We review your immigration history, investment portfolio, and eligibility in detail, and map your settlement date against the closing deadline.
Investors & Entrepreneurs
For existing Tier 1 (Investor) visa holders planning an extension, settlement or their longer-term UK position.
Overview
The Tier 1 (Investor) route allowed high-net-worth individuals to live in the UK by investing substantial funds in qualifying UK investments. It closed to new applicants in February 2022, so it is no longer possible to enter the route for the first time.
Existing Tier 1 (Investor) visa holders may still be able to extend their permission, apply for indefinite leave to remain or make applications for eligible family members.
The requirements depend on when the original visa was granted, the level and structure of the investment, the applicant’s residence history and whether the portfolio has remained compliant throughout the qualifying period.
Key Benefits For Existing Visa Holders
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A route to indefinite leave to remain for applicants who meet the investment and residence requirements
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Accelerated settlement after two, three or five years, depending on the qualifying investment level
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The ability to extend existing permission where the transitional requirements are met
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Eligible partners and children may continue or extend their permission as dependants
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A pathway to British citizenship after settlement, subject to the separate naturalisation requirements
Extension and Settlement Applications
Extension
Current Home Office guidance continues to provide for eligible Tier 1 (Investor) visa holders to extend their permission. The extension requirements depend on when the original application was successful.
Applicants granted permission before 6 November 2014 are subject to different historic investment provisions from those first granted permission on or after that date. Government bonds may also be treated differently depending on when the original visa was granted.
An extension application normally requires evidence from a UK-regulated financial institution showing that the required level of qualifying investment was made within the permitted period and maintained throughout the relevant grant of leave.
Settlement
An existing Tier 1 (Investor) visa holder may be eligible for indefinite leave to remain after the relevant qualifying period. The required period may be two, three or five years, depending on the level of qualifying investment and the rules that apply to the applicant.
Time spent under other immigration categories cannot normally be combined with Tier 1 (Investor) leave to meet the route-specific qualifying period. Applicants must also satisfy the continuous residence, English-language and Life in the UK requirements that apply at settlement.
An application can generally be made up to 28 days before the qualifying residence period is completed. Applying too early can result in refusal.
Where applications fall short
At the settlement stage, the recurring issues are:
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Periods where the qualifying investment dropped below the required level, even briefly, can break continuous compliance. Sale proceeds were not reinvested within the period required under the applicable rules.
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Holdings that do not meet the Immigration Rules the wrong type of company or vehicle do not count, however substantial.
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Time spent outside the UK over the permitted limit can affect the residence requirement for settlement.
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With a fixed closing deadline, an application prepared at the last minute leaves no room to resolve issues that a review would have caught earlier.
How We Can Help
Initial review and assessment
Risk identification and strategy
We identify any gaps or technical issues and advise on how they can be addressed or where this route no longer works, on switching to an alternative in good time.
Application preparation
We prepare the application with a clear, structured presentation, ensuring every requirement is met and properly evidenced.
Submission and next steps
We remain involved through to decision and advise on citizenship and longer-term planning beyond settlement.
Highly Rated By Our Clients
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5-Star
Client-rated
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22+
Years’ experience
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. The route closed to new applicants in February 2022.
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Potentially, yes. Current Home Office guidance continues to allow eligible existing holders to apply for a two-year extension. The requirements depend on the date of the original grant and the investment history.
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Potentially, yes. Existing holders may apply for settlement if they meet the applicable investment, residence, English-language, Life in the UK and suitability requirements.
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The route historically allowed settlement after two, three or five years, depending on the qualifying investment level and the rules applicable to the applicant. Eligibility must be assessed against the complete investment and residence history.
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It depends on when the original Tier 1 (Investor) application was granted. Applicants first granted permission before 29 March 2019 may be treated differently from later applicants. The portfolio should be reviewed against the rules that apply to the individual case.
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Yes. A shortfall, delayed reinvestment or non-qualifying holding may affect eligibility. The impact depends on the dates, values and rules in force, so the full portfolio history should be reviewed.
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Not always. Partners and children have separate settlement requirements, and a partner may need to complete their own qualifying residence period even where the main applicant qualifies for accelerated settlement.
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Another immigration route may be available, depending on your circumstances. Any switch should be planned before the current permission expires, as time spent on a new route may affect the settlement timetable.
Speak To Us
If you hold a Tier 1 (Investor) visa, we can review your investment and immigration history, confirm the requirements that apply to you and prepare the extension or settlement application.
What Our Clients Say
Clear, calm advice at the point we needed it most — and there wasn’t a word of jargon in any of it.
Private client
Spouse visa
We were kept informed at every stage and never once had to chase an update. Knowing exactly where the application stood made a difficult year considerably easier to carry.
Private client
Skilled Worker visa
Moving part of our senior team to London looked impossible on the timescale we’d been given. The route was mapped out at the first meeting, the Home Office correspondence was handled end to end, and every application came back granted.
HR Director
Corporate client
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