Business Immigration Clients

22 October 2019

1       Investor visa (Tier 1)

Overview

You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:

You must have access to at least £2,000,000 in investment funds to apply.

How long it will take

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

Example: You can apply from 16 March if you plan to travel on 15 June.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in your country.

Fees

You must pay £1,623 to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa. The fee is the same if you’re extending or switching visas, or if you’re applying as a family member.

Healthcare surcharge

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

Get a faster decision on your application

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK you can pay an extra £500 for the priority service to get a decision within 5 working days.

How long you can stay

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.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

  • work or study
  • apply to settle after 2 years if you invest £10 million
  • apply to settle after 3 years if you invest £5 million
  • apply to settle after 5 years if you invest £2 million

You cannot:

  • work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
  • get public funds

You also cannot work as a doctor or dentist in training unless one of the following applies:

  • you have a primary degree at bachelors level or above in medicine or dentistry from a UK institution that holds a Tier 4 sponsor licence or is a UK recognised or listed body
  • you worked as a doctor or dentist in training the last time you were in the UK
  • neither of those conditions were part of the terms and conditions on a previous visa

Eligibility

You must have at least £2,000,000 investment funds to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa.

You must:

  • be 18 or over to apply for this visa
  • be able to prove that the money belongs to either you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner
  • have opened an account at a UK regulated bank to use for your funds

Your funds must be:

  • held in one or more regulated financial institutions
  • free to spend (‘disposable’) in the UK

Your money can be in the UK or overseas when you apply.

The National Free Wills Network comprises charities ranging from household names to those with a strong regional or local focus. The purpose of the Network is to offer free Will writing services to the charities’ known supporters.