What is Tier 1 Investor Visa?
The Tier 1 Investor visa is closed to new applicants. However, you will still be able to apply to extend your Tier 1 Investor visa, apply for indefinite leave to remain, or have your family members join you in the UK with your current visa.
The Tier 1 Investor Visa is one of the UK business visas, this visa types allows investors to enter and live in the UK providing that they invest at least £2 million into active and trading UK businesses.
The Tier 1 Investor Visa is a high-value migration route, this means that you are not required to have a job offer before you can apply for an Investor Visa and your application will not need to be sponsored. The application is almost entirely based on your ability to invest the required amount within the first three months of your visa being granted.
With the Tier 1 Investor Visa you can live in the UK for up to 3 years and 4 months, if you wish to remain living in the United Kingdom after this time you can also apply for an extension of your Investor Visa for a further 2 years.
There is no English Language requirement and no expectation to show sufficient maintenance funds. For investors who have £2 million or more available, this is a great route to entering the country and securing UK citizenship by investment.
Who is eligible for the Tier 1 Investor Visa?
Unlike most other points-based visa applications, there are few requirements for the Tier 1 Investor Visa UK. To meet the eligibility for this visa you must have £2 million available to you, your spouse or your long-term partner, the only other requirements that you need to meet are that you must:
- Be at least 18 years old or over
- Be able to prove that the money belongs to either you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner
- Have opened an account at a UK regulated bank to use for your funds
Your funds must be:
- held in one or more regulated financial institutions
- free to spend (‘disposable’) in the UK
You will not need to pass an English Language test, be sponsored by a UK business or institution or prove you have adequate maintenance.
This type of Tier 1 Visa requires you to invest all £2 million into UK businesses within the first three months of your visa being granted, so it is important that the money you use for your application is freely available for you to invest with before you apply for your visa.
How can I apply for a Tier 1 Investor Visa?
You must apply online for the Tier 1 Investor Visa, you can do this using the application form available on the gov.uk website.
When applying you will need to submit the following documents:
- A current passport or other valid travel identification
- Your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
- A criminal record certificate from any country you have stayed in for a total of 12 months or more over the last 10 years
You will also need to submit supporting documents to prove that you have the investment funds available and that you have a UK bank account. If using your own money you must show how much money you have and where it’s being held, where the money came from if you’ve had the money for less than 2 years and that the money can be transferred to the UK and converted to sterling.
If you are using your partners money you will need to submit a certificate of marriage or civil partnership, or proof of a long-term relationship (at least 2 years), a statement from your partner confirming that they will allow you to control the funds in the UK and a letter from a legal adviser stating that the declaration is valid.
To prove that you have a bank account at a UK regulated bank you will need to submit a letter which must:
- Be issued by an authorised official
- Be dated within 3 months of your application
- Be on the official headed paper of the bank
- State your name and account number
- Confirm you’ve opened an account with the bank in order to invest £2,000,000
- Confirm the bank is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
- Confirm checks for money-laundering have been carried out
As well as completing the online application process, you will also need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to have your biometric information taken, this is your photograph and fingerprints. This will be used for you Biometric Residence Permit which you must collect within 10 days of your entry into the UK.
What can Investor Visa holders do?
Investor Visa holders can live, work and study in the UK for 3 years and 4 months, they can also apply for an extension of their Tier 1 Investor Visa.
Investor Visa holders can make the UK their permanent home by applying for settlement. As an Investor Visa holder you could apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain quicker than most other visa holders depending on how much money they invest in the UK.
Although Investor Visa holders can live work and study in the UK they cannot work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach or get public funds.
Investor Visa holders also cannot work as doctors or dentists in training unless they:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or above in medicine or dentistry from a UK institution that holds a Student sponsor licence
- Worked as a doctor or dentist in training the last time they were in the UK
How can I apply for indefinite leave to remain?
If you’ve had a Tier 1 Investor visa in the UK long enough, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
When you will be able to apply for ILR depends on when you first applied for your visa.
On or after 6 November 2014
If you applied on or after 6 November 2014, when you’ll be able to apply for ILR depends on the amount of money you’ve invested.
To be eligible after 2 years, the amount is £10 million. For 3 years, the amount is £5 million. For 5 years, the amount is £2 million.
You must have invested those funds in share capital, loan capital or UK government bonds in active UK companies within 3 months of your visa start date.
Before 6 November 2014
If you applied before 6 November 2014, when you’ll be able to apply for ILR depends on your level of investment.
To be eligible after 2 years, you must have invested £10 million in cash, £20 million in personal assets or £10 million worth of loans from a UK-regulated financial institution.
To be eligible after 3 years, you must have invested £5 million in cash, £10 million in personal assets or £5 million worth of loans from a UK-regulated financial institution.
To be eligible after 5 years, you must have invested £1 million in cash, £2 million in personal assets or £1 million worth of loans from a UK-regulated financial institution.
Fees and other requirements
You will not be able to spend time spent on any other visa when applying for ILR with a Tier 1 Investor visa.
In addition, you must not have spent any more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
Lastly, if you’re aged between 18 and 64, you’ll need to book and pass the Life in the UK Test in order to be eligible for ILR. The Life in the UK Test is a short test that tests your knowledge of British life, history and customs.
As of April 2023, it costs £2,404 to apply for ILR. The earliest you can apply for ILR is 28 days before you’re due to fully meet the residency requirements.
What is a Schengen Visa?
A Schengen Visa is a permit that allows nationals of eligible countries to travel in the Schengen Area for a short period. It can be used for both tourism and business purposes.
The Schengen Area is currently the most extensive free travel territory in the world. The area covers 26 countries and there are no border controls within these member countries. Schengen Visas are the most common visa for accessing Europe and a valid Schengen visa lets you travel freely to and within its area. To be eligible, you must meet specific visa requirements, based on your travelling intents.
The Schengen Visa is a short-stay visa that is only valid for up to 90 days, you cannot use your Europe tourist visa to live, study or work in the Schengen Area. Instead, you need to apply for a national visa for that European country that you intend to stay in.
Who needs a visa to enter Europe?
Schengen visas are for all nationals of third countries that do not have a visa waiver agreement with the Schengen member states. You will need to apply for a Schengen visa if you plan on visiting a Schengen country and are a citizen from one of the following countries:
| Afghanistan | Gabon | Oman |
| Algeria | Gambia | Pakistan |
| Angola | Ghana | Papua New Guinea |
| Armenia | Guinea | Palestinian Authority |
| Azerbaijan | Guinea-Bissau | Philippines |
| Bahrain | Guyana | Qatar |
| Bangladesh | Haiti | Russia |
| Belarus | India | Rwanda |
| Belize | Indonesia | Sao Tome And Principe |
| Benin | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
| Bhutan | Iraq | Senegal |
| Bolivia | Jamaica | Sierra Leone |
| Botswana | Jordan | Somalia |
| Burkina Faso | Kazakhstan | South Africa |
| Burma/Myanmar | Kenya | South Sudan |
| Burundi | Kosovo | Sri Lanka |
| Cambodia | Kuwait | Sudan |
| Cameroon | Kyrgyzstan | Suriname |
| Cape Verde | Laos | Swaziland |
| Central African Republic | Lebanon | Syria |
| Chad | Lesotho | Tajikistan |
| China | Liberia | Tanzania |
| Comoros | Libya | Thailand |
| Congo | Madagascar | Timor-Leste |
| Cote D’ivoire | Malawi | Togo |
| Cuba | Maldives | Tonga |
| Dem. Rep. Of Congo | Mali | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Mauritania | Turkey |
| Dominican Republic | Mongolia | Turkmenistan |
| Ecuador | Morocco | Uganda |
| Egypt | Mozambique | Uzbekistan |
| Equatorial Guinea | Namibia | Vietnam |
| Eritrea | Nepal | Yemen |
| Ethiopia | Niger | Zambia |
| Fiji | Nigeria | Zimbabwe |
| North Korea | Northern Mariana’s |
What countries is the Schengen visa valid for?
The Schengen Visa acts as an entry visa for the countries in the Schengen area. At the moment, there are 26 Schengen countries that you can travel to for up to 90 days using the Schengen visa, they include:
| Austria | Hungary | Norway |
| Belgium | Iceland | Poland |
| Czech Republic | Italy | Portugal |
| Denmark | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Estonia | Liechtenstein | Slovenia |
| Finland | Lithuania | Spain |
| France | Luxembourg | Sweden |
| Germany | Malta | Switzerland |
| Greece | Netherlands |
Not all the European Union countries are also members of the Schengen Area and not every Schengen country is a member of the EU. For example, Iceland, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and Norway are not part of the EU. On the other hand, the UK, Romania, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Cyprus are EU countries but are outside the Schengen zone.
Similarly, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City allow visitors from the Schengen Area but are not associated with this region. The Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands are special members of the EU, and they are part of the external borders of the Schengen area as well.
How to apply for a Schengen Visa?
You must submit your Schengen visa application to the Embassy, Consulate, or. visa application centre of the country that you wish to visit. Note that some Schengen countries only accept visa applications from residents of the country the application is made, which means only legal UK residents can apply from the UK for some countries.
You can visit more than one member state using this visa. If you are going to visit several Schengen member countries, you should submit your application to your first destination or the country where you are staying for a longer time.
The first step in the Schengen visa application process is to book an appointment at your local Embassy or Consulate of your chosen Schengen member country, this can usually be done online. You will then need to complete the Schengen Visa application form that you can download online and must also gather all of the required documents.
You will need to attend your visa interview and submit your application form and supporting documents to the consular officer. During the interview, you will be asked questions about your trip such as where you intend to visit and why. Finally, you will need to pay the visa application fee.
You must submit your application at least 15 days before your intended journey. However, you are not allowed to apply earlier than three months before the date you intend to enter the Schengen Area.
It usually takes 15 days to receive a decision. If the Consulate requires further supporting documents, this period may extend up to 60 days.
What are the documents required for a Schengen Visa?
When applying for your visa you will need to submit a number of supporting documents. Use our handy Schengen Visa document checklist to make sure that you have everything you need.
Schengen Visa documents checklist:
- A valid passport with at least two empty pages. Your travel document must have been issued within the last 10 years and be valid for at least three months after the date you leave the Schengen Area.
- Your completed visa application form.
- Evidence that you intend to return to your home country such as a return ticket or enough available funds to buy one.
- Two recent photographs conform to ICAO standards.
- Proof of paid application fees
- Travel insurance that covers any emergency medical and repatriation. The minimum cover should be of €30,000 and valid throughout your stay
- Complete documentation of your trip. This includes details of your booked accommodation and means of transport to travel within the Schengen Area
Evidence that you can support yourself financially during your trip.
When you reach a Schengen port of entry, you must present your passport and your visa. Border officials may ask for further information about your trip. Before letting you enter the Area, they will give you an entry stamp in your passport. Without it, you may be fined or detained when leaving the EU. The Visa Information System in use in certain countries also requires your fingerprints to be collected.
Even though you may not need to meet specific visa requirements to travel to Europe, you still need a valid passport to enter the Schengen Area.
Schengen Visa entry restrictions
Schengen visas allow overseas nationals to enter Schengen countries for up to 90 days in a 180 day period. However, there are different types of Schengen visas that come with varying restrictions that you must adhere to.
Most Schengen Visas come under the category of a Uniform Schengen Visa. Uniform visa holders are permitted to travel in any Schengen country. However, there are also subcategories of the Uniform Schengen visa and the entry restrictions vary for each category, they include the:
- Single Entry Visa – This permits the visa holder to only enter a Schengen country once within the visa’s validity, if they leave the Schengen area then their visa will no longer be valid.
- Double Entry Visa – This is similar to the single-entry visa except that double-entry visa holders can enter the Schengen area once more when they have left it.
- Multiple Entry Visa – This allows holders to go in and out of the Schengen area as many times as they like providing they do not stay for more than 90 days in a 180-day period. Multiple Entry Schengen Visas are available for periods of 1 year, 3 years and 5 years.
Another category of Schengen visa is the Limited Territorial Validity Visas (LTV). LTV visas permit holders to only travel within the Schengen country or countries that they have obtained the visa from. This visa is not valid for travel to or transit through any other Schengen countries.
What is an Airport Transit Schengen Visa?
In 2010, the European Union introduced new visa requirements to transit through airports in the Schengen Area. An Airport Transit Schengen Visa is a subcategory of Uniform Schengen Visa that allows nationals of non-Schengen countries to change their flight in one of the airports of this zone.
However, unlike the other Uniform Visas, an Airport Transit Schengen Visa is not a Visa for Europe and cannot be used to leave the international transit area. This order also applies if you need to wait overnight or leave the airport to take your next flight. If you need to fly between more than one airport within the Schengen Area, you must apply for a regular Schengen visa.
In exceptional circumstances, individual Schengen members can impose different Airport Transit Visa requirements to accept visa applications. In addition, most members have added further countries to the list of those who need to apply for a Transit Visa.
Nationals of the following countries need to apply for an Airport Transit Schengen Visa:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Iran
- Iraq
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
You may be exempt from the Transit Visa if you have a residence permit issued by a Schengen country, or are a family member of a Schengen/EU national.
