e-mails) and because our interaction is only through work e-mails I don't believe it meets the "peronsally known" requirement.  Would a Zoom meeting count if we do that now or would the 3 year requirement not count past interaction and start from the date meeting?  Can I use someone who recently became a naturalized UK citizen for the non-professional referree?  I have a friend who is on a simliar timescale as me in the naturalization process, he's able to apply for citizenship before me and I thought maybe I could have him be my non-professional referree.

You CAN use someone who is not in the UK for your professional referee, so your attorney back in the US is fine to use.

It’s also fine to use a driving instructor too.

In regards to the London solicitor though, the referees need to be people who have known you personally for at least 3 years… as the whole point of the referee is for them to vouch for your identity and confirm your passport photo is a real likeness and that all the personal information about you given in the application is correct. If you’ve only ever emailed and have never met in person, I don’t believe you can use them as a referee.

For the UK citizen referee, they must:
- be over 25 OR be of professional standing
- hold a valid UK passport
- have known you in person for 3 years


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Because of the original bank statement requirement being a hassle since my bank accounts are all in the US and I'd have to ask my family to mail the originals, I have decided to wait for my husband's accounts to meet the six month requirement so that we can go under the savings route with his accounts instead.  Can we count company shares towards the savings total?  They are not retirement stocks and as I understand it, he can cash out whenever.

Are you using the bank statements for the financial requirement under the savings route?   I used my US bank account.  I printed the statements in the UK.  The bank emailed me a letter confirming the account and stating that the funds are available for immediate withdrawal.   They also emailed me bank statements that were initialed at the bottom. 

I did this for both my spouse visa and my renewal and it worked fine.

Are you using the bank statements for the financial requirement under the savings route?   I used my US bank account.  I printed the statements in the UK.  The bank emailed me a letter confirming the account and stating that the funds are available for immediate withdrawal.   They also emailed me bank statements that were initialed at the bottom. 

I did this for both my spouse visa and my renewal and it worked fine.

     Yes we are going through the savings route, normally we use my accounts but this year we can use my husbands once he meets the six month requirement.  I was under the impression they wanted originals with signatures on each page, that's how I've always requested them.  I didn't know they would also accept an e-mailed letter and didn't need on on like official letterhead.

@ksand24  - thank you as always for your prompt response.  I had not considered the potential issue with the cohabitation and the different addresses.  I think we are either going to see if we can just reuse the letter we used in our last application ( I don't think it had a date or limitation on the period of time we are renting) or just get a new letter from the Landlord.

For the savings route - Can we count my husband's savings in an account that is only in his name?

I'm completing the online application and a lot of the questions are similar to the FLR.  However, in the FLR I was able to put my savings under other sources of income for me. This time around we are using husband's savings but the other sources of income question ("Do you have any other sources of income?") only pops up for me.  I thought this question would come up when completing my husband's section regarding his income but it doesn't ask about other sources of income for the partner.  I assume I just put his savings as other sources of income I receive?

For the savings route - Can we count my husband's savings in an account that is only in his name?

Yes, that’s fine.

The savings can be in the name of:
- the applicant only
Or
- the sponsor only
Or
- the applicant and sponsor jointly

I'm completing the online application and a lot of the questions are similar to the FLR.  However, in the FLR I was able to put my savings under other sources of income for me. This time around we are using husband's savings but the other sources of income question ("Do you have any other sources of income?") only pops up for me.  I thought this question would come up when completing my husband's section regarding his income but it doesn't ask about other sources of income for the partner.  I assume I just put his savings as other sources of income I receive?

If you are using savings only, I believe you say NO to all sources of income, because you are not using income to meet the requirements.

I think there should be a section specifically for savings, and not income.

Having said that, I can’t see the online form so I’m not sure exactly how it’s set up.


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Do the bank statements still need to be originals?  I plan to go the savings route versus income again.  In the past I've been able to schedule my trips home around the time of my applications and therefore I've been able to collect most of my original account statements, as well as go to the bank and obtain a stamped letter.  Unfortunately, this time around I will not be able to go back home.  Do I need to have my family mail all my statements or can they be printouts?  Will a notarized letter from the bank confirming the current balance in the account be acceptable?  I know last year it was a pain for one of the banks to send me the right documentation (copies of statements with signature and stamp), and I'm wondering if i can just ask for a letter which confirming balance in the account for the 6 month period and request that they notarize and mail that.

I renewed my visa in January 2022 and used my savings in a US bank for the financial requirement.  The bank emailed me stamped and initialed copies of the statements, along with a letter on their letterhead stating that the account is authentic, in good terms, and that the funds are available for immediate withdrawal.  I printed them in the UK.  My visa was approved the same day as my biometrics appointment using priority service.

Hope this helps!

I've submitted my application, and received the "UKVI are currently assessing whether your application can be progressed via the IDV app."   I have uploaded my documents but have not yet submitted them to UKVI.  If I understood the e-mails correctly, it sounds like I cannot book an appointment until I hear from on whether the application can be progressed via the IDV app.  Does that mean I also need to wait on submitting my uploaded documents or should I do that now?  I guess I'm kind of hoping that if I upload all the documents, we will be approved for IDV, which I assume means we don't have to travel anywhere for biometrics?  I rather not have to go into the city again if we can avoid it.

If I understood the e-mails correctly, it sounds like I cannot book an appointment until I hear from on whether the application can be progressed via the IDV app.

Yes, that’s correct. Unless you have paid for Super Priority (in which case you can book an appointment right away), you have to wait to find out if you have been invited to use the app before you can book an appointment.

Does that mean I also need to wait on submitting my uploaded documents or should I do that now?  I guess I'm kind of hoping that if I upload all the documents, we will be approved for IDV, which I assume means we don't have to travel anywhere for biometrics?  I rather not have to go into the city again if we can avoid it.

The FAQ on the UKVCAS website says the following:



See here for more FAQ regarding the IDV App process:
https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/faq


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I submitted my application on Aug. 14.  I received the invitation on Aug. 22 to download the UKVCAS IDV app. I completed biometrics through the IDV app and submitted documents on Aug. 27 and I received an e-mail  stating "Your supporting information has been submitted to UKVI".  However, today I received an e-mail from Home Office titled "Application Update" which is a "Reminder to enrol your Biometric information"

"When you made your application online, you were advised that you had up to 63 days from the date of your application to make an appointment to enrol your biometric information at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services centre (UKVCAS).

You have not yet booked or attended an appointment.

You now have 14 days from the date of this notification in which to book an appointment to enrol your biometric information."

From what I can see online it appears this is happening to multiple individuals that have submitted documents through the IDV app. Some people are just saying to ignore the e-mail that it's being sent in error.  Anyone received a similar e-mail?  What is the recommended action, what is everyone doing? 

I know that the Home office can inform you that they cannot reuse your biometrics or what you submitted through the IDV app and ask that you book a face to face appointment, but I'm not sure that this is what the e-mail I received today is about because the way it's worded it sounds like they haven't acknowledged the IDV app submission at all.  I believe if you have submitted biometrics through the IDV app it says you should not attend an appointment as well.

The e-mail from I received today does have a number that you can use call if there are particular circumstances that mean you are unable to enrol your biometric information within the specified time frame and explain why you are unable to attend.  Not sure if I can use that number to obtain confirmation on whether I need to book or if this is just some generic e-mail that's going out by mistake.

I was really hoping that I wouldn't get this e-mail  thanks again everyone for your help.

Does anyone have a number that actually takes you to a live person for UKVI or an email I could send an inquiry to about the biometric enrollment reminder email? 

I tried to use UKVI online contact process to obtain a phone number but the options I've tried do not take me to a live person.  I emailed UKVCAS customer service and they replied this morning but just directed me to UKVI's https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk to obtain a number but again I can't get a live agent with the phone number and option suggested by their system.

Thanks