1. Source of funds is about the specific CBI money
A bank balance proves that money exists; it does not prove where it came from. Source-of-funds review follows the particular amount used for the contribution or investment from its lawful origin into the account and then to the programme's approved payment channel.
2. Salary and savings
For salaried applicants, employment contracts, payslips, tax returns and bank statements can show accumulation over time. A sudden large deposit shortly before application needs its own explanation. Long-term savings are easier to document when the transaction history is visible rather than reconstructed at the last minute.
3. Business income and dividends
Entrepreneurs may need corporate registration documents, shareholder records, audited accounts, tax filings, dividend resolutions and bank evidence. The objective is to connect company profits legally available to the applicant with the personal funds used for CBI.
4. Sale of a business or property
A sale can create a clean source-of-funds trail if the applicant provides ownership history, the signed sale agreement, settlement or closing records, tax evidence where relevant and the bank receipt. The authorities may also ask where the original asset purchase money came from.
5. Inheritance and gifts
Inheritance can be documented with probate, estate records and bank transfers. Gifts require evidence of the donor's lawful source and the relationship to the applicant. A gift does not remove the need to explain how the donor acquired the funds.
6. Loans and third-party financing
Some programmes or asset routes restrict financing or require the qualifying capital to be genuinely at risk from the applicant. Grenada, for example, has publicly acted against illegal owner-financing and discounting in approved projects. Before borrowing, confirm that the financing structure is permitted.
7. Crypto transactions need a fiat history too
A route that accepts Bitcoin or USDT does not eliminate anti-money-laundering review. Applicants should expect to document exchange accounts, wallet ownership, transaction history and the lawful fiat or business activity that generated the cryptoassets. Blockchain visibility can add evidence rather than reduce it.
8. Build the evidence chain before transferring
Map the money from origin to destination: source event, tax or accounting record, receiving account, intermediate transfers and final programme payment. Avoid unnecessary account hopping. A clear trail can reduce questions and make the financial narrative easier for both banks and government due-diligence teams to verify.
9. Build an audit-ready application record
Build a source-of-funds chain that can be followed from the wealth-generating event to the programme transfer. For example, link a property sale to the sale contract, bank receipt, subsequent account movements and final remittance. The fewer unexplained jumps between documents, the easier the file is to review.
Where money has passed through companies, relatives or several currencies, explain the legal reason for each transfer and retain the supporting records. Trying to simplify a complex but legitimate history by omitting intermediate steps can make the final payment harder, not easier, to justify.
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