You can apply to come to the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) migrant if you have a minimum of £2 million under your own control and you are able to commit to investing this into qualifying UK investments.

You can study, work, be self-employed, set-up your own business, bring your immediate family with you, extend your visa as circumstances require, and apply to settle (permanent residence) usually five years later.

Eligibility

You will usually need to be outside the UK when applying for this visa. You must have held a minimum of £2 million for at least two years prior to the date of the visa application.

Alternatively, you can hold the minimum level of funds for a shorter period, though will need to provide additional evidence of the source of funds.

The funds need to have been legally obtained and be held in one or more regulated financial institution(s), and they need to be freely transferrable to the UK.

Evidence needed

When applying as a Tier 1 (Investor) migrant you’ll need to provide:

• evidence you hold at least £2 million in a regulated institution, in your name, your partner’s name, or your joint names;
• evidence the funds are freely transferable to the UK;
• evidence you have a UK bank account for investing these funds;
• tuberculosis test results; and
• criminal record certificates covering the last 10 years.

If you have held funds for less than two years, additional evidence is required if the source of funds are:

• a gift you and/or your partner received;
• proceeds of sale of assets such as a business/ property;
• money held in a business;
• inheritance received under a will;
• a financial award or winnings; and/or
• from any other source and it can be documented and independently verified

Visa extension

To extend the visa, you must ensure that you:

• have at least £2 million under your control in the UK;
• have invested those funds as share or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies (e.g. UK equities/ corporate bonds); and
• invested those funds within three months of your “investor start date”

Since 29 March 2019, it is no longer possible to invest in UK Government bonds, and you cannot invest in companies mainly engaged in property investment/ development/ management.

How long can you stay and settlement options?

You can remain in the UK for three years being the initial period of entry which can be extended for a further two years.

After living in the UK for the minimum “qualifying period” (see below table), you may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain/ permanent settlement in the UK if you meet all the requirements including:

• not being absent from the UK for more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period, during the qualifying period;
• passing the Life in the UK test; and
• meeting the English language requirement.

British citizenship

Once you have successfully obtained permanent settlement status, you can withdraw the invested funds.

You may also be eligible to apply to become a British citizen, which is optional. You will usually need to have been settled for at least 12 months, and have lived in the UK for at least five years.

However, the residence requirement is not as generous as it is to qualify for permanent settlement, so planning at the earliest stage is important.

What are the processing times?

Typically, applications are processed within the following standard timeframes:

• Within three weeks for visa applications submitted outside the UK
• Within eight weeks for visa applications submitted within the UK
• Within six months for settlement and citizenship applications

Priority services are usually available for the above applications, except for citizenship applications.

How can we help you obtain your visa?

• Expert advice on the requirements of the Immigration Rules, specified evidence, and application procedure.
• Drafting of detailed legal submissions and preparation of full portfolios of evidence to accompany all applications.
• Ongoing support and advice throughout the duration of the visa with a view to meeting the necessary requirements for visa extension and permanent settlement.
• Referral management to investment bankers/ managers to ensure financial compliance and tailoring of bespoke portfolios to suit your risk appetites.
• Referral management to tax advisers to help with your pre-arrival UK tax planning, including advice on the “remittance basis”.

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