Tier 1: Investors

This section explains how you can come to the United Kingdom or remain here as an investor (Tier 1 Investor) under our points-based system to come to the United Kingdom.
The investor category is designed to allow high net worth individuals make a substantial financial investment in the United Kingdom.

Who can apply as an investor?
Unlike work permit scheme (soon to be replaced by sponsored workers (Tier 2), you do not need a job offer to apply under the investor category. When you apply you are awarded points based on your ability to invest £1,000,000 in the United Kingdom.

You can apply under the investor category now if you are:

• in the United Kingdom and want to make an initial application as an investor (known as switching);
• already in the United Kingdom as a tier 1 investor or as an investor under the former category, and want to extend your permission to stay within the tier 1 investor category;
• applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as 'entry clearance') under the investor category.

What points you have to score to apply as an investor
To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the investor category, you must pass a points-based assessment.
You must score 75 points for access to £1,000,000 that is disposable and in a financial institution, or £2,000,000 in personal assets and £1,000,000 in a loan, which are known as attributes.

Fees: If you are inside the United Kingdom

• You must pay £820.
• Dependant applications for your spouse, partner or children under 18 cost £50 per dependant if they are sent together with your own form.
• Dependant applications for children over 18, or any dependant applications sent separately or later, cost £465.

Fees: If you are outside the United Kingdom

• You must pay £675, which is payable in local currency.
• Any dependant applications accompanying your application form cost the same fee as your application, which is £675, payable in local currency.

Once your fee has been received by the visa application centre, the fee is charged and cannot be refunded.
You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of the application, or will not consider your application and will return both the application form and part payment to you.

What documents you must send for an initial application
If you do not provide all the original documents they need when you make your application, the case may be refused on the grounds that insufficient evidence has been provided, and the fee will not be refunded.
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:

• money;
• source of money;
• money can be transferred;
• joint funding;
• letter from an authorised financial institution in the United Kingdom.

Documents for money

• Bank Statements-You should provide consecutive bank statements, covering the full period of the three months immediately before the date of your application in original and The bank must be regulated by the home regulator.
• Letter from a regulated bank-If you cannot provide bank statements, you must send a letter from your bank, stating that the account has held the required amount of money for the full three months.

Documents for Source of money

• Gift
• Deeds of sale
• Will
• Award or winnings
• Evidence of a business
• For all the above you need to get letter from a legal adviser

Documents for joint funding

• The original certificate of marriage or civil partnership, to confirm the relationship
• Evidence of a two-year relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership- official documents such as deeds of ownership or a mortgage agreement showing a joint investment, for example in property or business, joint rent (tenancy) agreement, bills for council tax, electricity, gas, or water supply,
• a bank statement or letter from a bank confirming a joint bank account
• A declaration from your partner that they will allow all joint or personal money used to claim points for the application to be under your control in the United Kingdom

Documents for Money that can be transferred:

• A letter which shows how all the money of £1,000,000 can be transferred
• you should provide a original letter from your bank or financial institution as evidence that the money can be transferred into the United Kingdom.
• A letter from a legal adviser confirming that the declaration is valid.

What documents you must send for an extension application
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:

• investment;
• balance of money to a maximum value of £250,000;
• investment made within three months;
• investment maintained.

Check out the related information on:
Point Based System
UK VISA : Complete procedure
UK VISA : Application fees
UK VISA : Application Forms
Sponsoring a Migrant