Tier 1 Investor Visas

Under Tier 1, applicants applying under the 'Investors' category must evidence their intent to make a substantial investment in the UK. Although this is also a requirement of the entrepreneur category, the investment sum required for applicants under the 'Investor' category is much larger and there are no requirements as to starting up or assuming control of a business.

The investor visa category of the 5-tier immigration system does not impose a general requirement for proficiency in the English language. This requirement must be satisfied by applicants who are applying under the 'General' and 'Entrepreneur' schemes with a high level of proficiency. However, in the 'Investor' category, the amount of money that needs to be evidenced means that successful applicants are unlikely to need to work, and thus the English Language requirement is deemed unnecessary.

Similarly, whereas requirements as to the applicant's ability to support themselves and any dependants financially and any dependants are necessary for applicants under other Tier 1 categories, it does not apply to applicants under the 'Investor' category. Those who satisfactorily prove the necessary amount of funds for investment purposes will automatically have satisfied the requirements of showing sufficient funds for maintenance for themselves and any dependants.

As with all categories within Tier 1, the 'Investor' category requires applicants to attain a pass mark of 75 points. However, unlike other categories within Tier 1, such as the 'General' category in which points are awarded over a range of different criteria each awarding a certain number of points dependant upon the applicant's circumstances, the 75 points under the 'Investor' are accrued by satisfying any ONE of the following requirements:

  • The candidate has a minimum of £1,000,000 (£1million). The money must be the applicant's own funds 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 £2,000,000 (£2million) taking into account any liabilities.
  • The candidate has an amount of no less than £1,000,000 (£1million), which must be under the applicant's control and must be held in a regulated UK financial institution. This can include money which has been loaned to them, as long as the financial institution providing the loan is regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Tier 1 investor visa extensions

Tier 1 Visas are granted for an initial period of 3 years. The one exception to this is Visas granted in the Post-Study Work category, which are granted for two years and are not extendable. 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. However, applicants applying for an extension of a visa under the 'Investor' category will have to satisfy a different 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 £1,000,000 (£1million) of their own money in the UK - 30 points
  • Personal Assets whose value exceeds £2,000,000 (£2million) taking account of liabilities - 30 points
  • Money at the applicant's disposal amounting to no less than £1,000,000 (£1million). This can be constituted of money loaned through a provider who is regulated by the FSA.

Additionally, applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements:

  • The applicant 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, except where those companies invested in have property investment as their main activities. Additionally, 'Investment' cannot be interpreted as placing deposits in a bank or building society.
  • The 'investment' as defined above, must have been made within 3 months of the applicant gaining the Tier 1 visa and must be maintained throughout the duration of the visa.

Switching into a tier 1 investor visa

Tier 1 Visa holders may switch into another category if they satisfy that category's own specific requirements. The one exception to this 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. However working holidaymaker visa holders cannot switch to Tier 1, and neither can those applicants who currently hold Tier 3 and Tier 5 Visas.