Starting from 1994, the UK has been providing an immigration pathway for foreign investors and innovators. In 2008, a point-based system was created. With this new creation comes the Tier 1 Investor and Tier 1 Entrepreneur visas.

The Tier 1 Investor visa enables a foreign national and his/her family members to stay in the United Kingdom. They can later become citizens if they meet the requirements.

Since money is involved, the Tier 1 investor visa is always faster than other UK immigration pathways. The whole process can be done within 4 weeks. 

Interested applicants will need to invest some amount of money into a business in the United Kingdom. The investment must be maintained throughout the residency of the applicant.

Obtaining a Tier 1 Investor visa allows you to reside, live or work in the UK. You will be allowed to stay up to a maximum of 40 months. Your spouse and children that are not yet up to 18 years of age can also join in the application.

It is however important to know that until you become a citizen, your Tier 1 Investor visa won’t make you eligible to receive tax credits benefits and other public funds in the UK. The reason why this is so is that it’s assumed that you must have been financially buoyant before being able to afford a Tier 1 Investor visa.

Making use of the Tier 1 Investor visa comes with many benefits, many of which are not open to immigrants that make use of other pathways.

• With a UK Investor Visa, you can obtain a UK passport within 5 to 6 years of your arrival.
• With a Tier 1 Investor visa, you can secure UK citizenship for yourself and your family for life.
• A UK Investor Visa allows you Visa-free access to about 164 countries. 
• You get to enjoy a good standard of living in the UK.
• High-quality education is available plus reliable healthcare.
• Since an Investor Visa is all about money, business and investments, you will be presented with many business opportunities.
• It’s easier for you to start a business and run a company, more than other immigrants that didn’t make use of the Tier 1 Investor visa.

There are more than one or two options you can consider going for when it comes to a UK Investor Visa. The options include the following:

1. £2,000,000 to settle in 5 years.
2. £5,000,000 to settle in 3 years.
3. £10,000,000 to settle in 2 years.

Your Investment money must be safely deposited in one or more recognized financial institutions. It must also be available for spending in the United Kingdom. 

You will need the following requirements before applying for an Investor visa in the UK.

• A valid passport having one blank page or more. You can also provide other forms of identification that can be used for travelling purposes.
• You will need to tender a criminal record certificate.
• Documents that show you have the required amount and the current location of the money must be made known.
• It must be confirmed that you have had them for less than 24 months.
• Your investment money must be readily converted into Pounds Sterling and movable into the United Kingdom (if the funds are outside the UK at the time of your application).
• Also, you must have opened a bank account in a regulated financial institution in the United Kingdom. You must also show proof of this.
• You will also need to provide your biometric details to be given a biometric residence permit.

You will be notified of the result within 3 to 4 weeks after your application date. 

As of April 2021, the UK Tier 1 Investor Visa costs £1623. All applicants will also have to pay the Immigration healthcare surcharge. 

Usually, it will take a UK visa holder 5 compulsory years of residence before being eligible for permanent residence. As an investor visa holder, you will need to apply for an Indefinite Leave To Remain in the UK (ILR) after some time. It may take 5 years.

However, you might not have to wait for that long. Below is the breakdown of how fast you can apply for citizenship, depending on the amount you invested.

1. Maintaining your original £2 million investment will make you eligible to apply for ILR after five years.
2. If you Increase your investment to £5 million, you will become eligible to apply for ILR after three years. 
3. Once you Increase your investment to £10 million, you become eligible to apply for ILR after two years.

After 12 months of obtaining your Indefinite Leave To Remain in the UK (ILR), you can apply for UK citizenship. Below are the requirements.

• You must have resided in the United Kingdom for a minimum of 5 years.
• In case you have spent more than 5 years in the UK, you must have physically resided in the country within the 5 years preceding your application date. 
• You must not be outside the country for more than 450 days within 5 years.
• You must not be outside the United Kingdom for more than 3 months within the past one year preceding your application. 

If you met these requirements, you are eligible for citizenship. You will need to write a “Life in the UK test” and also an English language test to access your communication skills. 

After obtaining your UK citizenship through investment, you can apply for a British passport. With a British passport, you can travel to over 150 countries (including the United States of America) without applying for a Visa.