What is Tier 1 - Investor ?

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The Tier 1 – Investor category is for those individuals seeking to make a substantial financial investment in the UK. A job offer or UK sponsor is not required however a figure of £1,000,000 to invest in the UK is the main criteria for meeting the points in this category.

Interestingly the Tier 1 Investor visa is the only Tier 1 category in which successful applicants need not satisfy the English language or maintenance requirements.

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As with all Tier 1 visa types the applicant is subject to a point based system to assess their application. A successful applicant will score 75 points or more. These points will be accumulated in one of the following ways:

The applicant has £1,000,000 or more in an account in their name / under their control with a regulated bank / financial institution and the funds are available as “disposable funds” in the UK. This may include a legitimate loan situation.

The applicant has a minimum £2,000,000 in personal assets available to them having taken into account any personal liabilities.

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A successful applicant will gain a three visa at which point this can be extended for a further two years. In order to extend the visa the applicant will need to reprove themselves under the points based system by evidencing that they still have the financial characteristics described above.

In addition they must demonstrate that they have invested £750,000 or more of the funds available in their first three months on the visa type and maintained this investment in order to extend the visa. The funds must have been invested in UK companies (not including solely property investment groups) and may not simply be depositing the monies into a bank account.

After five years in this category the applicant may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and if successful have unrestricted residency in the UK and if appropriate a UK passport thereafter as a British Citizen.

For a FREE initial Tier 1 visa assessment please complete the Free UK Visa Assessment and one of our consultants will respond within 48 hours of your submission