India Tier 1: new info on accomm, maintenance, edu quals

Hi,

Here is email response to some queries given by BHC Chennai (have bolded relevant part of replies) :

Dear ...,

1.Accommodation Proof: It is advisable to enclose the proof of the same as the Entry Clearance Officer will be assured that you will have a place to stay as soon as you reach UK. There have been stray incidents where applicants were refused for not enclosing accommodation proof.

2.Maintenance Funds:As a general rule each single applicant (HSMP) as of 1st April 2008 will be required to produce evidence that they have £2,800 and £1600 for each dependant at their disposal. This money should be immediately available in sterling in the UK or there should be formal authority to transfer it to the UK. The funds should be in the applicant's name. It should be in a savings account, and the funds must have been held for at least 3 months.

Applicants must provide documentary evidence detailing the source of any funds that have entered their account(s) within the last 3 months, for example fixed deposits, receipts and/or legal documents relating to the sale of assets.

You are required to submit bank statements for last 1 year which would enable the Officer to assess your financial standing over a period of time. However, £2800 have to be maintained for 3 months.

3.English Requirement: If the Points Based Calculator accepts your education for English requirement and grants you the mandatory 10 points, it is absolutely fine.

4. Processing times: We aim to make decisions within 15 working days from the day the application is lodged. However, Tier 1 applications need intense assessment and we may at times not be able to give a decision within this time. These are exceptions and not the norm.

UK Border Agency
Casework Section
British Deputy High Commission,Chennai

Dear Sir/Madam,
This is XXXXXX, a Tier 1 new prospective applicant, and I had following queries for making a new Tier 1 (GHSM) application from India.

Request you to answer following queries:

1.Accommodation proof: Could you please confirm that submitting evidence of arrangements for accommodation in the UK is NOT MANDATORY for new Tier 1 application?

2. Maintenance Funds: Could you please confirm that following is enough for Maintenance fund requirement:
Personal bank statements covering the 3 month period immediately preceding the application. The personal bank or building society statements should clearly show:
* the applicant's name;
* the account number;
* the date of the statement;
* the financial institution's name and logo;
* transactions covering the three month period;
* that there are sufficient funds present in the account i.e. the balance must always be at least £2800;
* the receipt of funds along with regular withdrawals from the account, where appropriate.

I am asking above question to confirm that ONLY 3 months statements are required and NOT 15 months as is being suggested by VFS.

3. English Language requirements: The duration of my Bachelor of Engineering degree was 3 years 10 months. My query for English Language requirement is this: is it mandatory that Bachelor of Engineering degree's duration must be exactly four years? Please note that BIA points calculator recognizes my degree.

4. Processing time: Could you also please let me know what is the processing time for normal Tier 1 applications?

Best regards,

The BHC guys seems crazy on making their own rules , which is no where mention in the UKBA guides !!!!

This is point based system and we are not claiming any points for accomodation in UK. Neither it is asked anywhere. I think he is talking about old EC process related to HSMP.

1.Accommodation Proof: It is advisable to enclose the proof of the same as the Entry Clearance Officer will be assured that you will have a place to stay as soon as you reach UK. There have been stray incidents where applicants were refused for not enclosing accommodation proof.

If you look at the email response the responding person has confused Tier1(General) with EC process.

The above response is DEFINITELY for Tier 1(General) New application from India. In order to hide identity of the emailer, I had removed the first lines in email which were following(edited the original post also):

Dear Sir/Madam,
This is XXXXXX, a Tier 1 new prospective applicant, and I had following queries for making a new Tier 1 (GHSM) application from India.

Request you to answer following queries:

The crux: The above response is from a case worker in BHC and as per his response, it is applicable to ALL new Tier 1 applications from India. (including those who have a HSMP letter)

junior wrote:If you look at the email response the responding person has confused Tier1(General) with EC process.

I don't think Tier1(General) is any different from EC process(in the sense that Tier1 application is itself an EC process). Also I dont think the responding person has confused Tier1(General) with EC process, because it does not make sense to reply to Question 1 for different category of Vias and Question 2 and 3 for Tier 1 visa. (All the questions were in context of new Tier one application from India).

And finally, even if the CW at BHC is confused, he is the authority (for the time being).

Manu345 wrote:This is point based system and we are not claiming any points for accomodation in UK. Neither it is asked anywhere. I think he is talking about old EC process related to HSMP.

I also shared the same view. But if you look at CW's response, he is still not saying that accommodation proof is mandatory, he says it is ADVISABLE and points out that some (stray Tier 1) cases were rejected because accommodation proof was not given. As for "old EC process", there is no EC process related to HSMP in India any more (there are only transitional arrangements with HSMP Letter holders, and they are given Tier 1 visa not HSMP Visa). I am assuming that CW would advise us about "current" processes and not "old" ones.

Thanks CoolestGuyC for posting very useful information.

I have a question over the maintenance fund requirement- As stated,

Applicants must provide documentary evidence detailing the source of any funds that have entered their account(s) within the last 3 months, for example fixed deposits, receipts and/or legal documents relating to the sale of assets.

What docs need to be provided if I manage for the maintenance fund through:
a) Parents/relatives
b) Personal Loan
c) Fixed deposit (Should I keep a copy of FD receipt, and then dissolve it to my savings account?)
d) Fixed deposit (in the name of relatives)

Please help.

Thanks CoolestGuyC for posting the reply from the BHC. It's been some time now, did you submit accommodation proof after all? If you did, what type of proof was it? A invitation letter from a friend?

I asked vfs and was told by one person that it's compulsory and another that it is optional!

Hi,

Good morning.
I am planning for apply for tier 1 application by mid of next month.
I am having a doubt in maintannace fund.
As mentioned I need to show 2,800 +1,600+1600 pound for me, wife and for my son.
In my Indian salary account I having 3,50000Rupees for last 3 months and also I am having UK salary account and for last three month I am having minimum 1,500 pounds as a balance. Can I show both Indian balance amount and the UK balance amount for the maintenance fund. Please clarify this.

Regards
Kandasamy

CoolestGuyC wrote:Hi,

Here is email response to some queries given by BHC Chennai (have bolded relevant part of replies) :

Dear ...,

1.Accommodation Proof: It is advisable to enclose the proof of the same as the Entry Clearance Officer will be assured that you will have a place to stay as soon as you reach UK. There have been stray incidents where applicants were refused for not enclosing accommodation proof.

2.Maintenance Funds:As a general rule each single applicant (HSMP) as of 1st April 2008 will be required to produce evidence that they have £2,800 and £1600 for each dependant at their disposal. This money should be immediately available in sterling in the UK or there should be formal authority to transfer it to the UK. The funds should be in the applicant's name. It should be in a savings account, and the funds must have been held for at least 3 months.

Applicants must provide documentary evidence detailing the source of any funds that have entered their account(s) within the last 3 months, for example fixed deposits, receipts and/or legal documents relating to the sale of assets.

You are required to submit bank statements for last 1 year which would enable the Officer to assess your financial standing over a period of time. However, £2800 have to be maintained for 3 months.

3.English Requirement: If the Points Based Calculator accepts your education for English requirement and grants you the mandatory 10 points, it is absolutely fine.

4. Processing times: We aim to make decisions within 15 working days from the day the application is lodged. However, Tier 1 applications need intense assessment and we may at times not be able to give a decision within this time. These are exceptions and not the norm.

UK Border Agency
Casework Section
British Deputy High Commission,Chennai

Dear Sir/Madam,
This is XXXXXX, a Tier 1 new prospective applicant, and I had following queries for making a new Tier 1 (GHSM) application from India.

Request you to answer following queries:

1.Accommodation proof: Could you please confirm that submitting evidence of arrangements for accommodation in the UK is NOT MANDATORY for new Tier 1 application?

2. Maintenance Funds: Could you please confirm that following is enough for Maintenance fund requirement:
Personal bank statements covering the 3 month period immediately preceding the application. The personal bank or building society statements should clearly show:
* the applicant's name;
* the account number;
* the date of the statement;
* the financial institution's name and logo;
* transactions covering the three month period;
* that there are sufficient funds present in the account i.e. the balance must always be at least £2800;
* the receipt of funds along with regular withdrawals from the account, where appropriate.

I am asking above question to confirm that ONLY 3 months statements are required and NOT 15 months as is being suggested by VFS.

3. English Language requirements: The duration of my Bachelor of Engineering degree was 3 years 10 months. My query for English Language requirement is this: is it mandatory that Bachelor of Engineering degree's duration must be exactly four years? Please note that BIA points calculator recognizes my degree.

4. Processing time: Could you also please let me know what is the processing time for normal Tier 1 applications?

Best regards,