Please note that this visa category is now closed.

The UK Tier 1 Investor Visa is one of the fastest and most simple ways to obtain a UK settlement. Under this route you will not need to show that you have any English language ability and you will not need to show the maintenance for yourself and your dependants. 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.

Initial application (from 29 March 2019)

You must have money of your own, under your own control, held in a regulated financial institution and disposable in the UK amounting to not less than £2 million. You must show that you are able to make an investment of £2 million or more in the UK. This money may be held overseas at the time of application, or it may already be in the UK.

The money must:

be held in a regulated financial institution; be disposable in the UK; and

amount to £2 million or more

About your Funding

Your own money

You may rely on money that is owned either jointly with, or solely by, your husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried or same- sex partner.

Previous investment

As evidence of funds, you may use investments made in the UK within the 12 months immediately before the date of the application, provided they are held in a UK regulated financial institution.

Source of your funds

If you have not held the required no less than £2 million funds for 2 years consecutively before the date of the application, you must also provide evidence of the source of the funds.

The source of funds could be from:

a gift;

deeds of sale;

evidence from a business; a will;

a divorce settlement; or awards or winnings.

You must provide the specified evidence shown above in official documents.

Overseas criminal record certificates

If you are applying for an entry clearance as a Tier 1 (Investor) immigrant or are an adult dependant (over 18 years old) of the main applicant in this route, you must provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country you have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more, in the 10 years prior to your application.

Extension Applications – If you were granted initial Tier 1 (Investor) on or after 29March 2019

If you were granted initial Tier 1 (Investor) entry clearance, leave to enter or leave to remain under the Rules in place on or after 29 March 2019, to extend your leave as a Tier 1 (Investor) Migrant, you must have invested not less than £2 million in the UK by way of UK share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies.

The investment referred to above must have been made:

within 3 months of your entry to the UK, if you were granted entry clearance as a Tier 1 (Investor) Migrant, or within 3 months of the date of the grant of entry clearance or leave to remain as a Tier 1 (Investor) Migrant, or where the investment was made prior to the first grant of leave as a Tier 1 (Investor), no earlier than 12 months

before the date of the application which led to the first grant of leave as a Tier 1 (Investor) Migrant, and, in each case, the level of investment must have at least been maintained for the whole of the remaining period of that leave

Extension Applications – If you were granted initial Tier 1 (Investor) on or after 6 November 2014 to 28 March 2019

You must provide evidence that you have invested no less than £2 million in the UK in qualifying investments within 3 months of your specified date. The qualifying investments are UK Government bonds, Share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies.

The investment referred must have been made:

1. Within 3 months of your entry to the UK or within 3 months of the date of your grant of entry clearance or leave to remain as a Tier 1 (Investor)
2. You must apply for an extension before 6 April 2023if you wish to rely on investment in government All other applications beyond this date will only be considered if you have made investments in active and trading UK registered company.

Extension Applications – If you were granted initial Tier 1 (Investor) before 6 November 2014

In order to extend your leave you must show that you have:

1. maintained a total level of investment of £1 million throughout the period of your leave (from your specified date)
2. Invested at least £750,000 in qualifying investments;
3. Invested the balance of your £1 million in specified ways; and

4. Invested the total amount as specified within 3 months of your specified date and maintained it since (unless you were last given entry clearance or leave to enter or leave to remain as an Investor under the Rules in force before 30 June 2008).

Note that you must apply for your extension before 6 April 2020 if you wish to rely on the above provision.

Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

You can apply for settlement under Tier 1 (Investor) once you have reached 5 years of continuous leave in the United Kingdom under the route. However, if you meet additional criteria (explained below), you may apply for accelerated ILR after a continuous period of either 2 years or 3 years:

If you invested £5 million, you can apply for settlement under Tier 1 (Investor) once you have reached 3 years If you invested £10 million, you can apply for settlement under Tier 1 (Investor) once you have reached 2 years

When you apply for settlement you are required to show that you have knowledge of life and language in the United Kingdom before you can be granted (unless you fall under an exemption). You can demonstrate this by passing both the Life in the UK test and holding an English speaking and listening qualification at level B1 or above.

Absences when you apply for settlement

You cannot have had more than 180 days’ absence from the United Kingdom during each 12 months of the continuous period.

You will need to list details of your absences from the United Kingdom, including the reasons for those absences, on the form but you will not need to provide any specified evidence to support this.

Your family members

Your family members (‘dependants’), your husband, wife or partner and your child under 18 can come with you when you come to the UK on this visa. The dependants of Tier 1 (Investor) will have full rights to work in the UK apart from working as a Trainee Doctor/Dentist or professional sportsperson or sports coach.

Before 11th January 2018, the limitation of 180 absence days in continuous 12 months applies only to the main applicant, but from 11th of January 2018 the same requirement will apply to PBS Dependant partners.

At the stage of initial application, the dependent spouse of Tier 1 (Investor) applicant will have to prove that they are in subsisting relationships with the family members.