British embassy and visas

In her letter published on May 3, 1996, your reader (Myra Sidharta) rebukes my Visa Section for asking to see three months' bank statements and for wanting to know her annual income when she applied for a visa.

We have checked our records and established that we did not, in fact, ask for this information. Our records show that your reader submitted her application through a local travel agent. We assume that it was the agent who asked for the bank statements and supporting documents.

We are required to see evidence that a visa applicant can support him or herself financially. But we take a relaxed view of this regulation for Indonesian applicants, who have always been model visitors to our country. We ask to see evidence of funds only from first time travelers who plan to spend more than one month in the UK. This would not have applied to your reader.

GRAHAM S BURTON

Ambassador

British Embassy, Jakarta