UK Immigration Visa for a Business Investor:
Click here for information on the Retired Persons Visa.
UK Business Investor Visa
How do I qualify to travel to the UK as an investor?
You will need to show that:
you have access to not less than £1 million of your own money that you will take to the UK, and which must not be held in trust, or
you own personal assets which, taking into account your liabilities, are worth more than £2 million, and
you have not less than £1 million under your control in the UK. (This can include money loaned by a financial institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority.)
You must also show that you:
intend to invest not less than £750,000 in active and trading UK-registered companies or UK government bonds
intend to make the UK your main home, and
can support yourself and your dependants and live without having to work as an employee or getting any help from public funds.
What type of investments can I make?
You can invest in the following.
Unit trusts: you can invest in a regulated collective investment scheme such as a unit trust as long as you invest £750,000 in companies that meet the requirements of the investor rules.
Private companies: you must give us evidence of shareholdings or loans you have in the form of legal documents signed by or on behalf of the company (for example, audited accounts).
What types of investment can't I make?
You cannot invest in the following.
Property companies: this means companies whose main function is to own or manage land or buildings. It does not include, for example, construction firms, manufacturers and retailers who own their own premises. However, once you have invested at least £750,000, you can invest the remaining £250,000 in property companies.
Offshore companies: you cannot invest in or through offshore companies.
Banks and building societies: you cannot keep all your capital in a bank or building society. Once you have invested at least £750,000 in the UK as necessary, you can keep the rest of your capital in a UK bank or building society.
Can my investments or assets count towards my capital in the UK?
Once you have invested at least £750,000, the rest of your capital can include investments and major assets in the UK, such as property (without a mortgage) and significant works of art, as long as they do not total more than £250,000. Your personal belongings such as jewellery and antiques do not count as major assets unless it is clear that you only hold these items for investment purposes.
Can the capital be in joint names?
Yes. You can hold the capital in joint names with your husband, wife or civil partner if:
they are coming to the UK with you as a dependant
you both apply for a visa at the same time, and
you both have unrestricted rights to transfer or use the capital.
Must I make the United Kingdom my only home?
No, but you will need to spend more time in the UK than away from it to continue to qualify to stay as an investor.
Can my family or I work?
You cannot work as an employee but you can carry out business or be self-employed.
Your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible partner, and dependent children can work, as long as they have permission to stay in the UK as your dependants.
Can I apply for permanent residence?
You will be able to apply to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (part of the Home Office) for permanent residence if the following apply.
You have made the UK your main home for the last four years.
You have been in the UK as an investor for four years without a break. You can spend a short time outside the United Kingdom but you should keep absences to a minimum. If you spend more time away from the UK than in it, you will not qualify for permanent residence.
You have kept a capital sum of £1 million in the UK for those four years and you have invested £750,000 of your capital as necessary
You have supported yourself and your dependants without needing help from public funds or working as an employee.
Retired Persons of Independent Means Visa
How do I qualify as a retired person of independent means?
You will need to show :
you are at least 60 years of age
you have an income of at least £25,000 a year that you control and that you can transfer freely to the UK
evidence of any property you own in the UK
evidence that you may legally transfer your money to the UK
that you can support yourself and any dependants without working (as an employee) or getting help from anyone else or from public funds
that you will make the UK your main home, and
that you have a close connection with the UK.
How do I show I have a close connection with the UK?
You can show a close connection to the UK if:
you have close relatives in the UK, or
you have lived in the UK for a long period at any time
Other factors that can help to show a close connection include:
you have worked for a long time with a British company, or
you have had business contacts in the UK for a number of years, or
you have worked for a long time for the UK Government.
Can my family join me in the UK?
Your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible partner, and children under 18 years of age can join you in the UK if:
they have a visa for this purpose, and
you can support them and live without working or getting help from public funds.