Introduced in 2008, the Tier 1 Investor visa allows high-net worth individuals who are able to make a substantial investment in the British economy the ability to reside in the UK and ultimately qualify for permanent residence.
To qualify for permanent residence, an individual must be continuously resident in the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) for a minimum period of time. The qualifying period is dependent on the size of their investment:
- The continuous residence period is 2 years if the total investment made in the UK totals £10 million
- 3 years if the total investment in the UK is £5million and
- 5 years if the total investment is £1million
Whilst there are specific restrictions and requirements on how an investor’s assets can be taken into account and where they can be invested under the Tier 1 (Investor) scheme, 25% of the total investment can be put towards the value of a UK property.
To apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa, the applicant must demonstrate that they hold at least £1million which is available to be invested in the UK. As the value of any tier 1 investor property purchased before the initial visa application cannot be used towards the “proof of funds” requirement, we always recommend that Investors apply for their Tier 1 visa buying any property to benefit from the 25% rule. This truly ensures a complete Return on Investment.
If you have already bought a property less than 12 months ago without applying for an Investor visa beforehand, you are still eligible to include the value of this property within your Tier 1 (Investor) portfolio for the purpose of extending and applying for permanent residence. Get in touch with us on 020 7494 0118 to learn more and to work together on securing your Tier 1 (Investor) visa.
Your application can be submitted from your country of origin, or the country of your current residence. We have assisted individual investors globally in locations as varied as Canes, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Germany, the United States, Australia, the Middles East, China and beyond.
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals