Tier 1 Investor

The Tier 1 Investor visa is for wealthy individuals who are prepared to invest large sums of money into the UK. To apply for the visa the applicant, who may be outside or possibly already inside the UK, has to show that they hold sufficient funds and that the funds are available to be invested in the UK. The amount could be either £1m, £5m or £10m.

If the application is successful and the visa is granted it will be granted for a period of three years or slightly more. The applicant can work in the UK if they wish to but they do not have to.

When the visa is near to expiry the applicant may be able to apply to extend their leave if appropriate. They will have to show that they have invested the required amount of funds into the UK (in UK companies, UK Government bonds, property in the UK). The rules about the investment are quite complicated, and there is also a “borrowing option”, whereby an applicant who has sufficient assets but insufficient cash assets can borrow money from a bank to increase their cash assets and thus meet the requirements.

The Tier 1 Investor visa, unlike other types of business visa, offers accelerated entitlement to Indefinite Leave to Remain. An applicant who has invested £1m may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years as a Tier 1 Investor. But for an applicant who has invested £5m the figure falls to three years and for an applicant who has invested £10m it falls to two years.

And, also unlike most other types of business visas, there is no English language requirement for the Tier 1 Investor visa. Dependants can be included in the application.