VISA COUNSELING:

[Husbands Wives & Partners] -*- [Investors] -*- [Setting up in Business]

This link explains what you will need to do if you want to come to the United Kingdom (UK) as in investor or retired person of independent means. It is only a guide to answer some common questions.

 

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
• Your own personal assets which, taking into account your liabilities, are worth more than £ 2 million
• You have not less than £ 1 million under your control in the UK. (this can include money loaned by a 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 UK your main home
• Can support yourself and your dependents and live without having to work as an employee or getting any help from the public funds

What type of investment can I make?

You can invest in the following.

• Unit Trusts: you can invest in regulated collective investment scheme such as a unit trust as long as you invest £750,000 in companies that meet the requirements of the investors rules.

• Private Companies: you must give evidence of shareholdings 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, investment must be in your name to be acceptable to the Home Office, who decide the suitability of the applications.

What types of investments can 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, manufactures 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 can 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.
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 investment for purpose.

Can the capital be in joint name?

Yes. You can hold the capital in joint names with your husband or wife if:

• they are coming to the UK as your dependents
• you both apply for the visa at the same time, and
• you both have unrestricted rights to transfer or use the capital

Must I make the UK my only home?

No, but you need to spend more time in the UK than away from it to continue to qualify to stay as an investor.

Can my family or I work?

You can not work as an employee but you can carry out business or be self-employed.
Your husband, wife or eligible partner and dependent children can work, as long as they have permission to stay in the UK as your dependents.

Can I apply for permanent residence?

You will be able to apply the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (part of the Home Office) for permanent if the following apply.

• You have made the UK your main home for the last four years
• You have been in the UK as an investor for four years without a break. You can spend a short time outside the United Kingdom but you should keep absence 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 for the UK for those four years and you have invested £750,000 of your capital necessary.
• You have supported yourself and your dependents without needing help from public funds or working as an employee

How do I qualify as a retired person for 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 dependents 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
How do I show I have a close connection with the UK?
You can show a close connection to the UK if:
• you have a close relatives in the UK
• you have lived in the UK at any time
• you have worked for along time with a British company, or
• you have had business contacts in the UK for a number of years
• you should describe your circumstances in detail and enclose letters of support with your application

Can my family join me in the UK?

Your husband, wife 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.

Do I need a visa?

Yes. You must get visa before you travel to the UK

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 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.

How do I apply for a visa?

You will need to fill in a visa application form (VAF I – non-settlement). You can get a form, free of charge form your nearest British Mission overseas where there is a visa section. You must apply for your visa in the country of which you are national or where you legally live.

What will I need to make my application?

You will need the following.

• A visa application form (VAF I – non-settlement), 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
• full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head coverings unless you wear this for religious or cultural reasons

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.

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 properties companies.

If you are retired of independent means, you should include details of your income and of your close connections with UK.

Your application will be refuse if your documents are forged?

As an investor, do I have to transfer my capital to the UK before I apply for visa?
No. You will not have to transfer your capital before visa granted. 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

You are expected to transfer these funds after visa being issued and you enter the UK. You can only start your four-year qualification period for permanent residence after you have invested your funds in the UK.

What will happen when I make my application?

The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application and supporting documents you have provided. If it is not possible, they need to interview you.

The Entry Clearance Officer will refer your application to the Home Office before issuing you 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)

What are public funds?

• Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Help with housing and homelessness
• Housing benefit and Council Tax Benefit
• Working Tax Credit
• Social Fund Payment
• Child Benefit
• Disability Allowance