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Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:19 pm
by shaf2008
HI ALL

with out any prior notice,The bank froze my business and personal accounts. I am in a terrible state now i have no access to money and can not do any service on my account. i was told its an internal investigation and if the account is not opened in 10 working days to call their fraud department.

I am due to apply for my ILR based on five years in early march 2018. I can not pay wages or to HMRC until this mess is sorted.

Is this going to have any impact on my Settlement application ?

Did anyone come across similar situation in the past?

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:43 pm
by CR001
Did you update the bank with your visa details after your extension was approved?

general-uk-immigration-forum/uk-banks-t ... l#p1576339

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:57 pm
by Momi
All of your bank accounts are frozen? I mean if you have multiple account etc Barclays tsb?

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 1:05 pm
by Momi
Momi wrote:
Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:57 pm
All of your bank accounts are frozen? I mean if you have multiple account etc Barclays tsb?
You received an enforcement letter last year. Have you informed ho and hmrc about your pending application in that time?

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:27 pm
by shaf2008
No , only my accounts with one bank is Frozen, thats where i do 90% of my transactions personnel and business.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:27 pm
by shaf2008
No pending application, my extension is valid until nov 2018. i am planning to apply early

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:28 pm
by shaf2008
they never asked me to update my details

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:30 pm
by Momi
shaf2008 wrote:
Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:27 pm
No , only my accounts with one bank is Frozen, thats where i do 90% of my transactions personnel and business.
Don't tell me that it's tsb or lloyds?
Tsb have closed many people accounts in last few monthS.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:42 pm
by CR001
shaf2008 wrote:
Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:28 pm
they never asked me to update my details
If you received an enforcement letter as user 'momi' states, you should have at least been proactive and let the bank know your status is good and extension was approved.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 4:03 pm
by teddy0409
TSB closed my main salary account and my brother in law account (British citizen) Few years before during a busy Christmas time, Nothing related to HO or immigration, The reason they gave for me is they suspected a fradulent transaction, I received £980 from AA from my loan overpayment, AA provided a fitting reply letter to the bank and I received £1800 in compensation from TSB, My brother in law received £400 in compensation.
I wrote these in my cover letter to HO in 2013 and received visa without any issues,
I strongly advise you to open another account and put this in your cover letter, Also make sure bank is not writing in the CIFAS record which might affect you from opening bank account elsewhere and will stay in your credot report for 3+ years

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:54 am
by shaf2008
HI

How can i make sure that the bank is not writing a CISAF record. I was told i will get a letter in the post explaining the situation.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:29 am
by shaf2008
HI

Only my personnel current account is frozen. i have access to my business account.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:17 pm
by teddy0409
Banks should have very strong evidence to prove that you have committed a serious money laundering/fraud to write it to CIFAS, If bank do write by mistake they will be paying a lump sum in damages to the account holder as I read the other day they paid £18000 to a cab driver whose account was frozen by Barclays when he received 3,00,000 in to his account for a settled accident claim. He withdraw 50k and left 2,50,000 before the account was seized. So, it is very rare but I will recommend you to contact the bank and get oral confirmation that they will not take further actions

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:46 pm
by shaf2008
Thanks,

I received my monthly statement today. its been 6 working days since my account was frozen. did not receive any other letter from them yet. i have been with the bank for almost 9 years never had similar situations in the past.
i received 3000 loan from a friend on the 18th and they closed my account on the 19th. the direct debits went out from my account as normal and they removed this 3000 from my account. the statement do not have that 3000 on it.

any idea why they would have frozen it ?

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 4:09 pm
by CR001
Perhaps your friend has issues you are not aware of.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:52 am
by Parveenkumar7
Just responding as I have seen a similar thing happened to a guy who was a shared tenant in our property, he received 5000 odd from a friend and his accounts were closed in Lloyd's later he found out it was his friend who had some 50 K in his account and was doing multiple small transfers and his was classified in money laundering. So probably it's your friend who the banks are concerned about and all his transfers are revoked. Try to talk to the bank but they won't generally change the decision.

Regards,

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:53 pm
by mshakeel2002
My advise, dont wait for mirricals to happen or things to sort out , go to some other bank quickly open a personal and a business account and continue transferring salaries and other operations. HO do not acknowledge any in justifications happened to applicant or excuses or reason. just arrange some cash from friends open another account elsewhere.

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:27 pm
by teddy0409
shaf2008
I dont want go deeper in to this post, As the bank issue is not related to the HO making hostile environment to overstaying immigrants by closing Bank Accounts,
However, As the other user mentioned open another account elsewhere and make it as your primary account, HO will not mind about bank freezing your account as long as you can show your salary matching your payslip entry...
In simple words as you have right to choose your bank, Bank have their own way of choosing customers, If they dont like us we are not welcome...

Re: Bank Account Freezing and ILR for an Entrepreneur visa holder

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:44 pm
by Casa
There may be problems in opening a new account with the other bank freezing the account. :idea: