Investor (Tier 1) Visa

The Investor (Tier 1) visa is designed to enable investors who make a substantial financial investment to the UK economy to enter or remain in the UK.

Investor (Tier 1) Visa: 

Main requirements

To qualify for an Investor (Tier 1) visa applicants must be able to demonstrate that:

·         they intend to invest at least £2 million in share capital or loan capital in active, registered UK companies;

·         the investment funds belong to them or their spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner; and

·         they have opened a UK bank account.

The investment funds must be:

·         held in one or more regulated financial institutions; and

·         freely available to spend and invest in the UK.

Length and conditions of stay in the UK

Applicants can apply to come to the UK for an initial period of 3 years and 4 months. If they are switching into this category from within the UK, they will be granted leave for 3 years. Applicants can then apply to extend their stay in the UK for a further 2 years providing they meet the criteria for extension applications.

Under the extension criteria applicants must demonstrate that:

·         they have at least £2 million under their control in the UK;

·         they have invested those funds in share capital or loan capital in active, registered UK companies; and

·         they invested this sum within three months of the date they came into the UK, or the date that their original visa application was approved.

Indefinite Leave to Remain

An application for Indefinite Leave to Remain can be made once an applicant has held a Tier 1 (Investor) visa for a period of at least 5 years and demonstrated that they have invested £2 million by meeting the criteria above.

An application for accelerated settlement can be made after 2 years if the applicant has invested £10 million or 3 years if the applicant has invested £5 million.

Applicants must also demonstrate that:

·         they have spent the specified period in the UK and during this time have not breached any UK immigration laws;

·         they meet the requirements in relation to absences; and

·         they have sufficient knowledge of English language and have passed a Life in the UK test.