Template: request to your bank for a balance / sponsorship letter
A ready-to-copy request asking your bank for an English-language letter confirming the account holder, balance and currency, for a U.S. boarding school's I-20 file or a J-1 sponsor. F-1 students must show documentary evidence of funds at least equal to the amount on the I-20; the school tells you which documents it accepts.
Who issues / uses itWritten by the parent or sponsor who holds the account; sent to their own bank. The bank's letter goes to the U.S. school (and is useful at the visa interview).
When in the processWhen the school asks for financial documents before issuing the I-20 (usually right after admission) — and again before the visa interview if the letter is old.
CostYour bank may charge a fee for the letter.
Last checked2026-10-10
Template
Subject: Request for a bank letter (account balance) in English Dear [Bank name] team, I am the holder of account no. [account number] at your [branch name] branch. My child, [student's full name as in passport], has been admitted to [school name] in the United States, and the school needs an official bank letter to confirm that our family can pay for tuition and living costs. Please issue a letter in English, on bank letterhead, that states: 1. The account holder's full name: [account holder's full name] 2. The account number (or the last four digits): [account number] 3. The current balance and the currency (and, if possible, the amount in U.S. dollars at today's rate) 4. The date of issue 5. The name, title, signature and contact details of the bank officer If possible, please address the letter "To whom it may concern" and send it to me by [date] as [a signed paper original / a PDF with a digital signature]. Thank you for your help. Kind regards, [Your full name] [Address] [Phone] · [E-mail] [Date]
USAnaru™ original template — free to copy and adapt. It is not a government form.
Steps
- Ask the school which amount, currency and date limit it needs (many want a letter issued within the last few months).
- Fill in the brackets and send the request to your bank (branch visit, secure message or e-mail).
- Check the bank's letter: letterhead, account holder name exactly as in the passport, balance, currency, date, signature and bank contact.
- Send it to the school with any support statement it asks for.
Why schools ask for it
Under federal rules an F-1 student needs documentary evidence of financial support in the amount shown on the I-20. Schools collect these documents before issuing the I-20, and consular officers may ask about funds at the interview.
This is a USAnaru™ original template you may copy and adapt. It is not a government form, and each school decides what it accepts.
Common mistakes
- A letter in another language without an English version or translation.
- Account holder name that does not match the sponsor on the support statement.
- Showing less than the amount on the school's cost sheet.
- Old letters — check the school's date limit.
Questions
Does the letter have to be in English?
U.S. schools generally need English documents. Ask your bank for an English letter or add a translation if the school accepts one.
Official sources
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(1)(i)(B) — documentary evidence of financial support in the amount on the I-20 — eCFR · checked 2026-10-10
Information, not legal advice. We summarize public U.S. government sources in our own words; rules and fees change. Confirm with the school’s DSO (F-1), your sponsor’s Responsible Officer (J-1) or the U.S. embassy or consulate before you act.
Cite as: USAnaru™ — https://usanaru.com/documents/bank-letter-request