Tier 1 – Investor Visa

You can apply for a Tier 1 Investor Visa in the UK, if you have at least two million pounds (£2,000,000) in funds available to invest in active UK businesses. The funds must be held by a regulated institution, such as a bank or venture capital firm, and must be free to spend – not tied up in securities, shares, or similar arrangements.

You must have at least £2,000,000 investment funds to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa.

You must:

• be 18 or over to apply for this visa
• be able to prove that the money belongs to either you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner
• have opened a UK bank account

Your funds must be:

• held in one or more regulated financial institutions
• free to spend (‘disposable’) in the UK

Your money can be in the UK or overseas when you apply.

You can come to the UK with a Tier 1 (Investor) visa for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months. You can apply to extend this visa for another 2 years.

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. You should get a decision on your Tier 1 Investor Visa within 3 weeks of your application.

You can apply to switch to Tier 1 Investor Visa if you meet the eligibility requirements and you’re already in the UK under one of the following categories:

• Tier 1 (General)
• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
• Tier 1 (Post-study work)
• any Tier 2 category

You must leave the UK and make your application from abroad if you’re in another category.