Tier 1 Visa - Investor

Under Tier 1 of the Points Based System (PBS), candidates may apply for UK visas under one of four subdivisions. The Investors category is designed for those who intend to make a substantial investment in the UK.

Find out if you qualify for a Tier 1 visa by visiting the Global Visas online assessment form today.

Tier 1 visas, unlike all other tiers of the UK Points Based System, do not require applicants to be awarded a 

Certificate

 of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor.

Immigration to the UK under all other tiers requires the sponsoring business, 

college or

 other institution to be licensed as a sponsor, and to provide them with a sponsorship certificate, enabling them to apply for entry clearance.

Tier 1 replaces the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) and aims to allow the most highly skilled applicants to migrate to the UK as quickly as possible. However, while no sponsor is required applicants must reach a minimum points threshold based on a range or criteria.

General Requirements

The investor visa sub category of the five-tier immigration system does not impose the general requirement for proficiency in the English language. This requirement is mandatory for the General and Entrepreneur streams with a high level of proficiency required to pass. However, in the Investor category since applicants are unlikely to need to work, this requirement is deemed unnecessary.

Similarly, whilst the mandatory requirement that a applicant must be able to financially support both themselves and their dependents is a feature of the other Tier 1 -visa sub categories, it does not apply to the Investor category.

By definition those investing sufficient funds to pass the requirements do not need to undergo a maintenance test.

Specific Requirements

As with all categories of Tier 1, the Investor category requires candidates to meet or exceed the minimum points requirements based on various factors.

However, unlike other subdivisions of Tier 1, for example the General category in which points are accumulated over a range of criteria, the points-based pass mark for the investor scheme must be satisfied by one of the following:

• The candidate has a minimum of £1 million. The money must be their own and must be held in a regulated UK financial institution. The money must also be disposable in the United Kingdom.
• The candidate has personal assets to the value of more than £2 million taking into account any liabilities.
• The candidate has an amount of no less than £1 million, which is under their control and is held in a regulated UK financial institution. This may include money which has been loaned to them if the financial institution providing the loan is regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Settlement

Regular Tier 1 Investor visa holders in the UK can apply for permanent residence after five years in the country, however more significant investments could lead to fast-tracked settlement. Those who invest £10 million or more may qualify after two years, while investments over £5 million will qualify after three years.

Extending a Tier 1 Visa

A Tier 1 immigration visa for the UK may be extended in all categories except the Post-

Study

Work category. Unlike the others, the Post-Study Work category is designed as a temporary bridge between study and employment and is granted for two years with no option to extend this period.

Tier 1 visas in the Investor category, the General category and the Entrepreneur category are all granted for an initial period of three years, which can be extended by another two years. When applying for an extension, applicants will be assessed against a differing set of criteria.

Unlike the initial set of criteria, Investor visa holders must accrue the 75 point pass mark over the following list of requirements:

The applicant must have either of the following:

• A minimum of £1 million of their own money in the UK
• Personal Assets with a value exceeding £2 million taking account of liabilities
• Money under their control which amounts to no less than £1 million. This may include loaned money from a provider who is regulated by the FSA.

In addition candidates must satisfy all of the following requirements:

• They must have invested a minimum of £750,000 in the UK. This must have been invested by way of either UK Government bonds or share capital or investment capital in active UK companies. This does not include companies whose main activities are property investment. Investment cannot be interpreted as placing deposits in a bank or building society.
• The investment outlined above must have been made within 3 months of gaining the tier one visa and must be maintained throughout the duration of the visa.

Switching to a Tier 1 Visa

Tier 1 visa holders may switch into another sub category if they satisfy the associated requirements. The one exception is that visa holders cannot switch into the Post-Study Work category. Holders of visas in Tier 2 and Tier 4 will also be able to switch into Tier 1 as the PBS is fully implemented. However switching to tier 1 will not be allowed for holders of working holidaymaker visas or those in possession of tier 3 and tier 5 visas.

You may also find our guide to Tier 1 post study work helpful.