UK proposes £5 million invite-only investor visa with 3-year path to settlement

The United Kingdom (UK) is considering a new invite-only investor visa that will grant a three-year path to permanent residency for wealthy foreign nationals who invest at least £5 million, into priority sectors of the British economy.

According to proposals circulated by the Office for Investment, a joint government unit spanning 10 Downing Street, the Treasury, and the Department for Business and Trade, the visa will target global entrepreneurs.

Candidates will undergo strict vetting, and qualifying funds must be directed into fast-growing UK businesses.

The UK’s proposed system if implemented will be significantly more expensive than other countries’ investment migration programs.

An investment of £5 million will be more expensive compared to other countries like the United States EB-5 visa which requires a standard investment of $1,050,000, the Portuguese golden visa fund option which starts at €500,000, and Greece which offers a residency pathway ranging from €250,000 to €800,000.

To prevent the speculative capital inflows that drew criticism under previous visa routes, residential and commercial property investments are strictly prohibited. The government also plans to implement rigorous due diligence and anti-money laundering checks to ensure compliance. The proposed system is significantly more exclusive than international alternatives.

Rationale for the decision to design a new pathway

Data from Henley & Partners indicates that nearly 11,000 millionaires left the UK in 2024, with another 16,500 departures projected by the end of 2025. Peter Kyle, UK’s business secretary publicly acknowledged that higher tax rates introduced under the Labour government influenced these departures.

The future of the proposal remains uncertain due to political instability within the governing Labour Party.

Ngozi Ekugo

Ngozi Ekugo is a Senior Correspondent at BusinessDay. She holds a Masters in management from the University of Lagos, an undergraduate from University of Lagos, and is in an alumni of Queen's College. Shes currently an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She has a brief experience at Goldman sachs, London in its Human Capital Management division. She is interested in human capital development and is leveraging her varied experience across sectors to report labour and global mobility trends for stakeholders to make informed decisions.