Please note: This route is now closed for all new Applicants. Existing applicants may be able to apply for an extension of their current Investor visa or settlement if they qualify.

 

The Tier 1 Investor Visa route exists for high-net-worth individuals who can make a substantial financial investment in the UK as an investor. Individuals applying for this visa route must prove that they can invest a minimum of two million pounds into UK-registered companies over the course of at least five years.

This visa route is open to individuals seeking initial entry as an Investor, those seeking an extension of their current investor visa, those seeking to switch from a permitted visa in the UK or those seeking settlement (ILR) within this category.

In order to qualify for a UK Investor visa, you will need to satisfy the following UK Investor visa requirements:

• You have funds amounting to at least £2 million belonging to yourself, your partner or the two of you jointly.
• The money is held in a regulated financial institution.
• The money is freely transferable to the UK and able to be converted to pounds sterling.
• You have opened a bank account with a UK regulated bank for the purpose of investing not less than £2 million in the UK.

Your initial UK Investor visa will be valid for either 3 years and 4 months (if applying from overseas) or 3 years (if applying from within the UK). Once you have entered the UK Investor visa category, you will need to invest at least £2 million in qualifying investments. You will need to invest at least £2 million in actively trading UK companies within 3 months of entering the category. You will then need to maintain your investment.

Certain regulations apply in relation to qualifying acceptable investment channels. These are namely, share capital and/or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies. The Immigration Rules for UK Investor visa applicants contain various restrictions on permitted investments. For example, investments in offshore companies or trusts, open-ended investment companies and companies mainly engaged in property investment, property management or property development are all prohibited.

In relation to achieving an extension of your current investor visa the requirements that you will need to satisfy in order to qualify for a UK Investor visa extension will depend upon whether your initial UK Investor visa was granted before 6 November 2014, between 6 November 2014 and 28 March 2019 or on or after 29 March 2019. You may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK as a UK Investor visa holder after spending 2, 3 or 5 years in the UK. The requirements that you will need to satisfy in order to qualify for ILR as a UK Investor visa holder will depend upon when your initial UK Investor visa was granted and the amount of your investment.
You will be able to extend your stay as a UK Investor visa holder for a further 2 years, before qualifying for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) after 5 years.

In order to settle in the UK as a UK Investor, you will need to spend not more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period and, have sufficient knowledge of the English language and Life in the UK.

The Tier 1 Investor category has the shortest investor immigration application processing time among the G8 countries making it a great option for investors.

The requirements and application process can vary for this visa route, so it’s best to speak to an Immigration Lawyer to determine if you’re eligible to apply and what you will need to include with your application.