Financial Standing The application must be supported by evidence which demonstrates that the applicant will not become reliant upon public funds. In the normal case, this takes the form of the sponsor/applicant (or co-sponsor) providing:
Salary slips for at least the previous 3 months, preferably the previous 6 months; AND
Bank statements for at least the previous 3 months; AND
The sponsor's (co-sponsor's) employment contract (if the sponsor is not independently wealthy); AND
The sponsor's (co-sponsor's) most recent P60 (in the absence of salary slips).
If the sponsor (co-sponsor) is self-employed, owns his own company, or if the sponsor (co-sponsor) does not work, then the employment contract and P60 can be substituted with certified copies of the previous two years' tax returns accompanied by a notarized version of his business accounts.
If the sponsor (co-sponsor) is retired, then the employment contract and P60 can be substituted with a statement from his pension scheme.
If there are disproportionate deposits and withdrawals in the bank statements, they should be explained in the sponsor's letter.
Consulates are reluctant to accept bank statements printed out from e-banking accounts because these can be so easily forged. Properly headed original statements can usually be obtained by visiting a branch office.
If the financial standing is marginal, and if the applicant has plans to work in the UK, a job offer letter can be included to bolster the application's strength; and failing all other evidence, the applicant may attach a CV (or academic credentials) which demonstrate favorable prospects. Note however, that this is generally the weakest form of evidence.
