Tier 1 - Investor Visa - UK

Tier 1 Investor Visa - Eligibility

To apply for the UK Investor visa, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. The Investor category is designed to allow high net worth individuals make a substantial financial investment in the United Kingdom, who are 18 years of age or over.

2. You must have access to at least £2,000,000 in investment funds to apply for the Investment visa.

3. You need to prove that the money belongs to you or you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner. Your funds must be held in one or more regulated financial institution and the funds are disposable in the UK.

4. You are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

5. You must have opened an account at a UK regulated bank to use for your funds.

6. You must provide a Criminal Record Certificate from any country you have stayed in for a total of 12 months or more over the last 10 years.

7. If you are applying from outside the UK - you and family members included in your application must make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide biometric information (fingerprints and a photo).

Type of Investment in the UK

The UK Government encourages investment in the UK, which meets the following requirements:

• The entire £2 million investment must be by way of share or loan capital in active and trading UK companies, or alternatively UK Government bonds.
• Applicants can no longer source the Investment sum as a loan.
• Applicants cannot invest in companies mainly engaged in property investment, property management or property development.

Evidence of Investment Source of Funds

If you are using your own money to invest, you need to prove:

• How much money you possess, and where the funds are being held
• Where the money is derived from, if you have held the money for less than 2 years. For example, you inherited the funds from a relative
• The money can be transferred to the UK and converted to sterling (if it is not already in the UK)

When can you apply for Settlement in the UK?

• apply to settle after 2 years if you invest £10 million
• apply to settle after 3 years if you invest £5 million
• apply to settle after 5 years if you invest £2 million

How long can you stay in the UK, on an Investor Visa?

• You can come to the UK with a Tier 1 (Investor) visa for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months.
• You can apply to extend this visa for another 2 years.

Fees, Processing Time, and Investor Visa Validity

1. Pay the current UK Government fee.

2. Pay the UK Healthcare Surcharge.

3. The processing time until you get a visa decision is currently 3 weeks.

4. You can stay in the UK for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months.

5. You can apply to extend the Investor visa for another 2 years.

6. If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK you can pay an extra fee for the priority service to obtain a decision within 5 working days.