Documents for UK standard visit visa (academic purposes)

Question

I am a citizen of the Russian Federation. I work in Germany and plan to visit the UK for academic purposes (short visits). My employer and the host institution requested a long-term visa (2 years) for me.

My gross salary per year is in the letter from my employer and it is stated that my employer covers my expenses. I was told that it is better to provide bank statements as well.

1. Should the bank statements be signed by a bank authority and/or stamped? Or can I just print them from my online banking?
2. Unfortunately, my bank does not provide bank statements in English, only in German. But the bank statements are, more or less, tables of dates and numbers; there is my information at the beginning of the document, the names of the columns and the explanation/comments to/by whom a transaction was made. Should I provide the certified translation for the whole bank statement (more than 30 pages)?

I was also told that the more documents proving my need to go back home I provide, the better. Apart from my job, I have my family here. Should I provide my marriage certificate and birth certificates of my children or is it too much?

Thank you.

Answer 1

You are applying to the UK long-term Standard Visitor visa that lasts 2 (or 5 or 10) years.

First, the UKVI Visitor: supporting documents guide is unequivocal:

If you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office.

Then, you decide what will show that you meet the requirements of Appendix V: Immigration Rules for Visitors, whether that be a statement from your employer and/or financial documentation.

• Electronic bank statements from an online bank account should be accompanied by a bank document on its letterhead, verifying the authenticity of the statements.

• Electronic statements from a bank that is not exclusively online, you would want to provide:
  ➢ electronic bank statements printed at the bank on its official stationary; or
  ➢ electronic statements you print which have the bank's official stamp on every page; or
  ➢ a supporting letter from the bank on its letterhead, confirming the statements' authenticity.

In the application itself, Part 4 Your Family, it will be clear that you have a spouse and children, and that they reside with you in Germany. That, along with proof of employment and financial viability are sufficient. You do not need to provide any further documentation, e.g., marriage or birth certificates.

More is not necessarily better: while UK Immigration asks for an applicant to explain why they wish to enter the country, it outlines what supporting evidence may be appropriate, not requisite; you decide what best reinforces your application.