Guidance - Investors (INF 11)
12 April 2006
What is this guidance about?
This guidance explains what you will need to do if you want to come to the United Kingdom (UK) as an investor or a retired person
of independent means, and what the Immigration Rules say.
It is only a guide but it aims to answer some common questions
How do I qualify to travel to the UK as an investor?
What type of investments can I make?
What type of investment's can't I make?
Can my investments or assets count towards my capital in the UK?
Can the capital be in joint names?
Must I make the UK my only home?
Can my family or I work?
Can I apply for permanent residence?
How do i qualify as a retired person of independent means?
How do i show I have a close connection with the UK?
Can my family joint me in UK?
Do I need a visa?
What is a visa?
How do i apply for visa?
What will I need to make my application?
What supporting documents should I include with my application?
What will happen when I make my application?
What are public funds?
More advice and information
How do I qualify to travel to the UK as an investor?
You will need to show that:
- you have access to not less than £1 million of your own money that you will take to the UK, and which must not be held in trust, or
- you own personal assets which, taking into account your liabilities, are worth more than £2 million, and
- you have not less than £1 million under your control in the UK. (This can include money loaned by a financial institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority.)
You must also show that you:
- intend to invest not less than £750,000 in active and trading UK-registered companies or UK government bonds
- intend to make the UK your main home, and
- can support yourself and your dependants and live without having to work as an employee or getting any help from public funds.
Back to question
What types of investments can I make?
You can invest in the following.
- Unit trusts: you can invest in a regulated collective investment scheme such as a unit trust as long as you invest £750,000 in companies that meet the requirements of the investor rules.
- Private companies: you must give us evidence of share holdings or loans you have in the form of legal documents signed by or on behalf of the company (for example, audited accounts).
As a general rule, investments must be in your name to be acceptable to the Home Office, who decide the suitability of applications.
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What type of investment's can't I make?
You cannot invest in the following.
- Property companies: this means companies whose main function is to own or manage land or buildings. It does not include, for example, construction firms, manufacturers and retailers who own their own premises. However, once you have invested at least £750,000, you can invest the remaining £250,000 in property companies.
- Offshore companies: you cannot invest in or through offshore companies.
- Banks and building societies: you cannot keep all your capital in a bank or building society. Once you have invested at least £750,000 in the UK as necessary, you can keep the rest of your capital in a UK bank or building society.
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Can my investments or assets count towards my capital in the UK?
Once you have invested at least £750,000, the rest of your capital can include investments and major assets in the UK, such as property (without a mortgage) and significant works of art, as long as they do not total more than £250,000. Your personal belongings such as jewellery and antiques do not count as major assets unless it is clear that you only hold these items for investment purposes.
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Can the capital be in joint names?
Yes. You can hold the capital in joint names with your husband, wife or civil partner if:
- they are coming to the UK with you as a dependant
- you both apply for a visa at the same time, and
- you both have unrestricted rights to transfer or use the capital.
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Must I make the United Kingdom my only home?
No, but you will need to spend more time in the UK than away from it to continue to qualify to stay as an investor.
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Can my family or I work?
You cannot work as an employee but you can carry out business or be self-employed.
Your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible partner, and dependent children can work, as long as they have permission to stay in the UK as your dependants.
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Can I apply for permanent residence?
You will be able to apply to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (part of the Home Office) for permanent residence if the following apply.
- You have made the UK your main home for the last five years.
- You have been in the UK as an investor for five years without a break. You can spend a short time outside the United Kingdom but you should keep absences to a minimum. If you spend more time away from the UK than in it, you will not qualify for permanent residence.
- You have kept a capital sum of £1 million in the UK for those five years and you have invested £750,000 of your capital as necessary
- You have supported yourself and your dependants without needing help from public funds or working as an employee.
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How do I qualify as a retired person of independent means?
You will need to show:
- you are at least 60 years of age
- you have an income of at least £25,000 a year that you control and that you can transfer freely to the UK
- evidence of any property you own in the UK
- evidence that you may legally transfer your money to the UK
- that you can support yourself and any dependants without working (as an employee) or getting help from anyone else or from public funds
- that you will make the UK your main home, and
- that you have a close connection with the UK.
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How do I show I have a close connection with the UK?
You can show a close connection to the UK if:
- you have close relatives in the UK, or
- you have lived in the UK for a long period at any time
Other factors that can help to show a close connection include:
- you have worked for a long time with a British company, or
- you have had business contacts in the UK for a number of years, or
- you have worked for a long time for the UK Government.
You should describe your circumstances in detail and enclose letters of support with your application.
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Can my family joint me in UK?
Your husband, wife, civil partner or eligible partner, and children under 18 years of age can join you in the UK if:
- they have a visa for this purpose, and
- you can support them and live without working or getting help from public funds.
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Do I need a visa?
Yes. You must get a visa before you travel to the UK.
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What is a visa?
A visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas. The visa gives you permission to enter the UK.
If you have a valid UK visa we will not normally refuse you entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or did not tell us important facts when you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may ask you questions, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.
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How do I apply for a visa?
You will need to fill in a visa application form (VAF 1 – non-settlement). You can download the form from this website, or get one free of charge from our visa section.
You must apply for your visa in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.
You can apply in a number of ways, for example by post, by courier, in person and online. Our visa section will tell you about the ways in which you can apply.
In some countries, if you are applying for a visa to stay in the UK for more than six months, you may need to be tested for active tuberculosis before we will accept your application. You can find out if you need to be tested by using the “Do I need a visa?” questionnaire on this website, or by contacting our visa section.
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What will I need to make my application?
You will need the following:
- which you have filled in correctly.
- Your passport or travel document.
- A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photograph of yourself. This should be:
- taken against a light coloured background
- clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
- printed on normal photographic paper, and
- full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
- The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
- Supporting documents relevant to your application.
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What supporting documents should I include with my application?
You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as an investor. If you do not, we may refuse your application.
As a guide, you should include details of your investments, showing that you intend to invest at least £750,000 of your capital in United Kingdom government bonds or in share capital, or loan capital in active and trading UK-registered companies other than property companies.
If you are retired and of independent means, you should include details of your income and of your close connections with the UK.
We will refuse your application if we find that any documents are forged.
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As an investor, do I have to transfer my capital to the UK before I apply for a visa?
No. You will not have to transfer your capital before we give you a visa. But you must show the Entry Clearance Officer evidence that:
- you have enough funds of your own
- there are no restrictions on you transferring the funds to the UK, and
- you intend to transfer these funds.
We expect you to transfer these funds after we issue your visa and you enter the United Kingdom. You can only start your four-year qualification period for permanent residence after you have invested your funds in the UK.
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What will happen when I make my application?
The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.
The Entry Clearance Officer will refer your application to the Home Office for approval before issuing your visa.
Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:
- your personal details are correct
- it correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK, and
- it is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately.)
If you think there is anything wrong with your visa, contact our visa section immediately.
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What are public funds?
Under the Immigration Rules, if you want to travel to the UK you must be able to support yourself and live without claiming certain state benefits. Use the “Public Funds” link at the bottom of this page to see a list of them.
You can find more information about public funds in the Immigration Directorate Instructions (IDIs) and Immigration Rules on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate’ s website.
More advice and information
UK visas
For more advice and information about visas contact:
UK visas
London SW1A 2AH
General enquiries: (+44) (0)845 010 5555
Please note that this number may not work from outside the UK. If you are calling from outside the UK, please contact our visa section.
Application forms: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7008 8457
Email: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/enquiries
Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND)
For more advice and information about extending your stay once you are in the UK contact:
Croydon Public Caller Unit
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon CR9 2BY
General enquiries: (+44) (0)870 606 7766
Application forms: (+44) (0)870 241 0645
Email: indpublicenquiries@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
Immigration Advisory Service (IAS)
The IAS is an independent charity that gives confidential advice and help, and can represent people who are applying for a visa for the UK. Contact:
3rd Floor, County House
190 Great Dover Street
London SE1 4YB
Telephone: (+44) (0)20 7967 1200
Duty office (open 24 hours a day): (+44) (0)20 8814 1559
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7403 5875
Email: advice@iasuk.org
Website: www.iasuk.org
Revenue and Customs
For advice on bringing personal belongings and goods into the UK contact:
Dorset House
Stamford Street
London SE1 9PY
Telephone: (+44) (0)845 010 9000
Website: www.hmrc.gov.uk
Drugs warning
Anyone found smuggling drugs into the UK will face serious penalties. Drug traffickers may try to bribe travellers. If you are travelling to the UK, avoid any involvement with drugs.
Forged or destroyed documents
Travellers to the UK may commit an offence if they do not produce valid travel documents or passports to the UK immigration authorities for themselves and their children. People found guilty of this offence face up to two years in prison or a fine (or both).
Alternative formats
In the UK we also have versions of our guidance notes in Braille, on audio tape and in large print. If you would like any guidance notes in one of these formats, please contact:
UKvisas
London SW1A 2AH
Phone: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
Email: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/enquiries
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