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Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
If you’re a foreign Investor looking to relocate to the UK & you have a spare £1,000,000 available you may consider applying for a Tier 1 (Investor) Visa. At Commonwealth Contractors we can help you explore investment opportunities & our OISC Immigration Partners can assist with a professionally represented application!
The Investor sub-category of Tier 1 is intended to encourage high net worth individuals to invest in the UK for the benefit of the UK Economy. Successful applicants are usually granted an initial 3 year approval, which may be extended for a further 2 years if conditions are met. Time spent on a Tier 1 (Investor) visa does count towards Permanent Residence in the UK.
Once approved the visa allows the holder to manage their Investments, but not work in the UK. As dependent Spouses are granted full work rights many applicants consider making the less active partner the main applicant.
How can Commonwealth Contractors help?
At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with OISC registered Private Immigration Firms who specialise in dealing with Tier 1 (Investor) Visa applications.For more Information call now on 0800 294 4388 or Submit your Details & we will get back to you.
Tier 1 (Investor) Visa Applications
In order to qualify for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa you need to score 75 points for ‘Attributes’.Unlike the other Tier 1 sub-categories there is no need to prove English Language or Maintenance. This is due to the fact that 1) those applying under Tier 1 (Investor) should not need to work, therefore English is not required, & 2) applicants are obviously wealthy individuals who are able to support themselves without requiring access to public funds.
Tier 1 Attributes:
| Tier 1 Investor Attributes | Points Available |
|---|---|
You have £1,000,000 of your own money held in a financial institution & disposable in the UK |
75 Points |
You own personal assets in excess of £2,000,000 (taking into account any potential liabilities) AND You have money under your control (held in a regulated financial institution) & disposable in the UK amounting to no less than £1,000,000 which has been loaned to you by a institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority |
75 Points |
To apply you will need the following documents for you & your Dependents (where applicable):
- Visa Application for & Self Assessment Completion
- Passports
- Passport Photos
- Marriage Certificates
- Birth Certificates
- Proof of meeting the Entrepreneur requirements
Assets acceptable in proving Investable funds
Funds can either be cash or qualifying investments:- Cash held in a bank & freely transferrable to the UK
- Shares in quoted companies abroad
- Shares, acquired in quoted UK companies during the 12 months prior to applying
- UK Government bonds, or loan capital in active & trading UK companies, acquired during the 12 months prior to applying
Shares in unquoted companies are not disbarred from consideration as long as they are active and trading UK companies. However, agreeing a valuation for such shares may not be straightforward.
Shares in unquoted non UK companies have the disadvantage that they may be illiquid and therefore not be capable of being turned into cash that could be transferred to the UK.
Proof of Funds
Proof of cash holdings can be provided by way of bank statements (covering the 90 days prior to the day of application) or a bank letter confirming balances during the prior 90 days. Proof of investments can be proved in one of three ways:- Certified copies of the securities (e.g. bonds or share certificates), with confirmation of date(s) of purchase, and valuation
- Letter from a UK accountant
- Portfolio report & valuation from an FSA regulated institution; this should also confirm that where funds are outside the UK, they that the funds could be transferred to the UK
Any cash or investments on which you rely must be held in your own name, or those of your partner (spouse, or de-facto spouse), and you must be the beneficial owner (i.e. not be acting as a nominee or otherwise holding the investments for a third party)
Proof of where funds came from
Typically options include:- Proof that money was received as a gift
- Proof that you received the money for selling something that you owned
- Proof that you own and control a business that contains shareholders funds which you could withdraw and transfer to the UK
- Proof that you inherited the money (proved by the will of the person who left the money to you)
- Proof that you received the money as part of a Divorce settlement
- Proof that you were awarded the money further to eg litigation
- Proof that you won the money (eg in a lottery)
If you have money from another source, this need not be a problem, but we would need to detail that source and show its legitimacy.
Tier 1 Requirements within 3 months of Approval
Within 3 month of gaining the Visa you must have invested at least £750k. Please be aware that investments cannot be made in Property Investment Companies. Investments can be made in:- Shares in active & trading UK Companies
- UK Government Bonds
- UK Company Bonds
- Loans made to active & trading UK Companies
The remaining £250k may be invested In:
- Further Investments
- Property (including your home)
- Cash
Tier 1 (Investor) Visa Extensions
In order to extend the visa you must have:- £1,000,000 at the time of application to extend the visa
- Invested £750k within the first 3 months of the visa being granted
- Proof that you have maintained the £1,000,000 investment throughout the 3 years. This involves a quarterly analysis (i.e. if your investments declined in value & you ‘topped up’ the balance each quarter to there was still £1,000,000 invested)
Alternatives to a Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
If you are a highly skilled professional with a Masters qualification (or higher) you may consider applying under Tier 1 (General) visa. If you do not possess a Masters qualification but are still a skilled professional you may be better off applying for a Tier 2 (Work Permit) visa.At Commonwealth Contractors we partner OISC registered Private Immigration Firms & Tier 2 licensed Healthcare & IT Consultancies prepared to sponsor individuals on Tier 2 visas where required.
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