The United Kingdom Tier 1 Investor Visa

Composed of Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is one of the oldest sovereign states in the world. The strong British influence of the UK is going in the cultures, food, languages, and legal and government systems of many countries such as the United States and India.

The UK is the sixth largest economy in the world, and as such it offers highly attractive investment opportunities to foreign nationals. Many of these investment opportunities also provide immigration benefits, such as the Tier 1 Investor Visa.

The Tier 1 Investor Visa Requirements (Initial Entry)

For the Tier 1 Investor Visa, the UK uses a system of point-allocation wherein pints are awarded based upon the foreign national’s skills and investments. To qualify for the visa, a foreign national must accumulate at least 75 points.

If the foreign national is seeking initial entry into the UK as a Tier 1 Investor, the applicant must meet one of two possible requirements. First, the national must possess money under the national’s own control that is located in the UK and totals at least £1 million. Or second, the national must own personal assets which are valued at no less than £2 million and have money located in the UK totaling at least £1 million which was loaned to the national by a UK financial institution. The fulfillment of either of these requirements will grant the investor the needed 75 points to enter the UK with a Tier 1 Investor Visa.

The Tier 1 Investor Visa Requirements (Extending Visa)

For a Tier 1 Investor Visa holder to extend his/her stay, the investor must also accumulate 75 points by meeting the following requirements:

(1) 30 Points for Meeting Either of the Following:
a. Possessing money under the investor’s personal control that is located in the UK and valued at no less than £1 million; OR

b. Possessing personal assets which are valued at no less than £2 million and possesses money under the investor’s control and disposable valued at no less than £1 million which was loaned to the investor by a financial institution in the UK

(2) 30 Points for Meeting the Following:
a. The foreign national invested no less than £750,000 of the investor’s own capital into the UK via UK government bonds or into loan capital or share capital in actively trading UK companies; AND

b. The foreign national invested the balance of the £1 million into the UK through the purchase of assets or keeping the funds in deposit in a UK financial institution.

(3) 15 Points for Meeting the Following:
a. The investments referenced in part 2 were made within 3 months of the investor’s entry into the UK; OR

b. The investments were made no earlier than 12 months before the investor first applied for a Tier 1 Investor Visa; AND

c. The investment has been maintained the entire time the investor has been in the UK; OR

d. The investor is in the UK pursuant to a Tier 1 Investor Visa

Obtaining a Tier 1 Investor Visa to the United Kingdom can be a complex and time-consuming process. Given the amount of money at stake, it is advisable for a potential investor to contact a knowledge attorney to assist with the Tier 1 Investor Visa application.