Recent changes and the effects on £1m investors

Back in November 2014, the government has implemented a change in the Tier 1 (Investor) Route in which the minimum investment threshold has been raised from £1m to £2m. This means that qualifying investments worth £1m is no longer enough to apply for an investor visa in the UK- they will now be required to invest at least £2m in qualifying investments.

The route has undergone further changes in October 2019 when the Home Office imposed a ‘deadline’ for investors who entered route before 29 March 2019 in regards to their applications for Further Leave to Remain and Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Changes made to the Tier 1 (Investor) Route are as below:

1. An investor who entered the route relying on £1m investment and wishes to continue living in the UK will need to submit their application for Further Leave to Remain before 6th April 2020

• If they have missed submitting their Further Leave to Remain application before 6th April 2020, they would have to increase their investments from £1m to at least £2m

1. An investor who intends to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain relying on £1m investment will need to submit their application for Indefinite Leave to Remain before 6th April 2022

• If they have missed submitting their Indefinitely Leave to Remain application before 6th April 2022, they would have to increase their investment for £1m to at least £2m
• Important point to note is that part of the eligibility requirements is that they have reached the relevant qualifying period during which they have made and met the minimum investment threshold. If they had missed the deadline, the relevant period would begin from the date they increase their investments from £1m to £2m.

1. From March 2019, governments bonds are no longer one of the qualifying investments for the Tier 1 (Investor) applications.

• Present investors who rely on investments in government bonds must apply for Further Leave to Remain before 6th April 2023.
• Present investors who rely on investments in government bonds must apply for Indefinite Further Leave to Remain before 6th April 2025.