The Tier 1 Investor Visa allows for access to the UK through investment into the national economy.
With an outstanding reputation for security, education and quality of life, the UK has become an attractive home for ambitious foreign investors and their families. The Tier 1 Investor Visa is a desirable route for those looking to invest and settle in the UK.
Those who seek to invest in the UK can do so through investing £2,000,000 or more in share capital or loan capital to active and trading UK registered companies.
As a result, they will be granted access to the UK and will be able to:
A Tier 1 Investor Visa is a great way for successful business people seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain and eventual British Citizenship to begin their path towards permanent settlement. The Tier 1 Investor Visa may be particularly attractive with the several fast track options for settlement in the UK.
The Investor Visa has certain requirements that must be met in order to be granted. It is important that you make sure that you meet all requirements before applying to increase your chances of a successful application.
You must be 18 or over to apply for this visa and have all of the relevant documentation that proves that the money belongs to either you or your partner (spouse or unmarried partner). You will also have to provide evidence for the investment funds, which will depend on the route visa route taken.
You must also have opened an account with a UK regulated bank to use for your funds which must meet the following requirements:
Qualifying ‘active and trading UK registered companies’ include those who are:
(i) are registered with Companies House in the UK;
(ii) are registered with HM Revenue and Customs for corporation tax and PAYE;
(iii) have accounts and a UK business bank account, both showing regular trading of its own goods or services;
(iv) have at least two UK-based employees who are not its directors.
There are some restrictions regarding how you can invest the money. You can’t invest in companies mainly engaged in property investment, property management or property development.
You also cannot invest in an offshore company or trust or invest in open-ended investment companies, investment trust companies, investment syndicate companies (pooled resource / shared risk entities such as ‘namecos’ operating as part of a banking, underwriting or insurance syndicate, for example) or pooled investment vehicles. Leveraged investment funds are also unacceptable investments.
Additionally, you cannot work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach or get public funds while on an Investor Visa. There are also applicable restrictions regarding work as a doctor or dentist, unless:
QC Immigration has an experienced team who will be able to guide you towards the best route available to you in order to give you a great chance of getting your application approved. We will assist by building and resenting a convincing case that highlights why your visa application should be accepted.
Having significant experience working with high net worth individuals and families, we will know what the home office is looking for when reviewing your application. We will use our resources to help ensure that you are able to tick all of the necessary boxes. If you would like to get in touch with a member of our team, you can call us on 0203 637 8633 or email info@qc-immigration.com.
We start a discussion by understanding your history, and we will clearly outline the best option available and any recommendations to save you time and costs.
Once you instruct us to be your legal representative, we will start preparing your case. We may require more information about you to help you more effectively.
Documentation is a crucial part of an immigration application. We will customise a document list to guide your preparation. Your dedicated lawyer will check the documents and advise of any improvements needed.
We will complete your application to the Home Office and may also write a cover letter with strong legal arguments where relevant. We may discuss this with you to confirm the final details.
We will submit your application to the Home Office, Court authorities securely. We will represent you as the main point of contact with them for any further requests.
You may sometimes be invited to attend a Home Office interview or Court hearing. While this may sound daunting, we will help you prepare and provide guidance on what questions to expect.
As soon as we receive a decision from the Home Office, we will get in touch with you to share the news.
We did multiple assignments with QC and were very happy with the fast response and results we achieved on our applications.
Qiyin was very quick to respond to my inquiries. She was very professional, supportive and helpful. Highly recommended!
Qiyin listened very attentively to my concerns and reassured me. Gave me a lot of insight into how I need to plan my application in a very personal way. Would definitely highly recommend.
Very professional team, who helped me gain EU Settled status pre-Brexit using a new Android app. It is refreshing to see that QC-immigration team adopts fast the technology and is on top of all changes in legislation. They got my full trust.
Hafsah made my application look so simple and easy even though i was doubtful about my case before approaching QC. I can’t believe my ILR application got approved by Home office within 24 hrs of biometric appointment. Thank you Hafsah for helping me get this done.
It was a pleasure working with Qiyin and her team. They were very helpful and responsive all the time. They helped me with my Permanent Residence which was succesful and was received in less than a month. I will work with them again in the future, so I strongly recommend this Immigration office to everyone.
Definitely the best law firm I've ever dealt with. Hafsah Awan is an amazing lawyer, she is extremely professional, she truly cares, and gives great advise to ensure all goes smoothly. My entire process with Hafsah went really well, and we successfully got our Start-up visas to the UK, many thanks to Hafsah for her great efforts. I also loved that they are very responsive, to emails, calls, etc. Qiyin Chuah, the founder, actually helped me in the last moment during her weekend, I was very thankful for that, as not many people would even get back to you during the weekend. Overall, an amazing law firm, I'm very pleased, and I truly wish Hafsah, Qiyin, and the rest of QC Immigration team all the best, God bless you all :)
I had an exploratory conversation with QC Immigration. Qiyin was professional and personable throughout our conversation, explaining clearly the current criteria and regulatory considerations to keep in mind. I would have no reservations in appointing them for representation should there ever be a need, as Qiyin provided from the outset, the calm assurance of having the knowledge, experience and an individual approach that I strongly value.
Very good service and professional company! I contact them trough a friend because I had problem with a Family Visa in Scotland, they helped me and advised in all the process and they solved what I needed to solve so quick. Specially Qiyin and Marianna. I would always come back to them again if I needed and also recommend them. As I said, very good and Professional.
Both my fiancé and I used QC Immigration this year for our new visa and naturalisation applications, respectively, and were very happy with the service. Our main point of contact was Marianna, who was very prompt and thorough in her preparation of our applications and helpful throughout every step of the process with our concerns, etc. Highly recommend QC Immigration. Thank you again, Marianna!
My friend had recommended QC Immigration and I was not disappointed! Marianna was my main point of contact and she was kind, prompt and very efficient. I had a lot of questions and Marianna was very quick in replying to me. I would definitely recommend QC Immigration.
They were extremely professional and thorough throughout the application process. I even shared my travel plans and they worked based on my timelines, which based on experience, most companies don't prioritise. Highly recommend working with them if you want to be stress free and want your application handled with care.
I have been using QC Immigration to help prepare for my partner's Proposed Civil Partnership Visa application. We have been dealing with Marianna since January, and have found her to be extremely professional, knowledgeable and personable. She has always responded to my queries and concerns, (however neurotic!) and she has paid great attention to detail. It has been an invaluable service, and should our application be successful in this instance, I will not hesitate to appoint QC Immigration again to assist with the next stages. Many thanks again for your hard work and for showing us such an understanding and caring attitude! :)
My partner and I recently used QC Immigration when applying for a UK partner visa. They were very professional throughout and dealt with all questions and queries accordingly. Marianna was our main point of contact and was extremely diligent and reassuring throughout the process. We appreciated their attention to detail and extensive knowledge of UK immigration law and would highly recommend them to any prospective clients.
If you wish to achieve Indefinite Leave to Remain in the future, you should spend no more than 180 days outside the UK during any consecutive 12 months.
Applying for an Investor Visa costs £1,638. If you are looking to switch to this visa, extend your visa or if you are a family member applying, the fee will be the same. Additional fees may apply such as the healthcare surcharge. You can also pay an additional £500 if you’d like a faster decision (5 working days).
You can apply to extend this visa, which will allow you to stay a further 2 years.
You can come to the UK with an Investor Visa for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months. While residing in the UK you can apply to extend this visa for another 2 years. The earliest you can apply for a Tier 1 Investor Visa is 3 months before you travel to the UK.
If your application is declined, there is an opportunity to appeal your application decision, but a strong case is needed in order to convince the Home Office to change their initial decision. A strong and thorough case must be put together as quickly as possible and all of the relevant documentation must be submitted in a timely manner.
QC Immigration can help Increase your chances of your UK visa application being accepted with the help of our experienced immigration lawyers.