YMS Visa Questions!

Hey everyone, i'm sure these questions like this have been asked before, but just need a little help (or re-assurance that I've got my stuff together)
So I'm applying for my Youth Mobilty Visa and I totally under estimated all the stuff they would require! I applied for a working holiday visa for Australia 2 years ago and it was all online and fast. So now with all the extra submissions I'm nervous to screw up-no one wants to pay and then get rejected!!
Anywayss 2 questions
1- If i have my letter from the bank-stamped,dated,funds shown and all the other stuff, do they still require bank statements with the application? Or is the letter proof enough?
2- Do I need to send them expired passports?? I had two passports from when I younger both were expired,but then lost in a house fire...Will I need proof that there were destroyed in the fire? I never reported them to the passport people because they had been expired and I had my new still valid passport with me and therefore wasnt damaged. Is just my current valid passpoort good enough?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!!
P.s. Anyone apply/send applications from Toronto recently? how long did it take to get your acceptance?

Thanks Everyone
Happy Travels!

they actually don't require a whole lot

1. I had a letter from my bank stating my funds in Canadian dollars and converted UK pound sterling in both my chequing and savings accounts. I also have an RRSP but because they need to know what funds you automatically have access to, it was useless to say I have this. I also had a bank statement however the bank statement didn't line up with the letter only because of when it had to be dated (closing account amounts). Both were signed and stamped by my bank. I was only going to submit the letter but the guy who wrote the letter for me asked me if I wanted to submit a statement as well just in case.

2. no, you won't need proof that you lost your expired passports in a house fire. Just simply state that you don't have it and I believe there is a place where you can explain what happened. Just state what happened and why you don't have them. I don't have my expired passports because they were returned to Passport Canada and not returned to me (this passport I want back!!).

I sent my application through Toronto since I work almost around the corner. I submitted my application online (have a little story there LOL!) and booked my biometrics in Toronto for a couple days later. Had my appointment where everything was submitted (by the way, if you bring copies, they will be handed back to you) and my biometrics was taken. Took maybe 15 minutes tops.

Had my biometrics appointment on a Monday. By Tuesday mid-morning I received an email stating that the UKBA in Ottawa received my documentation. By Wednesday early afternoon I had an email from the UKBA that my visa had been approved. By Thursday mid-morning, all of my documents were back in Toronto. Since I work not far from Worldbridge, I left work a little early to pick everything up (you can only pick things up between 4pm-5pm Mo-Fr).

I am now sitting on pins and needles with opening a bank account. I leave for the UK on Aug 24th - ssooo excited!!!!

Hey Lynz and Court!!
Good luck getting your YMS visa- my visa was exactly how Lynz said. Did everything online, did the biometrics the following tuesday, wednesday i got the email from UKBA, Thursday got another email saying they issued my visa, and Friday I had it back. I didn't wait around ( i was unemployed) so i just bought a ticket for 2 weeks later and now here I am in glorious England!!

About the bank account - still gotta set mine up, but apparently all you need to take into a bank is your passport (or so they told my boyfriends mum). Gonna go today to see if thats the case. Wish me luck!

Hope you guys have a great time!! Where will you both be in England? I'm currently in Salisbury - but movig to Trowbridge in couple weeks when my boyfriend goes to Uni in bristol - Trowbridge is just closer for us, without having to live in the city!

Thanks guys, feeling confident about all this now. Sent my online stuff yesterday and have my biometrics next week!!
Not sure where ill be living yet, I have several friends I met on my travels that have offered me places to stay, which is fantastic! Probably either near birmingham, or a bit south of London. Can't wait!!
Heard setting up a bank account was really tricky. Heard they need proof of address in the form of a ulitity bill or something. Which i wont have. Might try to set one up before I go, but i looked at a couple of the oversea account things and they dont sound much easier. Oh well, Ill start dealing with that later.
Thanks again, and Enjoy your travels!!!

Hey Court!
Do you have a drivers license in Canada? If not, its WICKED easy to get your Provisional License in the UK (no tests or ANYTHING) and it will have your address on it. I used my provisional license and my passport to open my bank account, didn't need a bill at all.
If you go to the DVLA website once in england (you can even do this the day you arrive, or possibly even shortly before you come to england... but im not sure if it would work outside the UK) you can fill out all the stuff online and pay the fee of £50. Because you are not a UK Citizen, they will require you to send a paper application as well, which will be sent to the address you provide them. It's easy to complete and if you have a valid passport (which you would if you get a ymv anyway) then you need to send the passport as well as well as one other piece of ID (isent my alberta birth certificate) as well as one passport sized photograph (which you can get from any photobooth for about £5) Be careful though with the application, it says if you dont have a VALID passport you need someone in the uk to validate your identity, but if your passport is valid, you dont need this - confirmed that with the dvla girl) so I sent my passport. birth certificate, one photo, and the filled out and signed form. The entire thing took about 2 weeks total from start to finish. Just make sure you dont need your passport in between, so it might be advisable to photocopy both your visa and your main passport page before you send the passport.
Also be prepared to spend about £5 in sending the package to the DVLA in Swansea as you need to send it recorded (just heads up - mine came back *gulp* second class mail) so be warned it might take awhile to come back!

But really, opening the account was so easy. I went with nationwide!
Good luck!
Erin

Thanks for the info Erin! never would have thought of that!
I do have a Drivers license here tho, do you know if I can still do that?

you can also drive on your Ontari licence for up to a year - it also allows you to drive manual vehicles whereas if you were to pay your £50 and get your UK licence, you will only be allowed to drive automatic vehicles until you take a road test (dumb - especially if you've been driving a manual vehicle since you can remember!).

I'll be in London (well, my current flat will be just outside London). I leave in 2 weeks time. I have a friend who lives in London who set it up for me and has helped me a lot.

As for banking, there is a lot of mixed info. Some people are successful in opening up a bank account with just a passport and others have problems with it. I'm attempting to set up a bank account from Canada - I'm waiting to hear back with a decision and it's absolutely killing me!

Im thinking of just biting the bullet and paying for one of those kickstart programs that sort out bank accounts and your NI number..i heard thats a pain too. im heading over in just under 5 weeks now..Cant wait!!!
Good Luck with your bank stuff

My NI and bank was no hassle at all. Because I'm canadian though, they needed me to fill out paper applications as well as the online stuff (which was easy!)
I did my UK license first (i didnt have a canadian license at all) because at least with the UK license has my address on it, which was something the bank and the Job Centre needed to process a bank account and NI number so for me it was easy peasy, but yeah I can see where some banks would be a pain in the ass with it. Good luck and enjoy your time here!!

Am I required to have a bank account opened in the UK when I submit my application?