Investor visa
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- The UK Investor Visa Program is closed to all new initial applications from 17th February, 2022 (4pm UK time). If you are already holding the UK Investor visa, you can still apply for extension and settlement under this category. If you need any professional assistance with the extension or settlement applications, we are happy to assist you with the applications.
- If you were planning to migrate to UK via Investor visa previously, you can now consider other visa schemes, such as Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), UK Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa and Innovator Visa, etc. You may contact us for further information about the visa details.
Compared with the latest Hong Kong BN(O) visa route, if applicants invest £5 million and is granted Tier 1 investor visa, they can apply fast track and obtain Permanent Residency after 3 years of residing in the UK, which is 2 years faster than the Hong Kong BN(O) visa route.
Tier 1 Investor Visa Introduction
Tier 1 Investor visa is targeted at high-net-worth investors who wish to obtain PR or British citizenship by investing in the UK. Applicants must invest no less than £2 million in UK Corporate bonds or shares for a period of 5 years.
The advantages of this visa are the short processing time, and there are no specific requirements for applicants’ work experience, academic qualifications and English language skills.
Eligible Applicants
- Main applicant must be over 18 years old
- Spouse and children of the main applicant under 18 years old
Financial Requirements
In order to qualify for the Tier 1 Investor visa, the applicant must have at least £2 million funds in cash (equivalent to approximately HK$20M) in a regulated financial institution and provide the source of funds for the past two years.
(Note: If the source of funds is a gift from a third-party, property sales, business profits or inheritance, etc., relevant documents must also be submitted.)
UK Investment Overview
UK Investment Bank
Before submitting the application, the main applicant must open an account in a UK investment bank or financial institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The main applicant needs to submit relevant source of funds to the bank, and the bank would conduct due diligence and background checks on the applicant.
The investment
After the visa is approved, the applicant must invest the entire £2 million into UK corporate bonds or shares within 90 days upon landing the UK.
The investment product cannot be related to any property investment, property management or property development company.
Investment period
- £2 million investment: the main applicant, spouse and child dependents can apply for PR after 5 years.
- £5 million investment: the main applicant can apply for PR after 3 years; spouse and child dependents can apply for PR after 5 years.
- £10 million investment: the main applicant can apply for PR after 2 years; spouse and child dependents can apply for PR after 5 years.
Residency Requirements
- For Permanent Residency (indefinite leave to remain), both the applicant and dependents must reside in the UK for 5 years (under the GBP 2M route) and spend no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during the 5-year visa.
- For British Citizenship, both applicant and dependents must spend no more than 450 days outside the UK during the recent 5 years before applying for British Citizenship and no more than 90 days away from the UK during the last 12 months.
Application documents
- Valid passport
- Hong Kong ID card
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificate
- Bank statements for savings in past 2 years
- Evidence of source of funds in past 2 years
- Bank statement and supporting letter issued by UK Investment Bank
- Tuberculosis test certificate
- Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC)
Visa Benefits
- Tier 1 Investor visa application is quite straightforward in terms of visa requirements. There is no specific requirements for English proficiency, work experience and education qualifications.
- The standard preparation time is around 2 to 3 months (can be quicker if everything is ready).
- The standard processing time of the UK Visa Department is 15 working days for normal service and 5 working days for priority service.
- There are no requirements to top up the £2 million investment funds during the 5-year visa period.
- Both applicant and spouse are permitted to work freely in the UK.
- Their children will have free access to state primary and secondary school in the UK.
Visa application process
The standard processing time of the UK Visa Department is 15 working days for normal service and 5 working days for priority service.
Application fee
- Application fee：£1,623 for each application
- NHS: £624 per year for each adult applicant; £470 per year for child applicant
Frequently Asked Questions
When the visa is granted, the main applicant must invest the entire £2 million into UK corporate bonds or stocks within 3 months after landing in to the UK.
The applicant can diversify their own investment portfolio with his/her chosen investment bank in the UK.
However, the investment product cannot be related to any property investment, property management or property development company.
No, since the Immigration Rules was updated in March 2019, applicants cannot invest in UK government bonds.
If you sell your investment products during the 5 years period, regardless of profit or loss, you need to reinvest the entire sold amount before next reporting period.
For example, if the selling price of the investment is £2.1 million, you must reinvest the entire £2.1 million. On the other hand, if the selling price is £1.9 million, the applicant only needs to reinvest the £1.9 million without making up the position.
The source of funds is the most important consideration for the entire application.
Applicant will need to provide detailed source of funds documents for the purpose of opening the UK investment bank and for the visa application.
If the UK Visa Department has concern or doubt on the source of funds, the application might be refused.
We can assist with your Investor visa application and our service include:
- Full guidance and support throughout the application
- Case analysis and planning to identify legal basis of application
- Coordinating with the relevant UK investment bank for the account opening process
- Provide you with a list of documents required for your application
- Drafting personal statement and relevant legal declations to explain your background and circumstances
- Checking all supporting documents and source of funds to ensure eligibility
- Completion of application forms and upload of documents
- Liaising with the UK Visa and Immigration Department on your behalf
- Ensure of completion of investment within the specified three months period to ensure compliance with Home Office’s requirements
- Referral service for property rental and purchase, education consultancy for independent schools, UK tax and accountancy advice, shipping and relocation, pet immigration services.
The preparation time mainly depends on whether the applicant’s funds and documents are ready.
In general, you can expect that the entire timeframe would be around three months, the breakdown for each stage is outlined below:
- Our preparation time is around 2 to 3 months (can be quicker if everything is ready)
- The processing time for the opening the UK Investment bank is around 2 to 4 weeks
- The processing time for the CNCC is around 1 month
- The processing time of the UK visa department is 15 working days for normal service and 5 working days for priority service.