Becoming a UK Citizen - Choosing Between the Innovator Visa vs Tier-1 Investor Visa
There are two primary routes for investors to settle in the UK: the UK Innovator Visa and the UK Tier-1 Investor Visa. The biggest differences between the two are the required investment amounts, the level of involvement, and the timeframe it takes to achieve Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or permanent residency (PR).
The UK Tier 1 Visa requires a minimum investment of £2m into share or loan capital and makes the investor eligible for settlement after 5 years.
The UK Innovator Visa requires a minimum investment of £200,000 into our pre-endorsed businesses and makes the investor eligible for settlement after 3 years.
Would you rather invest £2M or £200K to become a UK citizen?
When the question is posed like this, it appears to be a no-brainer. However, each option entails different levels of involvement and specific criteria.
The UK Innovator Visa
The £200,000 Innovator Business Investment is geared toward experienced business people inclined to invest in an innovative business. The key criteria upon which an investor’s application will be approved or refused is:
Is the business innovative?
Do you have a genuine, original business that meets new or existing market needs and creates a competitive advantage? (Most applications are refused because they are not innovative.)
Is the business viable?
Do you have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business?
Is the business scalable?
Is there evidence of structured planning with potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets?
What do we offer?
Our Innovation Visa Offer was created around the UK Innovator Visa. We bring together visionary investors and UK-based start-up businesses that have demonstrated an aptitude for high growth and innovation.
We work with pre-endorsed UK-based businesses that are innovative, scalable and viable.
When you become an innovator investor, you join the entrepreneurial team behind your selected start-up and work closely with them to ensure the business grows in accordance to the business plan. As an innovator investor, you’re eligible to receive Indefinite Leave to Remain within 3 years. After 3 years, you can decide if you’d like to continue running the business or take an exit strategy.
We’ve developed a unique six-stage process that leads to successful investment. To implement it efficiently, we work closely with all of our in-house investment departments and highly-skilled legal team.
We manage all application documents and provide ongoing legal support for our clients.
This includes:
- A successful visa application to the Home Office
- Securing an Endorsing Body Letter
- Successful visa
The UK Tier 1 Investor Visa
The UK Tier 1 Investor Visa is one of the most sought-after visas in the world. In order to apply, you must invest £2,000,000 into qualifying UK companies in either share capital or loan capital. This investment must be maintained for 5 years in order to be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
The two key considerations when investing under the Tier-1 Investor Visa are:
Will I get my visa?
Will I get my money back?
In order to ensure that our clients can answer “yes” to both of these questions, we’ve created our own unique structured investment designs. These are very specific corporate bonds that adhere to the UK Government’s rules on qualifying investments, incorporate full capital protection and opportunities for capital growth, and ultimately help secure Indefinite Leave to Remain for international investors.
Why our tailored investments are the best choice for investors pursuing the UK Tier-1 Investor Visa?
Our tailored investments significantly reduce risk by incorporating layers of protection into the capital sum. This ensures that the investor’s principal capital is fully protected. A custom design is created exclusively for each investor and facilitated through leading financial institutions, taking current market conditions into account.
Our corporate bond investments are a very specific bond created through the world’s top tier banks, which act as issuer and guarantor. Each qualifying investment is monitored through our approved reporting structure for the lifetime of the investment to ensure compliance with the UK Home Office’s regulatory requirements.
Our goal is to give you the best of both worlds: a low-risk investment that still has lots of potential for growth. We work with regulated banks and stock-brokers to protect your capital, create opportunities for capital growth, provide an easy exit strategy, and help you secure your desired citizenship or residency. Further, there are no management fees required.
Is your best investment route the UK Tier 1 Investor Visa or the Innovator Visa?
This depends entirely on the investor’s preferred level of involvement and desired capital spend.
Innovator Visa: lower investment amount, but you’re required to commit to make the business a success.
Tier-1 Investor Visa: Higher investment amount, but you can decide whether you want to work or not.
It’s up to you to determine which avenue is best for your unique situation. Whichever you choose, we can help you navigate the process and optimize your chances for a successful outcome. Our firm is an innovative leader when it comes to tailored investments created exclusively to satisfy the requirements of the UK Innovator Visa and Tier-1 Investor Visa.
Contact us for your FREE consultation.
