Unbelievable!!!!!!!!

[david_oz]

my bank in australia also wouldn't write a letter under any circumstances...

i explained this in my pack to CIC, and got them to send me my statements for the last 6 months and submitted those as well. it cost $30 to get them reprinted, i guess i should have kept a copy in the first place.

[me2land]

Please I need your help. I went to the US BANK in order to get a letter from them with our current balance. Their answer was: We cannot provide you a letter with the current balance of your account. We have to fax your request to Minneapolis(where is their main office), it costs 60 US dollars, and it takes 2-3 weeks. This left me with no words...3 weeks for a simple letter, just to show my own money!!! After I fax that request, I went again to the bank, and the manager said that I will have to wait for their answer, and they will fax that letter to me back. My question to them was: Ok but I need an original letter stamped and signed,not just a faxed letter, and for that I have to pay 60 dollars!!!!!!!
I don't know what to do??? I mean, the visa office should be aware that some bank are really knockheaded...Guys what is your opinion; I have never heard about such thing before...not to be able to go to your bank and get a simple letter.......

This is strange and random. I got a letter from US Bank 2 times in the last 6 months for free. First time I walked into the bank and talked to a personal banker and she told me they don't do such letters. Luckily I had a similar letter from fidelity and told her I just needed something like that showing my acc#, current balance and avg balance for the year. She just did it for me nicely in a US Bank letterhead paper for free. The 2nd time I went(2 months later) she did it again. This time I went with the copy she gave me ealier and she typed me a new one.

¬m2l

[rinks25us]

This is strange and random. I got a letter from US Bank 2 times in the last 6 months for free. First time I walked into the bank and talked to a personal banker and she told me they don't do such letters. Luckily I had a similar letter from fidelity and told her I just needed something like that showing my acc#, current balance and avg balance for the year. She just did it for me nicely in a US Bank letterhead paper for free. The 2nd time I went(2 months later) she did it again. This time I went with the copy she gave me ealier and she typed me a new one.

¬m2l

Assuming that you have the online banking option, a colored printer and some papers,  you can take print out from your online banking account, get them notarized if need be and its all good. (depending on banks, they may have some good reporting tools too like average cash flow, balance etc .. )

I have an account with huntington and PNC, never had any issues except the first time.. they were confused with bank statements v/s letter of account balance on a given date..

hope that helps...

[gcctocanada]

Thats unfortunate, as you said our money and we will grovel just to gain a statement for it. For me, The bank certificate from HSBC cost me 10BD/100dirhams. I got it the same day...HSBC rocks. .

[haral]

i have an A/C with Citibank Pakistan and they do this on one day notice and charge around 10$

Please I need your help. I went to the US BANK in order to get a letter from them with our current balance. Their answer was: We cannot provide you a letter with the current balance of your account. We have to fax your request to Minneapolis(where is their main office), it costs 60 US dollars, and it takes 2-3 weeks. This left me with no words...3 weeks for a simple letter, just to show my own money!!! After I fax that request, I went again to the bank, and the manager said that I will have to wait for their answer, and they will fax that letter to me back. My question to them was: Ok but I need an original letter stamped and signed,not just a faxed letter, and for that I have to pay 60 dollars!!!!!!!
I don't know what to do??? I mean, the visa office should be aware that some bank are really knockheaded...Guys what is your opinion; I have never heard about such thing before...not to be able to go to your bank and get a simple letter.......

[micuza2004]

Yesterday they told me that they don't release such letters, only I have to fax it to Minneapolis, etc. Today I went again to the bank, and went straight to the customer service manager. I re-explained her what happened yesterday...this person wasn't yesterday when I went in the afternoon. I told her that besides the monthly bank statements(which I have them home), I need for Canada Immigration a letter from them where is shown the current balance for that day. She was very nice, she understood my frustration, and she released me a letterheaded US Bank where it states: to mr. and mrs xxxxx, states the avarage balance from the last 6 months and the current balance from our account, and at the bottom of the page she typed her name, her position in the branch, and the phone number....she was very helpful and understanding. After that I asked her what might represent that fax which I sent it yesterday to Minneapolis, as a request for my balance verification...I told her that her colegue from yesterday affirmed that it takes 3 weeks and costs 60 dollars. She checked and surprise..it really exists that service for companies and customers but it costs 25 dollars, takes three days for the guys from Minneapolis to fax it back, and if it the request from the customer regards goverment issues(where Canda Immigration may apply) is free at no charge.   wow; I think that the person from yesterday really "knows" her job Thank God everything is fine now.
About that thing that the Immigration may check your account or your balance, there is no such thing...nobody from the bank has the right to realease our account information to a person who might call, even if we talk about Canada or US citizenship immigration services. That is for all the people who are scared about that issue. The information from above is from the manager of the branch. Maybe some people might want to know this thing.

[gcctocanada]

Good to know all is well now with your case buddy...Yeah we are protected by that banking law, that is why they ask for this bank statement and certificate, for sure the bank will not gave us if we don't have money deposited there.

Good luck for the further process down immigration road. keep in touch

[micuza2004]

Thank you so much, good luck to us all.

[CPAMATRIX]

great to know u got through
Good Luck with the rest of the process

[barsindoo]

Since all you need to show the VO/IO is your account history, I will suggest you print out your online statement of account in colour just like I did. If in doubt, they can always confirm same from your bankers. Paying those exorbitant fees is highly ridiculous in this economic times.   

[johny gaddar]

hey micuza..
in this case...banks in INDIA are far better...
I asked the Bank Manager to issue a Balance Certificate.....he said this will going to charge you....i replied in that case i would like to withdraw all my money right now...shouted at him to give me a Account closing Form....you know wht....

He told that give me 2 minutes sir....and issued the balance certificate then and there without any fees..

Few days back, I again taken that same Balance certificate...absolutely free..

INDIA is GREAT...So r INDIANS..proud to be an INDIAN for that matter..

[avi_15]

this is really unbelievable... i am a us bank customer myself and have got these kind of letters from them many a times in minneapolis..
wonder why they try to dupe customers and have different laws at different places...

[avi_15]

Yesterday they told me that they don't release such letters, only I have to fax it to Minneapolis, etc. Today I went again to the bank, and went straight to the customer service manager. I re-explained her what happened yesterday...this person wasn't yesterday when I went in the afternoon. I told her that besides the monthly bank statements(which I have them home), I need for Canada Immigration a letter from them where is shown the current balance for that day. She was very nice, she understood my frustration, and she released me a letterheaded US Bank where it states: to mr. and mrs xxxxx, states the avarage balance from the last 6 months and the current balance from our account, and at the bottom of the page she typed her name, her position in the branch, and the phone number....she was very helpful and understanding. After that I asked her what might represent that fax which I sent it yesterday to Minneapolis, as a request for my balance verification...I told her that her colegue from yesterday affirmed that it takes 3 weeks and costs 60 dollars. She checked and surprise..it really exists that service for companies and customers but it costs 25 dollars, takes three days for the guys from Minneapolis to fax it back, and if it the request from the customer regards goverment issues(where Canda Immigration may apply) is free at no charge.  wow; I think that the person from yesterday really "knows" her job Thank God everything is fine now.
About that thing that the Immigration may check your account or your balance, there is no such thing...nobody from the bank has the right to realease our account information to a person who might call, even if we talk about Canada or US citizenship immigration services. That is for all the people who are scared about that issue. The information from above is from the manager of the branch. Maybe some people might want to know this thing.

good to know that thay dont divulge info about accounts even to VO's.. may be of some relief to people low on funds

[immighopeful]

Hi Friends,
FWIW, I kept my money in a local credit union in the USA, and most of their services to the members are free. I have noticed the CU staff in most places are courteous, supportive and responsive - i.e., you could get your statements in their branch in like 15-20 minutes. And regrding the safety of our money, the deposits are federally insured (at least for amounts under 25K).   
Hope this message is helpful for new PR applicants who are considering where to deposit their money.

Cheers,
Arun.