Wayfarer3x

I am looking to apply for a settlement visa for my Canadian fiancé as her sponsor in the UK. I am self-employed with sufficient income but would like to prove the financial requirement via Category D - i.e. Cash Savings. My cash savings exceed the required amount however I have the following questions:

1) My cash savings are the proceeds of property remortgages, transferred from my solicitors to my Savings account within the last 6 months. Therefore they have not been held there for 6+ months - is this a problem?

2) The cash savings are held on Online Savings accounts, will online statements be acceptable? I am not sure it's possible to get an original copy as these are online accounts.

3) Are there any other requirements/documents needed to prove cash savings?

Many Thanks.

BritInParis

1) If the cash savings are not from the proceeds of a sale of property then they’ll need to be held under your control for at least six months.

2) You should either get the online statements stamped by the bank as authentic or transfer the funds to an account where you can receive paper statements.

3) No, in your scenario, just the bank statements.

Wayfarer3x

Thanks for your feedback.

In relation to (2), as I am based in the UK can I send these originals separately to Sheffield for the attention of our application/ECO? Or does all documentation need to be submitted at the same time in Canada (which means I'd have to send there instead - ideally avoidable!).

BritInParis

Given that it’s usually scanned at the VAC these days I would send it all to Canada.

Wayfarer3x

I've come across others who have said it's ok for the Sponsor to send their own documentation separately. In my case this would mean I send original bank statements to Sheffield - I hope I haven't misunderstood anything!

BritInParis

The latest reports say otherwise.

Wayfarer3x

Interesting, do you have a source/link?

I spoke to the UKVI people this morning and they confirmed that at the VAC in Toronto, the Applicant only needs to take a printout of their application, proof of payment/email and passport. The documentation package is sent separately and isn't needed at VAC. So I can send everything myself to Sheffield directly from the UK.

BritInParis

A friend of mine just completed a spouse visa application through the Ottawa VAC. They scanned his documents by category and then posted them to Sheffield as well. If you have a choice and can get an appointment then Ottawa is less painful and better organised than Toronto.