Investor visa (Tier 1)

Eligibility

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

You must:

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

Your funds must be:

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

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

Students with financial sponsorship

You may be able to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if you’re already in the UK and you’re a student (including Tier 4) visa holder.

You must have an unconditional agreement in writing from your financial sponsor to re-enter or stay in the UK if your course fees and living costs were paid by either:

1. a government
2. an international scholarship agency
   

Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

1. a current passport or other valid travel identification
2. your tuberculosis test resultsif you’re from a country where you have to take the test
3. a criminal record certificatefrom any country you have stayed in for a total of 12 months or more over the last 10 years

You need a blank page in your passport for your visa.

You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

Evidence of investment funds

You’ll need to provide evidence showing that you have the required investment funds.

Your own money

If you’re using your own money to invest, you should be able to show:

1. how much money you have and where it’s being held
2. where the money came from if you’ve had the money for less than 2 years, for example you inherited it from a relative
3. that the money can be transferred to the UK and converted to sterling (if it’s not already in the UK)

Your partner’s money

You’ll need to provide:

1. a certificate of marriage or civil partnership, or in the case of unmarried or same-sex relationships, proof that you are in a long-term relationship (at least 2 years)
2. a statement from your partner confirming that they will allow you to control the funds in the UK
3. a letter from a legal adviser stating that the declaration is valid

Read the guide for a list of documents you can provide.

Evidence you have a UK bank account

You must provide a letter to prove you have an account at a UK regulated bank to use for your investment funds. The letter must:

1. have been issued by an authorised official
2. be dated within 3 months of your application
3. be on the official headed paper of the bank
4. state your name and account number
5. confirm you’ve opened an account with the bank in order to invest £2,000,000
6. confirm the bank is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
7. confirm checks for money-laundering have been carried out

You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances. Apply 

Read the guidance before you apply.

Apply outside the UK

You must apply online for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa.

You’ll need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of your application.

You must collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of when you said you’d arrive in the UK (even if you actually arrive at a later date).

Find out how to get your visa decision faster – this depends on what country you’re in. Check if your visa application centre offers faster decisions and other services.

Apply in the UK

Check if you can apply from inside the UK to:

1. extendyour existing Tier 1 (Investor) visa
2. switchto this visa from another visa

Family members

Your family members (‘dependants’) can join you if you’re in the UK on this visa. Your family members must apply for their own visa.

If they’re from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and arrive before 1 January 2021, they may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

1. your husband, wife or partner
2. your child under 18
3. your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant

Read the guidance on dependant applications before you apply.

Adult family members must provide a criminal record certificate from any country they have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.

Fees

Check the fees for this visa.

Dependants applying from outside the UK

Your family members must apply online.

They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of their application.

They’ll have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK (even if they actually arrive at a later date).

They may be able to get their visa faster or other services depending on what country they’re in – check with the visa application centre.

If your child is over 18 they cannot apply if they are outside the UK. They can apply from inside the UK if they are already here as your dependant.

Dependants applying in the UK

Your partner or child can apply to extend or switch their visa either:

1. at the same time as you apply to extendor switch your own visa
2. at any time before their current visa expires

This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.

How to apply

Your partner or child must apply online to either:

1. extend or switch to your Investor visa as your partner
2. extend or switch to your Investor visa as your child

Family members cannot apply in the UK as your dependant if they hold a visitor visa.

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

When they apply, they’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide their biometric information (their fingerprints and a photo).

They’ll also need to submit their supporting documents. They can:

1. upload them into the online service
2. have them scanned at their UKVCAS appointment

They must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. Their application will be withdrawn if they do.

How long it takes to get a decision

A decision will be made within 8 weeks of their application date if they use the standard service.

If they pay an extra £800 to use the super priority service a decision will be made:

1. by the end of the next working day after their UKVCAS appointment if their appointment is on a weekday
2. 2 working days after their UKVCAS appointment if their appointment is at the weekend

Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

They’ll be contacted if their application is complex and will take longer, for example:

1. if their supporting documents need to be verified
2. if they need to attend an interview
3. because of their personal circumstances (for example if they have a criminal conviction)

Once they’ve applied they can stay in the UK until they’ve been given a decision, as long as they applied before their last visa expired.

Children born while you’re in the UK

If you have children while you’re in the UK, you can apply online to add them to your visa as your dependant.

You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.