Investor Visa
The Tier 1 Investor visa enables wealthy applicants to apply to come to, or remain in, the UK on the basis that they intend to invest at least £2m in UK companies or UK Government bonds.
The funds may be held in either an overseas bank or a bank in the UK and they may be held in either foreign currency or in pounds sterling, but the applicants must open a UK bank account before the application can be submitted.
If the funds are held outside the UK they must be transferable to the UK.
Unlike other kinds of settlement visas, there is no English language requirement for Tier 1 Investor applicants. They only need to meet an English requirement at such time as they apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Settled Status in the UK refers to the immigration status granted to eligible EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens, as well as their family members, who were living in the UK before the end of the Brexit transition period (December 31, 2020). It allows individuals to continue living and working in the UK without any immigration restrictions. Settled Status is part of the UK government’s EU Settlement Scheme, which was introduced to protect the rights of EU citizens and their family members residing in the UK after Brexit. Once granted Settled Status, individuals are granted the right to stay indefinitely in the UK and enjoy various benefits and services.
The length of time required to be eligible to apply for settlement or Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK will vary depending on the amount of investment:
Investment of £2 million – the applicant will be eligible to apply for ILR after 5 years
Investment of £5 million – the applicant will be eligible to apply for ILR after 3 years
Investment of £10 million – the applicant will be eligible to apply for settlement after 2 years
When applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain, the applicant must not have been absent from the UK for more than 180 days in each qualifying year. Absences are a common problem for Tier 1 Investor applicants. There is a discretion that the Home Office can exercise, but they only do so in few exceptional cases.
To be eligible to apply for Naturalisation as a British citizen, the applicant must be resident in the UK for at least 5 years and must have held ILR for at least 12 months. There are further requirements for absences, residence, English language etc.
ILR in the UK
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK is an immigration status that grants an individual the right to live and work in the country without any time restrictions. ILR is also known as settlement or permanent residency. It allows individuals to stay in the UK for an indefinite period and provides them with a wide range of benefits, such as access to public funds, healthcare, and education.
