Schengen visa: why bank statements if the company is sponsoring my visa?
I have a work permit for Belgium. I understand that my visa application will be sponsored by the Belgian company recruiting me. In this case, why am I stil required to submit my bank statements?
I am travelling on company sponsor and I am planning to sponsor my wife's travel. But the amount in my bank is sufficient for sustenance, but only for one individual(as per the Belgian per day euro calculation). Effectively both of us are financially covered, as I will get paid while staying in Belgium and my bank funds become useful for my wife's stay. But since both of us are submitting my bank statement with our visa applications, we are not sure how well it goes down with the authorities
Best Answer
There is no explanation in the official Visa Code I could find. But bank statements have other usefulness besides the usual "ensure the applicant has enough resources to support yourself during the trip" which is not applicable in your case. For example the consulate could use them to ensure:
That you have legitimate means to support yourself right now, i.e. receive legal income from work and spend it (i.e. your income is not all cash-based which could be linked to tax evasion and even possible criminal activities) - this helps ensuring that you'd do the same while in Belgium;
That you have meaningful connection to your local economy - and thus is likely to return back once your work permit is finished/canceled, instead of staying underground in Belgium;
That there are no obvious red flags which would require further questioning, such as your balance shows you have been in debt for a long period of time.
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Do I need a bank statement if I have a sponsor?
The sponsor of the company should provide a statement that they are authorized to grant the funds of the company to the student. The name of the sponsor should also be included on the bank statement of the company.Is bank statement required for Schengen visa?
You must show evidence that you will be able to financially maintain yourself during your stay in the Schengen territory. You should be able to prove that through a bank statement of the past three months, which must not be older than three days.How much bank balance do I have to show for a Schengen visa?
Bank statement \u2013 this needs to show a minimum balance of \u20ac3000 over the last 6 months. If you do not have this amount in your bank, you could show a family member's/guardian's statement instead, with an accompanying letter stating that they are sponsoring your travel and stay.How do I prove sufficient funds for visa?
How do I prove that I have enough money to travel? It's simple: Get a bank certificate or bank statement or both. A bank certificate is usually a one-page document that certifies that you have an account with that branch. Often, the latest available balance is indicated.Schengen Visa Application (Tourist Visa with a Sponsor not from a Schengen Member State)
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Answer 2
The bank statement shows that:
Your economic situation correlates with what you have submitted as your details.
That the trip is not a financial burden on you.
The company may not be covering the costs of the entire trip for you, or may only be covering them partially. For example, when I travel on company business the flights are covered by the company, but hotel expenses are not (they are reimbursed later). So I have to show sufficient funds for the trip even though a large majority of it is being paid for.
My brother was recently hired by a company in the Netherlands. This company paid for his ticket, plus 3 months of hotel stay, plus a daily stipend (while they finished his paperwork and got him a permanent apartment); and my brother still had to show a bank statement as part of the visa procedure.
In summary, the bank statement is more than just how much money you have in the bank.
Answer 3
As I understand it, the company is sponsoring you and not your spouse. I don't think you can sponsor your wife, if you haven't started working with this company yet - Unless you have sufficient funds in your bank account for both of you and the bank statement and other documents demonstrate that your spouse has ties to her home country. This is how I think the Belgian authorities would look at your case.
Answer 4
The visa application process is just not optimized for saving you time and effort. For some applications the bank statement is important (such as when self-funding the trip), so they always ask for it.
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