What is the investor category?

The investor category is designed to allow high net worth individuals make a substantial financial investment in the UK.

Who can apply as an investor?

You do not need a job offer to apply under the investor category. When you apply, you are awarded points based on your ability to invest £1,000,000 in the UK.

How many points you must score to apply

Points are awarded for the following categories, which are known as attributes:

• you have £1,000,000 of money that is disposable and in a regulated financial institution; or
• you have £2,000,000 in personal  assets and have £1,000,000 that is in a loan from an authorised financial institution.

You will need a total of at least 75 points to be able to apply.

The points available are:

The table applies if you want:

• permission to enter the United Kingdom (known as ‘entry clearance’) in this category; and
• permission to stay (known as ‘further leave to remain’) in the United Kingdom in this category when your previous permission to stay was given under a category other than the tier 1 investor category or the former investor category.

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Exemption from English language and maintenance requirements

You will not need to meet the separate English language requirement that applies to most other applicants under the points-based system. This is because, while you are allowed to work in the United Kingdom if you wish to, you should not need to work.

You will not need to meet the separate requirement for maintenance (funds) that applies to most other applicants under the points-based system. This is because you will have met the main requirements (attributes) for this category and shown your ability to support yourself in the United Kingdom without needing help from public money.

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£1,000,000 in money that is disposable and in a regulated financial institution

You must show that you are able to make an investment of £1,000,000 or more in the United Kingdom. This money may be held overseas at the time of your application, or it may already be in the United Kingdom.

If the money is not held in pounds sterling, you must convert it into pounds sterling to show that you have the minimum investment required. We will check this rate using the spot exchange rate on the OANDA website, which you can find on the right of this page, on the date on which you apply.

You may rely on money that you own jointly with your husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner (known as partner). You may also rely on money that is owned solely by your partner. You must have unrestricted right to transfer and dispose of the money held jointly and solely by your partner and have permission from your partner to have control of this money in the United Kingdom.

The money must:

• be held in a regulated financial institution;
• be disposable in the United Kingdom; and
• amount to £1,000,000 or more.

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£2,000,000 in personal assets and £1,000,000 that is in a loan from an authorised financial institution

An authorised financial institution is one that is regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

If you intend to borrow money from an authorised financial institution, and are pledging the investment as security, the level of personal net worth is £2,000,000.

You may borrow all of your £1,000,000 investment money.

Assets held by your husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same-sex partner (known as partner), either jointly or in your partner’s own name, can be taken into account when assessing your net worth.

You may not mix personal money and borrowed money in order to meet the total £1,000,000 investment required to score 75 points.

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The price that a buyer expects to pay for one foreign currency when buying it in another currency for delivery immediately. The closing spot exchange rate is the rate that is current at the time the market stops trading for the day.