Tier 1 Investor Visa

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The UK Tier 1 Investor Visa category is for non-EEA nationals who are able to make a substantial financial investment in the UK. In order to qualify for a UK Tier 1 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 the UK Tier 1 Investor Visa?

The UK Tier 1 Investor Visa category is for high net worth individuals who are willing and able to make a substantial financial investment in the UK. Tier 1 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 Tier 1 Investor Visa typically leads to settlement in the UK after a period of 5 years. Accelerated settlement under 2 or 3 years is also available to UK Tier 1 Investor Visa holders who invest more in the UK.

Requirements for a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa application

In order to qualify for a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that:

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 Tier 1 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 Tier 1 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 our expert immigration lawyers for legal advice.

Meeting the UK Tier 1 Investor Visa Requirements

The UK Tier 1 Investor Visa immigration rules do not require investment funds to have been held for 2 years.

However, if you have held your investment funds for less than 2 years then you will need additional evidence showing the source of the investment funds in order to meet the UK Tier 1

Investor Visa requirements. The source of the investments funds can be:

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

If you have any doubts about applying for the UK Tier 1 Investor Visa, please contact our immigration lawyers for expert advice.

Making a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa application with OneLaw Chambers

At OneLaw Chambers, our immigration solicitors and barristers regularly assist with UK Tier 1 Investor Visa applications in order for applicants to remain and settle in the UK. We have assisted many foreign national applicants to prepare and submit successful UK Tier 1 Investor Visa applications and we have represented clients from all over the world.

Whether you require expert immigration advice on the requirements of the Immigration Rules, an independent immigration assessment of your prospects of qualifying for a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa or professional immigration representation with preparing your UK Tier 1 Investor Visa immigration application, our immigration solicitors and barristers can help you.

We are committed to ensuring that our immigration solicitors and barristers prepare every immigration visa application with utmost quality and skill so that successful outcome is achieved every time. Our immigration solicitors and barristers operate in a friendly and cooperative manner to provide our clients with the best client care and service during the entire immigration application process.

To discuss your UK Tier 1 Investor Visa application with one our immigration solicitors and barristers, please contact our Immigration lawyers on 0207 489 2044 / 0208 616 1819 or complete our enquiry form with your details.