The Tier 1 Investor visa route — the UK's former "Golden Visa" for high-net-worth individuals investing £2 million or more in qualifying UK companies — closed to new applicants at 4:00pm on 17 February 2022. The route is now in its final ILR-only phase. The extension deadline of 17 February 2026 has passed: no further extension applications can be made. Existing investor visa holders have until 17 February 2028 to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. ILR fee is £3,226 from 8 April 2026. After 17 February 2028 the route closes permanently.
The Home Office extension window for Tier 1 (Investor) closed on 17 February 2026 and is a hard policy stop — no late or discretionary applications are accepted. Anyone whose Tier 1 (Investor) leave has now expired (and who could not extend before the deadline) cannot remain in the UK under this route. The only remaining application available under the Tier 1 (Investor) framework is ILR — and only for investors whose current leave still runs and who meet the qualifying residence period before 17 February 2028. Those whose Tier 1 (Investor) leave has lapsed must switch to an alternative immigration category — see the alternatives section below.
- What is the Tier 1 Investor Visa?
- Route Closure and Wind-Down Timeline
- Tier 1 Investor ILR Requirements
- Accelerated Settlement: £5m and £10m Tiers
- Qualifying Investments and Gilt Exclusion
- ILR Application Fees and Processing
- Document Checklist
- Alternative Routes for HNW Individuals
- Frequently Asked Questions
Tier 1 Investor Visa UK 2026: Final ILR Deadline and Wind-Down Guidance
The Tier 1 (Investor) visa — colloquially the "UK Golden Visa" — was launched in 1994 and ran in modified forms under the points-based system from 2008. It permitted high-net-worth individuals to obtain UK residence by investing a minimum of £2 million in share or loan capital of active and trading UK-registered companies, with accelerated settlement timelines at £5 million (3 years) and £10 million (2 years). After repeated reforms tightening due diligence — particularly on source-of-wealth verification — the Home Office closed the route to new applicants on 17 February 2022. The full closure of the category will follow on 17 February 2028 when the final ILR window expires.
What is the Tier 1 Investor Visa?
The Tier 1 Investor visa was a closed UK immigration route under which high-net-worth individuals could obtain UK residence by investing at least £2 million in qualifying UK companies. It was notable for offering the fastest path to ILR of any UK visa — 2 years at £10 million, 3 years at £5 million, 5 years at £2 million. The route closed to new applicants on 17 February 2022 and to extensions on 17 February 2026. Only ILR applications remain possible under the route — and only until 17 February 2028, when the route closes permanently.
Why the Tier 1 Investor Visa Was Closed
The Home Office cited four interrelated concerns when closing the route via Statement of Changes HC 1691 in February 2022 — applications submitted at or after 4:00pm on 17 February 2022 were treated as void:
- Source-of-wealth integrity: Persistent concerns about applicants whose investment funds may have originated through corruption, organised crime, or money laundering, despite reforms in 2014 and 2019 that tightened the verification framework.
- Politically exposed persons: The route attracted a disproportionate concentration of applicants from jurisdictions where political exposure and sanctions risk were elevated.
- Limited economic benefit from gilts: Investment in UK Government bonds (permitted until 29 March 2019) created minimal job creation or active economic contribution — passive capital placement was the dominant pattern, not entrepreneurial activity.
- Reputational pressure following sanctions actions: High-profile cases involving sanctioned individuals and Russian-linked oligarchs in late 2021 and early 2022 made the route politically unsustainable.
Route Closure and Wind-Down Timeline
| Date | Event | Status (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2022 | Route closed to new applicants at 4:00pm | CLOSED |
| 6 April 2023 | UK Government bonds removed as a qualifying extension investment | Applied |
| 6 April 2025 | UK Government bonds removed as a qualifying ILR investment | Applied |
| 17 February 2026 | Extension applications window closed | CLOSED |
| 17 February 2028 | Final ILR application deadline | OPEN — final phase |
| After 17 February 2028 | Route closes permanently — no further applications accepted | Future closure |
Source: Home Office guidance and Statement of Changes HC 1691 (February 2022).
Home Office policy treats all Tier 1 (Investor) deadlines as immovable hard stops with no discretion for late filings. The 17 February 2028 ILR deadline applies regardless of personal circumstances — illness, business disruption, document delays. ILR applications must be physically submitted (and the applicant physically present in the UK) before this date. Given standard processing of up to 6 months, last-minute filing carries genuine settlement risk if the Home Office requests further evidence or schedules an interview.
Tier 1 Investor ILR Requirements
To qualify for Tier 1 (Investor) ILR, the applicant must have spent a continuous period of either 2 years (£10m), 3 years (£5m) or 5 years (£2m) lawfully in the UK as a Tier 1 Investor, maintained the qualifying investment throughout the period, not exceeded 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period, passed the Life in the UK test, and demonstrated English language ability at B1 CEFR (unless aged 65 or over). Applications must be made from inside the UK before 17 February 2028. UK Government bonds no longer qualify for ILR applications from 6 April 2025.
Core ILR Eligibility
- Continuous residence: 2 years (£10m), 3 years (£5m), or 5 years (£2m) lawfully in the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) — see 180-day absence rule for continuous residence under Appendix Continuous Residence.
- Absence limit: No more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period throughout the qualifying residence period.
- Investment maintenance: The full £2 million (or higher tier amount) must have been invested in qualifying share or loan capital of active and trading UK-registered companies and maintained throughout the qualifying period.
- FCA-regulated account: Investment portfolio must be held through an FCA-regulated financial institution, with portfolio statements demonstrating compliance.
- English language: Meet the B1 CEFR English language standard under Appendix KoLL — unless aged 65 or over.
- Life in the UK test: Pass the Life in the UK settlement test — unless aged 65 or over.
- Apply from inside the UK: Tier 1 (Investor) ILR cannot be applied for from outside the UK — physical presence at submission is required.
- Suitability: Must not fall for refusal under the general grounds of the Immigration Rules.
For ILR applications made on or after 6 April 2025, UK Government bonds (gilts) no longer count toward the qualifying investment. Investors who had relied on gilts in their portfolio had to rebalance into share or loan capital of active and trading UK companies before this date. ILR applications submitted after 6 April 2025 with portfolios still containing gilts will fail the investment-maintenance test — and there is no remedy short of full portfolio reinvestment and re-running the qualifying residence period (which the 17 February 2028 hard stop now makes impossible). Investors in this position must consider switching to an alternative immigration route.
Accelerated Settlement: £5m and £10m Tiers
The Tier 1 (Investor) route offered the fastest ILR pathway of any UK visa category through accelerated settlement at higher investment thresholds. The accelerated tiers remain available under the wind-down framework, provided all other ILR requirements are met and the application reaches the Home Office before 17 February 2028.
| Investment Maintained | ILR Qualifying Period | Settlement Type |
|---|---|---|
| £2 million | 5 years | Standard |
| £5 million | 3 years | Accelerated |
| £10 million | 2 years | Accelerated |
The accelerated 2-year and 3-year settlement timelines apply exclusively to the principal Tier 1 (Investor) applicant. Dependants — spouses, civil partners, and children — must complete the standard 5-year continuous residence requirement before they can qualify for ILR in their own right, regardless of the main applicant's investment level. This often produces a multi-year gap between the principal investor's settlement and their dependants' settlement. Plan dependant residence and absence patterns carefully against the 17 February 2028 hard stop — if the dependant's 5-year clock will not complete before that date, alternative immigration routes become necessary for the family.
Qualifying Investments and Gilt Exclusion
The investment requirements have tightened progressively since the route's launch — from broad acceptance of gilts and pooled vehicles to today's narrow definition focused on direct share or loan capital in active and trading UK-registered companies, held through an FCA-regulated institution.
What Counts as a Qualifying Investment
- Share capital in active and trading UK-registered companies (registered with Companies House and genuinely trading in the UK).
- Loan capital in active and trading UK-registered companies — typically structured as bonds, debentures, or loan notes.
- FCA-regulated holding: The portfolio must sit within an account actively managed by an institution authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
- Pooled investment vehicles in narrow defined cases — typically where the vehicle receives funding from a UK government department or invests exclusively in qualifying UK companies.
Excluded Investments
- UK Government bonds (gilts): Excluded for extensions from 6 April 2023 and for ILR from 6 April 2025. No exceptions or transitional protection.
- Property investment companies: Companies mainly engaged in property investment, management, development, or letting do not qualify — the active-and-trading test excludes purely real-estate-focused vehicles.
- Direct UK property purchase: Personal residential or commercial property acquisitions do not count toward the £2m / £5m / £10m thresholds.
- Offshore companies, trusts, and entities: Investments held through or in non-UK-resident structures are excluded.
- Open-Ended Investment Companies (OEICs): Not accepted under the qualifying-investment definition.
ILR Application Fees and Processing
Tier 1 (Investor) ILR uses the SET(O) settlement form on gov.uk and is submitted from within the UK. Standard processing is up to 6 months from completion of biometric enrolment — but unlike Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) ILR, the Tier 1 (Investor) route does offer the priority service for an additional fee, providing a faster decision target. See ILR application decision timeline for the cross-route comparison.
Fees from 8 April 2026
| Service / Component | Fee from 8 April 2026 | Decision Target |
|---|---|---|
| SET(O) ILR application (per person) | £3,226 | Up to 6 months (standard) |
| Priority service uplift | +£500 | ~10 working days for Tier 1 (Investor) |
| Super-priority service | Subject to Home Office availability | Not consistently offered on Tier 1 (Investor) ILR |
| Life in the UK test (booked separately) | £50 | Required where applicant under 65 |
| Biometric enrolment | £19.20 | UKVCAS appointment |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | Not payable | ILR applicants are exempt from IHS |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026.
A family of four applying together pays £3,226 × 4 = £12,904 in core Home Office application fees alone. There is no fee discount for dependent children. ILR applicants are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge at the settlement stage — IHS only applies to limited leave.
Document Checklist
- Identity: Current and all previous passports covering the qualifying period; current BRP or eVisa; police registration certificate where applicable.
- Knowledge requirements: Life in the UK test pass certificate (under-65s); B1 English evidence (SELT certificate, qualifying UK degree, majority-English nationality, or age-65+ exemption).
- Investment portfolio reports: Quarterly or monthly FCA-regulated portfolio statements throughout the qualifying period showing investment composition.
- Investment confirmation letter: FCA-regulated institution letter confirming the £2m / £5m / £10m minimum was continuously maintained.
- Companies House evidence: Documentation that invested companies are active and trading, with annual returns and accounts.
- Source-of-wealth documentation: Where the original 2014-2019 due diligence was light, expect renewed Home Office scrutiny — bank statements, business sale agreements, inheritance documents.
- Continuous residence evidence: Travel records covering the full qualifying period; passport stamps; council tax records; utility bills; tenancy or mortgage agreements.
- Absence schedule: Detailed log of every UK departure and return, with running 12-month absence totals to demonstrate compliance with the 180-day rule.
Alternative Routes for HNW Individuals
The UK no longer offers a direct passive-investment route to residence — the government has been explicit that future immigration policy will channel HNW capital through active business activity, innovation, and skilled contribution rather than gilt-style placement. Speculative reporting in May and November 2025 about a possible new "strategic sector" investor visa remains unconfirmed. For HNW investors needing UK residence today, four current routes are typically considered:
- Innovator Founder visa for business builders: The closest functional successor for HNW individuals willing to actively build a UK business. Requires endorsement by an approved body for an innovative, viable and scalable business idea — no minimum investment requirement but active operational involvement is mandatory. ILR available after 3 years where specified growth criteria are met.
- Global Talent endorsement pathway: For established or emerging leaders in science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology, or arts and culture. No job offer required. 3-year accelerated ILR for exceptional-talent endorsements. The November 2025 expansion added a five-year programme backed by £115m in relocation aid for strategic-sector professionals.
- Skilled Worker route via self-sponsorship: HNW individuals can incorporate a UK business, obtain a sponsor licence, and assign themselves a Certificate of Sponsorship for a qualifying RQF Level 6 role at or above the £41,700 salary threshold. Requires ongoing compliance with sponsor duties. ILR after 5 years.
- Tier 1 Entrepreneur ILR wind-down route: Not available to new applicants, but a related legacy framework for context — Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) holders who switched from Graduate Entrepreneur or Start-up have until 6 July 2027 for their own ILR. The wind-down rationale and case-handling mirrors Tier 1 (Investor) very closely.
Refusal and Administrative Review
A refused Tier 1 (Investor) ILR decision can be challenged by way of challenge a refusal via administrative review under Appendix AR — there is no general appeal right for ILR refusals on this route. The administrative review deadline is typically 14 days from receipt of the decision (28 days for refusals issued outside the UK), and only addresses caseworking errors in the decision rather than re-arguing the merits. Given the 17 February 2028 hard-stop ILR deadline, a refusal close to that date leaves little to no time to refile — strategic timing matters enormously, and an OISC-regulated or solicitor-led adviser should be engaged early in the application process.
Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 automatically extends existing Tier 1 (Investor) leave while a valid in-time ILR application is pending — and continues while a pending in-time administrative review is being decided. Once the administrative review concludes, section 3C ends. A successful administrative review reopens the ILR decision; an unsuccessful one leaves the applicant needing to switch route or leave the UK. Refusals submitted after the underlying leave has already expired (out-of-time applications) do not engage section 3C.
- Route closed to new applicants at 4:00pm on 17 February 2022 by Statement of Changes HC 1691 — no possibility of reopening.
- Extension window closed permanently on 17 February 2026 — no late or discretionary extensions possible.
- Only ILR remains available — and only until 17 February 2028, when the route closes permanently.
- Qualifying period: 2 years (£10m), 3 years (£5m), 5 years (£2m) at the £2m, £5m, or £10m investment thresholds.
- UK Government bonds no longer qualify for ILR applications made on or after 6 April 2025 — portfolios must sit in share or loan capital of active and trading UK companies.
- ILR fee is £3,226 from 8 April 2026 (up from £3,029); priority service available at +£500 with ~10 working day target.
- 180-day absence limit per rolling 12-month period applies throughout the qualifying residence period.
- Accelerated tiers apply to the principal investor only; dependants must complete the standard 5-year qualifying period.
- Alternative routes for HNW individuals: Innovator Founder (active business), Global Talent (endorsement), Skilled Worker via self-sponsorship.
For the latest official guidance, the gov.uk Tier 1 (Investor) visa page, the Home Office Tier 1 (Investor) caseworker guidance, and the gov.uk SET(O) settlement portal remain the authoritative sources. The wider settlement framework and cross-route comparisons sit in the ILR settlement framework across routes guide, and the 12-month wait before applying for British citizenship 12 months after ILR follows the standard naturalisation framework.
No. The Tier 1 Investor visa closed to new applicants at 4:00pm on 17 February 2022 and the route will not reopen. The Home Office has been explicit that future UK immigration policy channels HNW capital through active business or talent-based routes rather than passive investment. Speculative reporting in 2025 about a potential new strategic-sector investor visa is unconfirmed and no formal policy has been published. New HNW applicants today must use Innovator Founder, Global Talent, or another current route.
Yes. As of mid-2026, the 17 February 2026 extension deadline has passed and is a hard policy stop — no further extension applications under the Tier 1 (Investor) route are accepted, with no exceptions for late filings or personal circumstances. The only remaining application possible under this category is Indefinite Leave to Remain, which must be submitted before 17 February 2028 and only by investors whose current Tier 1 (Investor) leave is still valid and who meet the qualifying residence period.
17 February 2028. This is the final opportunity to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the Tier 1 (Investor) route. After this date, the route closes permanently and no further applications — including ILR — can be made under this category. The deadline is a hard policy stop with no Home Office discretion. Given standard processing of up to 6 months, applications should be filed well in advance to allow for any caseworker requests for further evidence.
Standard service processing is up to 6 months from completion of biometric enrolment. The priority service is available for Tier 1 (Investor) ILR at an additional £500 — the decision target on this route is typically around 10 working days from the UKVCAS appointment (slightly slower than the 5-working-day target on most other priority ILR applications). Super-priority service is generally not consistently offered on Tier 1 (Investor) ILR — applicants should check availability at the time of application.
The ILR application fee is £3,226 per person from 8 April 2026 (up from £3,029 between 9 April 2025 and 7 April 2026). The same fee applies to each dependant — no discount for children. Priority service adds £500 per person. The Life in the UK test costs £50 (booked separately) for applicants under 65. Biometric enrolment is £19.20 where required. ILR applicants are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge. A family of four pays £12,904 in core application fees alone.
The 180-day rule applies — no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period throughout the qualifying residence period (2, 3 or 5 years depending on investment tier). Exceeding the 180-day cap in any rolling year breaks continuous residence and makes the applicant ineligible for ILR under this route. The 17 February 2028 hard stop means there is no opportunity to "wait out" a broken residence period and re-qualify later.
No. For ILR applications made on or after 6 April 2025, UK Government bonds (gilts) no longer count as qualifying investments. The full £2 million (or higher tier amount) must sit in share capital or loan capital of active and trading UK-registered companies held through an FCA-regulated institution. Investors who held gilts and did not rebalance their portfolio before 6 April 2025 will fail the investment-maintenance test on ILR and have no remedy short of switching route — given the 17 February 2028 hard stop, re-running the qualifying period is not possible.
Dependants — spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners of 2+ years, and children under 18 — can apply for ILR, but they must each complete the standard 5-year continuous residence requirement (the accelerated 2-year and 3-year periods apply only to the principal investor). This often produces a gap between the principal's settlement and the family's settlement. Each dependant pays the £3,226 application fee separately. Adult dependants must pass the Life in the UK test and meet B1 English (unless 65 or over). Children under 18 are exempt from these tests.
There is no direct passive-investment replacement. The four main alternatives for HNW individuals are: Innovator Founder visa (active entrepreneurship with an innovative endorsed business idea — ILR after 3 years); Global Talent visa (recognised leaders in science, technology, arts or research — accelerated ILR available); Skilled Worker visa via self-sponsorship (incorporate a UK business, obtain a sponsor licence, sponsor yourself for a Level 6 RQF role at £41,700+); and Global Business Mobility routes for those moving through a multinational group. Each requires active contribution rather than passive capital placement.
No formal policy has been published as of May 2026. Speculative reporting in May 2025 suggested the government was considering a strategic-sector investor visa for AI, clean energy, and life sciences. In November 2025, House of Lords members proposed a £2.5 million minimum strategic-sector investor visa. These remain proposals only, with no Statement of Changes laid before Parliament. Any future scheme would likely require active investment in targeted sectors with enhanced source-of-wealth verification and endorsement-style assessment — not a return to the passive-capital Tier 1 (Investor) model.