Qualifying Investments for the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
The Tier 1 (Investor) Visa requires a minimum investment capital in certain eligible investments known as ‘qualifying investments’. This means:
*UK Government bonds
* Share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies, other than those principally engaged in property investment. A UK registered company is one that meets the following criteria:
- Has its registered office or, if it has no registered office, its head office in the UK
- Has a UK business bank account showing current transactions for the business
- Is subject to UK taxation
All proceeds of sale and maturities must be reinvested in qualifying investments by the end of the next reporting period, or within six months, whichever comes first.
Prohibited Investments
Prohibited Asset Class/Investment
| Offshore company or trust | UKVI does not regard investment from offshore companies as investment in the UK |
| Open-ended investment companies, investment trust companies or pooled investment vehicles | Cannot be guaranteed to be UK Situs |
| Companies mainly engaged in property investment,property management or property development | Prevent investment in companies whose main function is to own or manage land or buildings.
Does not preclude investment in, for example, construction firms, manufacturers or retailers who own their own premises |
| Deposits with a bank, building society or other enterprise whose normal course of business includes the acceptance of deposits, including ISA’s, premium bonds and saving certificates issued by the National Savings and Investment Agency (NS&I) | NS&I Guaranteed Income Bonds and the Guaranteed Growth Bonds are acceptable provided they mature after the minimum fixed period (i.e., 5,3,2, years, as applicable) |
| Leveraged Investments | UKVI does not treat borrowed funds as the applicants own funds for purposes of IV investment |
Investment process
The minimum investment must be maintained in qualifying investments throughout the required period. The gross proceeds following the sale of any investment must be reinvested in accordance with Tier 1 (Investor) Visa requirements within certain time frames. This means any fees, expenses or taxes arising from any transaction must be paid out of additional funds (buffer funds). No capital may be withdrawn during the required period. Agency Investments requires clients to invest a ‘buffer’ in addition to the minimum investment to ensure the maintenance requirements can be met throughout the required period. If at any point an additional buffer is needed, the client will need to transfer additional funds into the portfolio within the notified time.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
Lao Tzu
At Agency Investments we understand the complexities of re-location and investment into the UK, we also understand the short-term and long-term-benefits.
We always aim to give our clients the highest quality advice and assistance possible.