The official requirements don’t seem to mean much. They vary from embassy to embassy. For example, I only showed a one-month bank statement, even though it says everywhere that three months are required. The same applies to the extra funds needed in a bank account for children. I’ve seen cases where a sponsorship letter was all that was required for two children, even with only 500K in the account. All you need to do is ask around at different embassies if you’re looking for an easier route.