How much do I need to invest?
The minimum investment of £2,000,000 can achieve the following:
- Year 1 to 5: Temporary residence
- Year 5: Indefinite Leave to Remain
- Year 6: British Citizenship
A higher investment of £5,000,000 can achieve the following:
- Year 1 to 3: Temporary residence
- Year 4: Indefinite Leave to Remain
- Year 6: British Citizenship
A maximum invest of £10,000,000 can achieve the following:
- Year 1 to 2: Temporary residence
- Year 3: Indefinite Leave to Remain
- Year 6: British Citizenship
What is the benefit of having a Tier 1 (Investor) Visa as opposed to a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa?
The Tier 1 (Investor) Visa directly addresses the needs of an international student who wants to reside and work in the UK without needing to rely on an employer-sponsored Tier 2 (General) Visa.
A Tier 1 (Investor) Visa holder can:
- Continue to reside in the UK and can choose whether or not to work, study etc
- Continue as a student and work unlimited employed hours if desired
- Graduate and apply for full-time employment without company sponsorship
- Have additional family members as dependents (in certain circumstances)
If you and your family are interested in applying for the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa, we suggest you to have a discussion with the financial professionals from Quilter Cheviot to understand more.
What do I invest in?
The most important thing to understand with this UK Tier 1 (Investor) programme is that this is an actual investment and not an expense. As such, the programme allows you to invest in a properly diversified portfolio made up of UK registered securities - to meet your objectives and attitude to risk - such as:
- UK Government Bonds ("Gilts")
- UK Corporate Bonds
- UK Equities
You can invest in both market listed securities and non-listed securities (private companies). However, the vast majority of Tier 1 investors appoint a UK FCA regulated investment manager to select and manage a portfolio of listed securities rather than securities issued by private companies. The benefit of this is as follows:
- Selection of investments is made by a professional, regulated and fully accountable firm
- Listed investments have far greater reporting obligations than private companies leading to greater transparency
- Listed investments (such as those on the FTSE 100) can be easily bought and sold on any trading day. A non-listed security such as that of a private company is extremely illiquid by comparison
- A professional investment manager will create a diversified portfolio in line with the investor's objectives and risk tolerance levels
- A professional investment manager will provide the necessary documents for UK Home Office reporting and tax reporting with HMRC
- Daily online valuations enabling you to see the value of your portfolio
How long do I need to stay in the UK each year during the Visa period?
During your visa period, you will need to stay in the UK for at least 185 days per year in order to obtain permanent residency ("Indefinite Leave to Remain")
Is the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa suitable for you?
If you or your family have the financial capacity then there is likely to be immense benefit if you believe the following:
- There is career value to working in the UK after graduating from a UK university
- Your spouse and / or children (if applicable) would benefit from being a dependent on the visa
- The UK is good place to help you prosper
Steps to apply (using a UK FCA regulated investment manager)
- Ensure you have sufficient funds available in the UK or capable of being transferred to the UK
- Appoint an immigration lawyer / regulated immigration advisor and a UK regulated investment manager
- Provide relevant information to the immigration lawyer / regulated immigration advisor and the UK regulated investment manager
- Make an application to the Home Office with the assistance of an immigration lawyer / regulated immigration advisor
- The Tier 1 (Investor) Visa will be granted from Home Office if successful
- Invest the money within 90 days of receiving the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa with a UK FCA regulated financial institution
Get in touch
If you are thinking about gaining permanent residency in the UK via the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa route, and want to learn more, then you need to get in touch with both an investment manager in relation to a qualifying investment account and an immigration lawyer in relation to the formal legal process.
For qualifying investment accounts, please contact Tammy Tam from Quilter Cheviot by email at tier1@quiltercheviot.com
For immigration legal advice, please contact Philip Harman from DWF by email at Philip.Harman@dwf.law
Disclaimer
Investors should remember that the value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up. Investors may not recover what they invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.