Speculation is intensifying that Chancellor John Healey will use the 28 October Budget to unveil a replacement for the dormant Tier 1 (Investor) route. A detailed explainer published by NRI Affairs on 20 October stresses that no new scheme is open yet, but confirms that ministers are considering a capital-based residence pathway to help fund UK growth priorities. The former investor visa, scrapped in February 2022 amid concerns about illicit wealth flows, allowed applicants to gain residence for £2 million and settlement after five years (or sooner at higher levels). Any resurrection is therefore politically sensitive. Officials are reportedly studying models that would tighten source-of-funds checks, focus investment on UK infrastructure or green bonds, and potentially raise the threshold above £5 million. For high-net-worth families and the advisers who court them, the biggest risk is mis-selling. Immigration lawyers warn that some consultancies are already marketing packages on the assumption a route will open this autumn. The article urges prospective applicants to wait for formal Immigration Rules and cautions existing Tier 1 investors not to jeopardise their current extension or settlement timelines by assuming automatic migration to a new category. If the Budget announcement goes ahead, the Home Office would still need months to draft Rules, design compliance systems and train UKVI caseworkers. Global mobility managers should therefore temper client expectations: a functioning application process is unlikely before mid-2027. Companies pursuing strategic recruitment of ultra-high-net-worth founders should continue to rely on Innovator Founder or Global Talent pathways in the interim. In the meantime, wealth-management teams should assemble due-diligence files—bank statements, proof of lawful earnings, tax clearances—to shorten lead times once criteria are known. Crucially, no funds should be transferred or invested solely on the basis of press leaks; only published guidance confers eligibility.
Source: NRI Affairs
