Proof of earnings - what to do if I am a full time student?

Question

I am from Costa Rica and I wish to go to Scotland for tourism & to visit my UK citizen boyfriend in December. I'll be staying there with him in his flat for 5 weeks, and he also will support me financially & otherwise during the visit.

I was advised to ask him to write an invitation letter where he'll explain that he'll be providing financial support to me.

I don't need a visa since I'll stay there only for tourism reasons, though, I do need to show the documents in the border control as if I would apply for visa (according to gov.uk pdf). So I need to show a bank statement where I can prove my earnings and sufficient fonds.

But I am a full time student and I don't have a job. I do have a bank account for savings I usually use to buy things online, but that's it. My mother supports me financially & with her money that I'll go to Scotland.

Questions:

1. Should the cash I will be carrying will be enough proof that I have money for my visit?
2. My boyfriend will also state in the letter he'll look after me, and attach all the documents he needs to show. In this case, do I still have to show a bank statement? (From me, not him).
3. If I still have to show a bank statement, should it be my bank account (even though it's pretty much empty) or my mother's bank statement where I can prove that, in the case that anything were to happen, she has sufficient funds for me?

Answer 1

Should the cash I will be carrying will be enough proof that I have money for my visit?

Probably not. For example it is easy for people-traffickers to give the victim cash before landing and take it away on exiting the airport.

do I still have to show a bank statement?

If you need the same documents at immigration as you would need for a visa application, then you need sufficient documents to give the officer a clear understanding of your own financial situation as well as the financial situation of all people who are contributing to the cost of your stay in the UK. The more people who are involved, the more complex and troublesome this is likely to be.