Individual investment in the UK
Tier 1 (Investor) is for high net worth individuals who wish to invest in the UK. There is a required investment amount of £1million in order to qualify for the Tier 1 (Investor) visa.
Under Tier 1, applicants must accrue the necessary points to qualify for immigration to the UK. There are a number of areas where points can be gained (under ‘Attributes’ and ‘Controls’).
‘Attributes’
To qualify for Tier 1 you must gain sufficient points under the ‘attributes’ section. To check if you are eligible for a Tier 1 visa, go to the points-based calculator where you can add up your own points.
There is only one area where points must be gained for a Tier 1 (Investor):
Available funds (75 points):
Money under the applicant’s control, held in a regulated financial institution and disposable in the UK amounting to no less than £1million; or the applicant holds personal assets which hold a value of £2million (taking into account any liabilities to which they are subject), and the applicant has no less than £1million held in a regulated financial institution and disposable in the UK which has been loaned to the applicant by a financial institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
In order to qualify for an extension of your Investor visa at its expiration, you must demonstrate that within three months you invested at least £750,000 in the UK by way of United Kingdom Government bonds, share capital or loan capital in active and trading United Kingdom registered companies other than those principally engaged in property investment.
‘Controls’
Ordinarily to qualify for a Tier 1 visa you must get 10 points for each of the controls (English Language and Maintenance). However, for Tier 1 (Investor) no points for controls are required.
Requirements
The documentary evidence of your points must meet specific requirements. These are laid out in the Policy Guidance for the relevant type of Tier 1 visa.
The immigration officers assessing the applications do not have authority to exercise discretion – if the documentary evidence is not exactly as specified in the Policy Guidance the immigration application can be refused, with no refund!
Tier 1 is difficult to get right on your own. Many people apply multiple times before getting it right. Why not use our expertise and inside knowledge, and get it right first time? We’d love to work with you!
If you need to expedite your visa let us know!
Other types of Tier 1 immigration application: