Proof of Address nightmare for foreign national.

Linguist

My wife is Brazilian, here on a marriage visa. She's lived here for around 9 months now and we have tried several times to open a bank account/join my account with no success, so I thought I'd ask here if anyone knows any alternatives or solutions.

The problem is always proof of address. We live with my mother just now. We have no tenancy agreement nor utility bills.

Originally she was on a fiancee visa with further leave to remain (meaning she was here legally for 6 months with no ability to work). This ruled out using a provisional licence (the licence application form says that they will refuse if you are not considered 'settled')

Now she has her bioresidence permit and indefinite leave to remain for two years, and is able to work. We thought that we could use this permit and the accompanying letter as proof of address (many of the ID required lists the banks provide say that they will accept a letter from the home office showing your right to work as proof). However, both LLoyds TSB (my bank) and RBS (my old bank with whom I still have a savings account) said that the letter we have does not work as it's just a cover letter for the residence permit.

The other suggestion by Lloyds TSB was that we get someone to 'vouch' for my wife's genuine intent. That means someone who is a customer of Lloyds TSB for 12 months coming into the branch to say that they've known her etc. I still haven't been with them this long and we don't know anyone who has, so that didn't work. I asked RBS if they did this and they said no.

HSBS's Passport account seemed like the most likely avenue - you agree to give them money for 6 months to have a bank account that does not require a UK address to open initially. So we applied to that and were told that to open it she needs proof of her address in Brazil - a utility bill, tenancy agreement, bank statement, driving licence etc. My wife has none of those things from her address in Brazil either, and she hasn't lived at that address for 9 months to even try and get it.

We are pretty much at our wits end with it. The only two solutions we can see is to apply for a provisional driving licence and use that (although only cooperative bank says outright that they acept provisional, others say full only or don't specify), or to wait until I've beenw ith Lloyds TSB for 12 months which won't be till May or June.

My wife is now actively searching employment though, and we have no idea what we're supposed to do when she gets offered a job and doesn't have a bank account. We asked Lloyds and they said we could try putting it into my account, but that may not work with the payroll process because the names are different on the account. Apart from that, it's hardly an ideal situation - having your wages paid into someone else account, even if it is your husband's.

I've seen it suggested elsewhere to get a prepaid credit card and use the letter from that as proof. This doesn't sound like it would work to me - they specify credit card statement and I don't think you get a statement with those cards.

Any ideas are greatly welcome as we have pretty much exhausted all ours.

chambta

If she rings the tax office and asks for a 'notice of tax coding' then that can be used by RBS/Natwest for address verification.

Stuartzane

Add your wife's name to council tax bill?

benjus

Can't you just ask your mother to add her as a name on a utility bill?

p00hsticks

If she's looking for work the presumably she's applied for a NI number ? A letter from DWP would probably do the trick.

Linguist

Thanks for the suggestions.

chambta wrote: »

If she rings the tax office and asks for a 'notice of tax coding' then that can be used by RBS/Natwest for address verification.

p00hsticks wrote: »

If she's looking for work the presumably she's applied for a NI number ? A letter from DWP would probably do the trick.

She received her national insurance number today and called the HMRC to get a tax code notice. They said they only give such a notice when you are in employment - since she doesn't have a job yet and has not yet had one in this country then she does not have a tax code.

The banks don't accept all letters from governmental agencies as proof of address - only very specific letters like tax notice, confirming benefits, right to live/work.

We looked into adding her to council tax and utility bills, but they all fell through.

The only apparent solution left is for her to apply for a provisional drivers licence.

Although I'm almost certain there will be an excuse as to why she cannot have one of those too.

MPH80

I'm ... to be honest ... a bit confused.

My wife - who followed the same process as yours - got her provisional license within weeks of arriving on the fiancee visa. The requirements - according to the website https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence#before-you-start is simply that she's resident - not settled.

'Settled' in UKBA terminology means that she has indefinite leave to remain - which your wife does not - she is still on temporary leave to remain. ILR wouldn't have an end date of two years hence. To require anyone who got a PDL to be settled would exclude almost all immigrants for 5 years in this country!

I'm also confused how adding her name to the council tax 'fell through'. Surely you ring up, add her name, and get a new bill? Unless, of course, your mother is claiming a single person discount and has two people living with her and doesn't want the council to know ...

innovate

Linguist wrote: »

....... only very specific letters like tax notice, confirming benefits, right to live/work..

Surely she has the last one on this list if she is seeking work?

Like MPH80, I can't understand either why she cannot be added to a council tax and/or utility bill.

pinkdalek

Some banks will accept letter of introduction from an existing customer, if the customer has been with the bank for a certain period and is known to the branch/bank.

You can get letters from solicitor/doctor/employer. Has your wife nothing from the Home Office?

Easiest option would be to add her to the council tax bill or another utility bill.

CIS

We looked into adding her to council tax and utility bills, but they all fell through.

If she's living here as her main residence then by law she should be on the council tax bill.

The council may be working on the basis it's not her 'sole or main residence' and therefore she would not be shown on the council tax bill.

You need to speak with the council and advise them that this is now her main residence.

macman

Mobile phone bill? If they will accept that.