Immigration Solicitors Guide to Extending a UK Investor Visa
When the UK government closed the investor visa route, many people thought that was an end to the investor visa as a route to UK entry clearance and settlement. However, it is still possible to apply to the Home Office to extend an existing investor visa or to apply to settle in the UK through securing indefinite leave to remain after entering the UK on an investor visa.
In this guide, our immigration solicitors answer your questions on the investor visa.
UK Online and London Based Immigration Solicitors and Indefinite Leave to Remain Lawyers
For advice on extending your investor visa or for information on UK settlement call the London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Deadline for extending an investor visa
Although the investor visa is closed to new applicants, if you are already in the UK on an investor visa you can apply to extend your visa provided you make your extension application before 17 February 2026.
If you are in the UK on an investor visa you will have already made a substantial financial commitment and investment in the UK. If you want to stay in the UK and extend your investor visa with a view to settling in the UK, you need to ensure your investment remains compliant with the UK investor visa immigration rules.
Eligibility criteria for an investor visa extension application
The eligibility criteria for an investor visa extension application depend on when you first secured your investor visa.
If you obtained your investor visa on a date between 6 November 2014 and 28 March 2019 the extension eligibility criteria are:
- You invested at least £2 million in the UK through UK Government bonds, share capital, or loan capital in active trading companies registered in the UK and within the investment deadlines and
- You have maintained the level of investment in qualifying funds for the period of investor visa entry clearance
If you invested in UK Government bonds then the immigration rules say your investor visa extension application has a closing deadline of 6 April 2023. For share or loan capital investments (including where you have moved your UK investments into these structures) you can apply for an investor visa extension after 6 April 2023.
If you obtained your innovator visa after 28 March 2019 the investor visa extension application eligibility criteria are:
- You invested at least £2 million in the UK in share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies within the investment deadlines and
- You have maintained the level of investment in qualifying funds for the period of investor visa entry clearance
The above is a simplified summary of investor visa qualifying funds and extension eligibility criteria. If you need advice on extending your investor visa, call our immigration solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our investor visa solicitors can help you with:
- The detailed immigration rules on qualifying funds for investor visas
- The timing of your investor visa extension application and processing times
- Applying for your investor visa application
- Documents needed to support your investor visa application
- The earliest date you can apply for indefinite leave to remain and the rules surrounding accelerated settlement for investor visa holders
- Advice on moving from indefinite leave to remain status to British citizenship after entering the UK on an investor visa
- Dependant visas for family members and their indefinite leave to remain and settlement options
Eligibility criteria to apply for indefinite leave to remain after UK entry on an investor visa
You can settle in the UK after entry on an investor visa but the immigration rules depend on the date you obtained your investor visa and the amount of your UK investment. Depending on these factors, indefinite leave to remain solicitors advise that you may be eligible to apply for ILR after 5 years (or 2 or 3 years if you qualify for accelerated settlement).
If your investor visa was obtained between 6 November 2014 and 28 March 2019
The indefinite leave to remain eligibility criteria are:
- You have money under your control in the UK of not less than £2 million and you have invested the capital in the UK in UK Government bonds, share capital, or loan capital in UK registered and active trading companies and
- The investment was made no earlier than 12 months before the date of the investor visa application and investments have been maintained during the period of the investor visa and
- You meet the ILR residence requirement of either 2,3 or 5 years. The residence requirement is 2 years for a £10 million investment, 3 years for a £5 million investment, and 5 years for a £2 million investment and
- Unless exempt, you meet the English language requirement and have passed the Life in the UK test
The indefinite leave to remain application must be made before 6 April 2025.
If your investor visa was obtained on or after 28 March 2019
For investor visas granted on or after 28 March 2019 the indefinite leave to remain eligibility criteria are:
- You have money under your control in the UK of not less than £2 million and you have invested the capital in the UK in share capital or loan capital in UK registered and active trading companies and
- The investment was made no earlier than 12 months before the date of the investor visa application and investments have been maintained during the period of the investor visa and
- You meet the ILR residence requirement of either 2,3 or 5 years. The residence requirement is 2 years for a £10 million investment, 3 years for a £5 million investment, and 5 years for a £2 million investment and
- Unless exempt, you meet the English language requirement and have passed the Life in the UK test
Our indefinite leave to remain solicitors can guide you through the complex qualifying investment and fund rules as well as what can be complicated residence requirement rules on the maximum authorised absences from the UK during the residence requirement period.
UK Online and London Based Immigration Solicitors and Indefinite Leave to Remain Lawyers
For advice on extending your investor visa or for help with your indefinite leave to remain application call the London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.