Immigrant Investment Programmes

Immigrant Investment Programmes Residency and Citizenship by investment

The Tier 1 (Investor) Visa is designed for high net worth individuals, who are not citizens of European Union or European Economic Area (EEA) countries, who wish to relocate themselves and their family to the UK. Only a few hundred of these visas are granted per year. The Tier 1 (Investor) visa category applies to the main applicant and all immediate family members, including spouse and children under the age of 18. An investor visa is granted initially for three years and four months and can then be extended for another two years. There is no requirement to demonstrate English language ability. Work, study and business activity is permitted.

As of 6 November 2014, the minimum investment threshold is £2 million, which must be invested in the UK by way of UK government bonds, share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK-registered companies. Investors may not use cash on deposit or the value of their residential property as part of their investment. The minimum age of main applicant is 16.

Investors must make their investment within 13 weeks of arriving in the UK, unless the reasons for the delay are out of their control, and may not source investment funds by way of a loan. If Investors sell part of their portfolio they will need to purchase new investments within the same reporting period to ensure a portfolio purchase price of £2 million.

The length of time required to qualify for permanent residence – known as “indefinite leave to remain” (ILR) – depends on the amount of investment, as follows:

• £2 million investment – eligibility for indefinite leave to remain after five years in the UK
• £5 million investment – eligibility for indefinite leave to remain after three years in the UK
• £10 million investment – eligibility for indefinite leave to remain after two years in the UK.

Having secured ILR, applicants in the first category become eligible to apply for full British citizenship having spent six years in the country. Those in the second and third categories are eligible to apply after five years of residence in the UK.

Main applicants for ILR may not be absent from the UK for more than 180 days in each 12-month period. If applying for British citizenship, however, they must not have spent more than 450 days out of the UK during the five-year qualifying period, and no more than 90 days during the final 12 months.

Fast track immigration solutions are available under the Tier 1 Visa rules. Sovereign can assist an applicant and their family to relocate to the UK in as little as four working weeks. Sovereign can also assist with the sourcing of UK real estate, financing, relocation and schooling options.

Other Immigrant Investor Programmes

An individual’s passport dictates where they are entitled to live, work or travel. Some passports open doors for you and family worldwide, others seriously limit your freedom of movement and may even compromise your wealth or security. Whether you are seeking to improve your ability to travel, protect your assets or retire to an exotic location, you should consider securing alternative citizenship or residency. Immigrant Investor Programmes (IIPs) allows foreign citizens to invest in return for a formal immigration status. Sovereign and its specialist external partners can guide you through the best IIPs worldwide to suit your particular circumstances and requirements.

Our list of other available IIPs includes, but is not limited to:

• Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programmes
• Cyprus Citizenship
• Malta Citizenship
• Portugal Citizenship