For proof of funds (POF) under Express Entry (e.g., FSW), if the funds sit in the spouse's or another family member's bank account rather than the primary applicant's, a couple of practical points came up:
- Adding the primary applicant as a joint account holder after ITA is workable, but it's safer to also submit a signed letter confirming that the account holder approves of the funds being used for the immigration application. One applicant reported receiving an ADR (Additional Document Request) specifically asking for this kind of authorization letter, even after adding the primary applicant to the account — so it's worth including proactively rather than waiting for an ADR.
- Savings account funds are accepted. You do not need to transfer money from a savings account into a checking account to satisfy the POF requirement — one applicant confirmed using a savings account with no issues.
Bottom line: keep a paper trail (bank statements + a signed authorization letter) showing both where the money is and that it's genuinely available to support the primary applicant, regardless of which account type it's held in.