Who is the Tier 1 (Investor) visa suitable for?

The Tier 1 (Investor) visa category is for high net worth individuals who are willing and able to make a substantial financial investment (at least £2 million) in the UK. Tier 1 (Investor) visa holders are permitted to work, study, and engage in business activities in the United Kingdom. They can also be accompanied or joined by their dependants. The Tier 1 (Investor) visa typically leads to settlement in the UK over a period of 5 years. Accelerated settlement is available to Tier 1 (Investor) visa holders who invest more in the UK.

What are the eligibility criteria?

In order to qualify for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa you will need to satisfy the following requirements:

• You have funds amounting to at least £2 million belonging to yourself, your partner or the two of you jointly
• The money is held in a regulated financial institution
• The money is freely transferrable to the UK and able to be converted into pounds sterling
• You have opened a bank account with a UK regulated bank for the purpose of investing not less than £2 million in the UK.

If you have held your investment funds for less than 2 years then you will need to prove the source of your funds. The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  Speak to our friendly team for expert advice.

Do I need to speak the English language?

As a Tier 1 (Investor) visa applicant you will not need to satisfy any English language requirement.

Do I need to demonstrate any maintenance funds?

As a Tier 1 (Investor) visa applicant you will not need to satisfy any maintenance funds requirement.

Do I need to show a criminal record certificate?

If applying for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa from overseas, you and any adult dependants will need to provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country that you have lived in for at least 12 months in the last 10 years.

Can I make an investment into any sector?

The Immigration Rules for Tier 1 (Investor) visas contain various restrictions on permitted investments.  For example, investments in offshore companies or trusts, open-ended investment companies and companies mainly engaged in property investment, property management or property development are all prohibited.

How long will it take to process my application?

Once you are in a position to apply for the Tier 1 (Investor) visa, you can apply for either a standard 8 week consideration or a priority consideration.

Most visa application centres outside the UK offer a priority service which allows Tier 1 (Investor) visa applicants to receive a decision on their applications for entry clearance within 5 working days.

Tier 1 (Investor) visa applicants applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain from within the UK can apply for either a standard 6 month consideration or a priority 10 working day consideration.

How long is a Tier 1 (Investor) visa valid for?

Your initial Tier 1 (Investor) visa will be valid for either 3 years and 4 months (if applying from overseas) or 3 years (if applying from within the UK).

You will need to invest at least £2 million in actively trading UK companies within 3 months of entering the category. You will then need to maintain your investment.

You will be able to extend your stay as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa holder for a further 2 years, before qualifying for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) after 5 years. There is also an accelerated route to settlement as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa migrant after either 3 years (if you invest at least £5 million) or 2 years (if you invest at least £10 million).

In order to settle in the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa, you will need to spend not more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period and, unless aged 65 or over, have sufficient knowledge of the English language and Life in the UK.

Does the Tier 1 (Investor) visa give me permanent residence in the UK?

You may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa holder after spending 2, 3 or 5 years in the UK. The requirements that you will need to satisfy in order to qualify for ILR as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa holder will depend upon when your initial Tier 1 (Investor) visa was granted and the amount of your investment.

In order to settle in the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa holder, you will need to spend no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period and, unless aged 65 or over, have sufficient knowledge of the English language and Life in the UK.

Can I extend a Tier 1 (Investor) visa?

The requirements that you will need to satisfy in order to qualify for a Tier 1 Investor visa extension will depend upon whether your initial Tier 1 Investor visa was granted between 6 November 2014 and 28 March 2019 or on or after 29 March 2019.

Who is the Innovator visa suitable for?

The Innovator visa category is suitable for experienced businesspersons and entrepreneurs who are looking to set up a new business in the UK which is innovative, viable and scalable.  Applicants are expected to present a new business idea.  Generally, the business will not already exist, however, where it does, the new business should not yet have fully started trading.

Applicants can work on their own as a sole founder, or together as part of an entrepreneurial team, provided that each applicant is an original and significant member of the founding team.

The business idea may relate to any sector, provided the business idea is sufficiently innovative, viable and scalable.  For example, the restriction on companies mainly engaged in property development under the previous Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa category does not apply.   Applicants can develop other businesses as well as their main business idea, but are not permitted to undertake employment outside of their business ventures.

If you are a senior employee of an overseas business looking to establish a commercial presence in the UK then you may like to consider the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa.

What are the eligibility criteria?

In order to apply for the Innovator visa applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You are at least 18 years old;
• You have at least £50,000 available to invest in your UK business or have already invested £50,000 in your UK business (this requirement is waived if switching from the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur or Start-upcategory to pursue the same business venture or extending as an existing Innovator to pursue the same business venture and, in both cases, you have shown significant achievements judged against your business plan);
• If applying to set up a new business venture, you have been endorsed by an approved UK endorsing bodythat has positively assessed your business idea for innovation, viability and scalability and is satisfied that you will spend your entire working time in the UK on developing your business venture;
• Your endorsement letter was issued not more than 3 months before the date of your Innovator visa application;
• You genuinely intend to undertake, and are capable of undertaking, any work or business activity in the UK stated in your application;
• You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking);
• If you are outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months then you have at least £1270 to support yourself, plus £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for a first child and £200 for each additional child.

How much do I need to invest?

You will usually need to have at least £50,000 available to invest in your UK business or have already invested £50,000 in your UK business.  You may rely on money of your own or funding provided by your endorsing body.

The requirement to have a ‘viable’ and ‘scalable’ business idea means that, in practice, you may need to have more than £50,000 available to invest.  Some endorsing bodies require an additional level of funding as a condition of endorsement.

The investment funds requirement for an Innovator visa is waived for applicants switching from either the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur or Start-up category to pursue the same business venture or extending as an existing Innovator to pursue the same business venture.  In both cases, applicants need to have demonstrated significant achievements judged against their business plan.

How do I get endorsed?

In order for your business proposal to be endorsed, you will need to receive a letter of endorsement from a UK Government-approved endorsing body. Endorsing bodies are selected UK higher education institution or business organisations with a history of supporting UK entrepreneurs. An approved endorsing body will need to be satisfied that your business idea meets all of the following criteria:

• Innovation: You have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage;
• Viability: You have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business;
• Scalability: Your business plan shows evidence of structured planning and potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

Read the full list of endorsing bodies.

The endorsing body will also need to be satisfied that you will spend your entire working time in the UK on developing business ventures. You may not take on other employment outside of your business. This includes anything that effectively amounts to employment, such as using your business to hire out your labour to another employer.

Who is the Start-up visa suitable for?

The Start-up visa category is suitable for early-stage entrepreneurs who are looking to set up a business in the UK for the first time which is innovative, viable and scalable.  Applicants are expected to present a new business idea and must not have set up a business before in the UK.

Applicants can work on their own as a sole founder, or together as part of an entrepreneurial team, provided that each applicant is an original and significant member of the founding team with a day-to-day role in the business.

The business idea may relate to any sector, provided the business idea is sufficiently innovative, viable and scalable.  For example, the restriction on companies mainly engaged in property development under the previous Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa category does not apply.   Applicants can develop other businesses as well as their main business idea, and are permitted to work or study outside of their business venture, provided that they spend the majority of their working time in the UK on building their business venture(s).

If you are a senior employee of an overseas business looking to establish a commercial presence in the UK then you may like to consider the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa.

How long can I stay in the UK under the Start-up visa?

Start-up visa holders are eligible to stay in the UK for a maximum of two years.

After this time, the visa holder may curtail their stay or apply to switch to another UK visa. Start-up visa holders typically apply to switch to the Innovator visa, which extends their stay in the UK for a further three years. After this time, visa holders may be eligible to apply for UK Indefinite Leave to Remain and ultimately British citizenship.

The investment funds requirement for an Innovator visa is waived for applicants switching from the Start-up category to pursue the same business venture under the Innovator visa.  To be eligible to switch to an Innovator visa, applicants need to have demonstrated significant achievements judged against their business plan.

What are the eligibility criteria?

In order to apply for the Start-up visa applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You are at least 18 years old;
• You have been endorsed by an approved UK endorsing bodythat has positively assessed your business idea for innovation, viability and scalability and is satisfied that you will spend the majority of your time in the UK on developing your business venture;
• You have not previously established a business in the UK;
• Your endorsement letter was issued not more than 3 months before the date of your Start-up visa application;
• You genuinely intend to undertake, and are capable of undertaking, any work or business activity in the UK stated in your application;
• You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking);
• If you are outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months then you have at least £1270 to support yourself, plus £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for a first child and £200 for each additional child.

How much do I need to invest?

Applicants for the Start-up visa do not need to demonstrate any investment funds, however endorsing bodies consider it compelling to see that funding is available or, where this is not possible, that the applicant has a clear and structured fundraising strategy. Applicants that wish to demonstrate investment funds may rely on money of their own or funding provided by their endorsing body.

Some endorsing bodies require a minimum level of funding as a condition of endorsement.

How do I get endorsed?

In order for your business proposal to be endorsed, you will need to receive a letter of endorsement from a UK Government-approved endorsing body. Endorsing bodies are selected UK higher education institution or business organisations with a history of supporting UK entrepreneurs. An approved endorsing body will need to be satisfied that your business idea meets all of the following criteria:

• Innovation: You have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage;
• Viability: You have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business;
• Scalability: Your business plan shows evidence of structured planning and potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

Read the full list of endorsing bodies.

The endorsing body will also need to be satisfied that you will spend the majority of your working time in the UK on developing business ventures.

Who is the Sole Representative visa suitable for?

The Sole Representative visa category is suitable for a senior employee of an overseas business that wishes to set up and run a UK branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of the overseas parent company in the UK.

To qualify for this visa, the overseas parent company must be an active and trading overseas business with its headquarters and principal place of business outside the United Kingdom. The overseas parent company must have no other active branch, subsidiary or representative in the UK. The subsidiary company that is setup under the Sole Representative visa must trade in the same business activity as the overseas business, although the overseas parent company must maintain the centre of its operations overseas.

To qualify for this visa, the applicant must be an existing senior employee of the overseas business and recruited outside of the UK. The applicant also needs to have the skills, experience and knowledge of the business necessary to undertake the role of sole representative in the UK. They must have full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business, and either a majority stake in, ownership or control of the overseas business, whether that be by means of a shareholding, partnership, sole proprietorship or any other agreement. The applicant must not engage in business of their own or work for any other business during their time in the UK.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To qualify for this visa, the overseas parent company must:

• Be an active and trading overseas business;
• Have its headquarters and principal place of business outside the United Kingdom;
• Have no other active branch, subsidiary or representative in the UK;
• Intend to establish a registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK that will actively trade in the same business activity as the overseas business;
• Not be established or the sole representative appointed mainly for the purpose of facilitating the entry or stay of the sole representative;
• Intend to maintain the centre of its operations overseas.

In addition, the representative applying for the Sole Representative visa must:

• Be a genuine Representative of an Overseas Business;
• Be an existing senior employee of the overseas business;
• Have been recruited and taken on as an employee of the overseas business outside of the UK;
• Have the skills, experience and knowledge of the business necessary to undertake the role of sole representative of the overseas business in the UK;
• Have full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business;
• Intend to work full-time as a representative of the overseas business;
• Not intend to engage in business of your own or work for any other business;
• Not have a majority stake in, or otherwise own or control, a majority of the overseas business, whether that ownership or control is by means of a shareholding, partnership agreement, sole proprietorship or any other arrangement;
• Show English language ability to at least CEFR Level A1 (speaking and listening);
• Show they can adequately maintain and accommodate theirself and their dependants in the UK, without recourse to public funds.