I am applying for a Standard Visitor visa to attend my graduation ceremony in the UK. I have the invitation letter from the university and my father is sponsoring the visit.

Apart from bank statements and balance, what other financial documents do I need to present?

Do I need to show property valuations, land etc.?


Per the comment from pnuts (to whom thanks), there's little to be done except signpost you to the Supporting Documents Guide, which says...

enter image description here

...the emphasis being on the phrase "clearly show that you have access" (see My application was refused due to 'lack of evidence of funds', are there hidden requirements for UK visa applications? for why).


As you are being sponsored by your father, there is a slight possibility to strengthen your application by including evidence of his previous sponsorship, especially if your father has contributed to the costs of your education. This could help to show the strength of family ties. If he has previously sponsored siblings, this could also be helpful. Evidence would take the form of bank statements that contain wire transfers or similar remittances. Note that this is a totally optional step that may give a slight advantage; if you decide to include it, be sure to segregate it in your evidence and to conspicuously label it as "evidence of previous sponsorship" so that it is not confounded with your father's current financial standing.

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  • @Willeke, it's a screen shot – Gayot Fow Jan 7 '17 at 13:44
  • @Willeke I worry that they are prone to changing the source material. The text has been changing about once every 2 years. – Gayot Fow Jan 7 '17 at 13:51

You are being asked for financial documents for several different reasons.

  • You demonstrate that you can afford the cost of the travel. If you don't have enough for that, you haven't thought your plans through properly.
  • You demonstrate that you can reasonably afford the expenses. This supports the premise of your travel as tourism and not illegal immigration. An illegal immigrant might borrow money to travel, or the entire family pools their savings to send one youth abroad.
  • You demonstrate ties to your home country. That makes it more likely that you will leave again.

Since your father is paying for everything, only the first two points can be supported by financial documents. You need to make clear that he can afford to give you the money, as a gift and not as an investment.

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  • 1
    @pnuts it's a good answer, +1 from me, since the guidance is purposefully vague, an answer to any direct question boils down to interpreting the guidance vis-a-vis the rules (and hence opinion). Adding an interpretation is helpful, otherwise the whole question becomes subject to closure as 'opinion-based'. – Gayot Fow Nov 15 '16 at 6:05

Financial documents Showing that you have sufficient funds available. These must clearly show that you have access to the funds, such as:

  • bank statements
  • building society book
  • proof of earnings such as a letter from employer confirming
    contact details)
  • where a third party (who is either in the UK or who will be legally in the UK at the time of your visit) is providing financial support to you e.g. a business, a friend or a relative, documents to show they have sufficient resources to support you in addition to themselves and any dependent family should be provided Confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country in which you are applying or your right to reside there is not included in your passport.
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  • 1
    +1 but please try to differentiate your answer from the guidance. Somebody might get the idea that you composed this answer independently instead of copying it unamended, or minimally give a link to the guidance. Or add some discussion about what they are trying to say. You have made a great start! Thanks! – Gayot Fow Nov 15 '16 at 9:51
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    @GayotFow This is absolutely not a great start. It is plagiarism, pure and simple: an uncredited copy-paste of the UK Visas and Immigration guidance (see section 2, page 2). This is not acceptable behaviour. – David Richerby Nov 15 '16 at 10:29
  • @DavidRicherby indeed, but we must hope that he returns and provides an attribution and some original content like an interpretation of the guidance that gives unique insight. Win-win! – Gayot Fow Nov 15 '16 at 20:48

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