The UK Investor visa category is for individuals who are able to make a substantial financial investment in the UK.  In order to qualify for a UK Investor visa you will need to have access to at least £2 million and be willing to invest your funds in actively trading UK companies.

What is a UK Investor visa?

The UK Investor visa category is for high-net-worth individuals who are willing and able to make a substantial financial investment in the UK.  Investor visa holders are permitted to work, study and engage in business activities.  They can also be accompanied or joined by their dependants.  The UK Investor visa typically leads to settlement in the UK after a period of 5 years.  Accelerated settlement is available to UK Investor visa holders who invest more in the UK.

What are the main UK Investor visa requirements?

In order to qualify for a UK Investor visa, you will need to satisfy the following UK Investor visa requirements:

• You have funds amounting to at least £2 million belonging to yourself, your partner or the two of you jointly;
• The money is held in a regulated financial institution;
• The money is freely transferable to the UK and able to be converted to pounds sterling;
• You have opened a bank account with a UK regulated bank for the purpose of investing not less than £2 million in the UK.

If you have held your investment funds for less than 2 years then you will need to prove the source of your funds and, in every case, the Home Office will need to be satisfied as to the provenance of your funds.

If applying for a UK Investor visa from overseas, you and any adult dependants will need to provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country that you have lived in for at least 12 months in the last 10 years.

As a UK Investor visa applicant, you will not need to satisfy any English language or maintenance funds requirement.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

Do UK Investor visa applicants need to hold their investment funds for 2 years?

The UK Investor visa immigration rules do not require investment funds to have been held for 2 years.

If you have held your investment funds for less than 2 years then you can still qualify for a UK Investor visa if the source of the funds was:

• a gift received by yourself (and/or your husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same-sex partner) in the 2 years prior to the date of application; or
• the proceeds of sale of assets such as business or property within the 2 years before the date of application; or
• money held in your business (and/or the business of your husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same-sex partner); or
• inheritance under a will received within the 2 years before making the application; or
• the proceeds of a divorce settlement received within the 2 years immediately before the date of application; or
• a financial award or winnings; or
• any other source provided that the source can be documented and independently corroborated.

If you have held your UK Investor visa investment funds for at least 2 years then you will not be required to provide specified evidence of the source of your funds.  In particular, there is currently no requirement to provide an independent audit of financial and business interests as part of a Tier 1 Investor visa application.  However, you will still need to satisfy the Home Office that your investment funds were lawfully obtained.

How long is a UK Investor visa valid for?

Your initial UK Investor visa will be valid for either 3 years and 4 months (if applying from overseas) or 3 years (if applying from within the UK).

You will need to invest at least £2 million in actively trading UK companies within 3 months of entering the category. You will then need to maintain your investment.

You will be able to extend your stay as a UK Investor visa holder for a further 2 years, before qualifying for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) after 5 years. There is also an accelerated route to settlement as a UK Investor visa migrant after either 3 years (if you invest at least £5 million) or 2 years (if you invest at least £10 million).

In order to settle in the UK as a UK Investor, you will need to spend not more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period and, unless aged 65 or over, have sufficient knowledge of the English language and Life in the UK.

What are the UK Investor visa investment options?

Once you have entered the UK Investor visa category, you will need to invest at least £2 million in qualifying investments.  The only qualifying UK Investor visa investment options are share capital and/or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies.   You will need to make a qualifying investment within 90 days of entering the UK Investor visa category.

The Immigration Rules for UK Investor visa applicants contain various restrictions on permitted investments.  For example, investments in offshore companies or trusts, open-ended investment companies and companies mainly engaged in property investment, property management or property development are all prohibited.

How can I settle in the UK as a UK Investor visa holder?

You may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK as a UK Investor visa holder after spending 2, 3 or 5 years in the UK. The requirements that you will need to satisfy in order to qualify for ILR as a UK Investor visa holder will depend upon when your initial UK Investor visa was granted and the amount of your investment.  You can find further information on our UK Investor Visa ILR page or contact our specialist immigration lawyers for expert advice

The UK Investor visa category is for individuals who are able to make a substantial financial investment in the UK.  In order to qualify for a UK Investor visa you will need to have access to at least £2 million and be willing to invest your funds in actively trading UK companies.

Our Immigration Lawyers are able to give specialist legal advice in this area of law. To contact one of our Immigration Solicitors, please complete our enquiry form  or contact us on:

Tel: 01922 645 429 (Walsall, Birmingham & Midlands)

Tel: 0161 399 2786 (Manchester & North of England)

Tel: 01633 920 160 (Newport, Bristol, Cardiff and South West)

Or by email at info@fountainsolicitors.com