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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.
From 1st September 2015, if you are applying for entry clearance as a Tier 1 (Investor) or an adult dependant (over 18 years old) of the main applicant in this route, you must provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country you have resided in continuously for 12 months or more, in the 10 years prior to your application.
You must be at least 18 years of age.
Entry Clearance Officers and UK Visas & Immigration caseworkers are being empowered to refuse a Tier 1 (Investor) application if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant is not in control of the investment funds or the funds were obtained unlawfully (or by means which would be unlawful if they happened in the UK) or the character, conduct or associations of a party providing the funds mean that approving the application is not in the public interest.
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.
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: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.