The Student Room Group

Residency Evidence - How and what to provide?

So, my situation is as follows:

I have dual citizenship, British and Japanese. I've lived here more or less continuously since 2009, went through the education system, etc.
My father lives and works in the UK, while my mother is currently living in Japan since 2018.
After taking Summer 2022 exams, I did not have the grades to apply to university, so I decided to do extra A levels via online distance learning.
In December 2022, I went to Japan for an extended gap year, staying with my mother while studying for the extra qualifications, especially since my father had to sort out accommodation and was moving. I intended to return to the UK before either summer 2023 or summer 2024, as I wasn't sure whether I would be able to study 2 A levels in ~6 months and eventually decided to postpone my return to 2024 and do exams that summer.
I returned to the UK in April 2024 and did exams summer 2024.

The issue is, at least based on what I've read, unless I missed something, there seems to be not that much evidence I can provide if asked that my stay in Japan from Dec 2022 to Apr 2024 is temporary and that I was "ordinarily resident" in the UK during that period.

- I turned 18 in 2022
- No temp visa, I am also a Japanese citizen and hold a Japanese passport
- Don't have a prebooked return ticket, since I hadn't decided whether I would return either in 2023 or 2024 at the time of booking
- Bank statements: This is really the only concrete evidence I can think of, I do have a UK bank account, and it did see transactions during 2022, 2023, and 2024, but they weren't regular since I was not paying bills or employed during that time

I'm worried that explaining my circumstances along with bank statements might not be enough evidence. I would really appreciate if someone from SFE could advise me on this. Thanks.
Hi there,

Are you wanting to apply for an undergraduate course in the 2024/25 academic year? When did you move back to the UK? We would usually need evidence of your temporary break in residency if you have not been living in the UK for 3 years prior to the 1st day of your 1st academic year.

Thanks, Drew
Reply 2
Original post by Drew SLC
Hi there,
Are you wanting to apply for an undergraduate course in the 2024/25 academic year? When did you move back to the UK? We would usually need evidence of your temporary break in residency if you have not been living in the UK for 3 years prior to the 1st day of your 1st academic year.
Thanks, Drew

Hi,
Yes, I'm applying for undergraduate 2024/25.
I was in the UK continuously, excluding holidays, from mid 2009 to December 2022.
I returned in April 2024.

I'm aware that evidence may be requested, although I have not been asked yet. I am not sure what evidence I could provide, as most of the other threads I have read mostly mention work contracts/visas which are not applicable to my situation. I'm also not sure what would count as evidence.

Thanks.
(edited 2 months ago)
Hi there,

Usually if it is a child who has to move due to a parents job we would ask for their temporary work contracts or visas however if your parent lives there full time then you would not have this. I do not think you will be able to provide evidence to show you are eligible. You would need to be living in the UK for 3 years prior to the 1st day of the 1st academic year of your course to be eligible.

Thanks, Drew
Reply 4
Original post by Drew SLC
Hi there,
Usually if it is a child who has to move due to a parents job we would ask for their temporary work contracts or visas however if your parent lives there full time then you would not have this. I do not think you will be able to provide evidence to show you are eligible. You would need to be living in the UK for 3 years prior to the 1st day of the 1st academic year of your course to be eligible.
Thanks, Drew

Hi,

What about the bank statements mentioned in the original post? Would they be considered evidence? Is there any other evidence I could possibly provide apart from those already mentioned, and would my circumstances be taken into account when assessing?
Also, while my parent in Japan does not intend to stay there, they are a Japanese citizen.

Thanks
Hi there,

You can provide bank statements to show you have a link to the UK and it can also show if you were still paying bills. You can also write a cover letter explaining your situation and why you cannot provide any other evidence. It will be look at on a case by case basis.

Thanks, Drew
Reply 6
Original post by Drew SLC
Hi there,
You can provide bank statements to show you have a link to the UK and it can also show if you were still paying bills. You can also write a cover letter explaining your situation and why you cannot provide any other evidence. It will be look at on a case by case basis.
Thanks, Drew

Hi,

I do have a UK bank account, and although I didn't pay e.g. utility bills, I did make other transactions from it during my absence, albeit irregularly.
Thanks for the advice concerning a cover letter.
Is there any other evidence I could provide apart from this, that has not already been mentioned? As an example, since I was studying via distance learning, would something like bank statements showing payment to the provider in 2022 support my explanations in the cover letter?
Hi there,

You can provide all evidence that you think will help show your break in residency was only temporary.

Thanks, Drew
Reply 8
Original post by Drew SLC
Hi there,
You can provide all evidence that you think will help show your break in residency was only temporary.
Thanks, Drew
I see, thanks for the advice.

I have read that only certain bank statements may be accepted as evidence, e.g. original and stamped. What are the requirements? Would these have to be sent via post, or would uploading online be sufficient?

Thanks
Hi there,

You can upload your evidence from your online account.

Thanks, Drew
Reply 10
Original post by Drew SLC
Hi there,
You can upload your evidence from your online account.
Thanks, Drew

Hi

Please confirm if this means that online/electronic bank statements are accepted and can be uploaded online? Or does the statement have to be printed by the bank?

Thanks
(edited 2 months ago)
Hi there,

You can take pictures of the paper bank statements and upload them if you have them or if you are uploading your online bank statements.

Thanks, Drew
Reply 12
Ok, thank you for confirming that online bank statements are accepted.
(edited 2 months ago)
You're welcome. If you have any further questions you can ask us on this platform.

Thanks, Drew

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