Is a bank statement required for a US visa? (2024)

3rd of April 2020

When you are applying for a US visa there are a number of requirements that youmust be aware of. Depending on the type of US visa that you are applying for,you are likely to need to attend an interview at the US embassy and in most cases, you will berequired to provide financial evidence that you can afford your visit to the US, in theform of bank statements.

Different types of US visa require different documentation, so for example, if you are applyingfor a student visa, you would be required to provide proof ofyour University/College offer. In addition to this you will need to provide financial proofthatyou can afford to live in the US during your period of study and that you can afford any studyfees that are applicable for your course.

If you are entering the US using an ESTA for a short visit such as tourism, you willnot be asked to provide financial statements. However, for other types of visa you will be requiredto show you can financially support yourself throughout your stay in America.

Financial Requirements for a US Student Visa: Proof of Sufficient Funding

When you apply for an F-1 student visa you will needto provide evidence of sufficient funding which includes copies of bank statements or stockcertificates. These will be required for the visa interview at the visa application center.

The US government wants to verify that your bank account has legitimate funds to cover your livingexpenses in the US. For example, a deposit made into your bank account prior to issuing the bankstatement would be suspicious with the possibility that you could have borrowed the money on ashort-term basis for the purpose of evidencing funding.

You would need to accompany the statement with a written explanation of where the funding has comefrom and they will assess whether it is legitimate funds that will be available to pay your livingexpenses.

Other documents that can be used as proof of funding include a letter confirming the employmentstatus (with salary) of family members who are financially supporting you, and copies of grantsor loans.

List of Financial Documents for I-20 Visa

As part of your student visa application, you will need to complete an I-1 form and provide therequired paperwork, which includes:

Bank Statements for US Student Visa: The Overview

To have your F-1 visa approved you will be required to prove that you have enough funds for thelength of your study term. This includes the financial capacity to pay for any course fees as wellas the average living expenses for students in the area you are applying to study.

The bank statement required must be dated in the last six months and should show:

Minimum Fund Requirement When Applying for F-1 Visa (For High School Studentsand College or University Students)

The required amount of minimum funding will depend on how much the course fees are, how long thecourse is for, and what the average cost of living in the area of the college is.

As a guide, a minimum of $10,000 should be available in your bank balance or another acceptabletype of funds. However, the minimum calculation could be much more than this if you are on a coursewith high tuition fees and will be living in an area that costs more for accommodation.

Living expenses in the US can be expensive, taking into account your rent for your accommodation,your groceries, cost of transport, clothing, study equipment and energy bills. Some students applyfor jobs on campus to help cover the cost of living but they must meet certain conditions.

Who Can Sponsor the Education Abroad?

If you do not have the personal finances to cover the costs of studying abroad, you can be sponsoredby somebody else.

You can be sponsored by your parents or any blood relatives, or a combination of family members.You will need to provide proof that the sponsor has enough funds to support you.

How many bank statements do I need to provide?

You will usually be asked to provide bank statements for the previous three monthsas evidencethat you can afford to support yourself financially throughout your stay in the US. If somebodyelse is funding your stay in the US, then you can provide evidence that they canafford to do so.

It is important to check what documentation is required for the type of US visa that you areapplying for, as the requirements can vary significantly. For example, if you aretaking a job in the US, you will need to provide proof of this such as a letter fromyour employer that shows what position you will be taking, your salary, the length of theemployment etc. as well as your bank statements.

You should also check how much the current visa application fee is, as there have been somerecent changes to the cost of the fees, with several types of visa being subjected to big increases.The non immigrant US visa applicationDS-160 has a fee of $160 and you will needto provide proof that you have made the payment when you attend your interview at the US embassy.

As well as being able to prove you have sufficient funds to cover any expenses whilstyou are in the US, you will require a passport that still has six months validity. If there areany other details regarding medical conditions you may be required to provide a letter from yourdoctor/physician. Anybody with previous criminal convictions will also need to bring relateddocuments to your US embassy interview.

Before you attend your US embassy interview , make sure that you have read throughall of the requirements in terms of what documents are required, as if you are missing anydocuments then this could delay your application and you may need another appointment.

You will also be required to show that you intend to return to your home country after yourvisa runs out.