Bank Statements
Cooperation to combat visa fraud
The United States Embassy launched a program with the Uganda Banking Association on February 20 to help combat fraudulent visa applications. Applicants can now complete a form authorizing their bank to forward statements to the visa section. In the past, most visa applicants presented paper copies of their bank statements along with their applications to the U.S. Embassy. Unfortunately, a significant number of statements supplied were either forged, had been tampered with or were being used without the permission of the account holder. Many statements had to be checked carefully, slowing down the application process.
Bank statements are not a compulsory requirement at the U.S. Embassy when applying for a visa. However, a bank statement with a history of financial activity can assist an applicant in providing information about their circumstances in Uganda, information that when presented with other documentary evidence assists adjudicators in making a determination if the applicant is eligible for the visa requested.
All Ugandan banks who are members of the Ugandan Banking Association are participating in the program.
They are:
- Allied Bank International
- Bank of Africa Uganda
- Barclays Bank
- Baroda Bank
- Cairo International Bank
- Centenary Bank
- Citibank Uganda Limited
- Crane Bank
- DFCU
- Diamond Trust Bank
- Housing Finance
- National Bank of Commerce
- Orient Bank
- Stanbic Bank
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Tropical Bank
Applicants who elect to use this new process are not guaranteed U.S. visa. The process will, however, help the U.S. Embassy obtain assurance that a statement presented in support of a visa application is legitimate.
Though the U.S. Embassy encourages the use of the new process, applicants will still be able to present paper copies of their bank statements in visa processing.
Click here for the bank statement authorization form.
(21.8 KB PDF document)
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