Tier 1 (Investor)
Documents required
This section explains the documents you should provide to support your application to the investor category (Tier 1 Investor) under the points-based system to come to the UK.
On this page
Sending documents
You must send the original document, not a copy.
We will only contact you to ask you missing documents if you have submitted:
- a sequence of documents, and some of the documents in the sequence have been omitted (for example, if one bank statement from a series is missing);
- a document in the wrong format; or
- a document that is a copy and not an original document.
We will contact you or your representative in writing, and the evidence must be received by the UK Border Agency processing centres within 7 working days. We may refuse the application of the correct documents are not sent. We will not ask for further information where;
- none of the information has been submitted (for example, if an English language certificate is missing); or
- where we do not anticipate that a correction of minor errors or omissions will lead to an approval because the application will fail for other reasons.
What documents you must send for an initial application
You must provide 2 recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:
- money;
- source of money;
- money can be transferred;
- joint funding;
- letter from an authorised financial institution in the United Kingdom.
What documents you must send for an extension application
You must provide two recent passport photographs and your passport, along with proof of the following:
- investment;
- balance of money to a maximum value of £250,000;
- investment made within three months;
- investment maintained.
How we return your documents
If you are in the UK, your documents will be returned to you by post to the address you provide on your application. If a representative makes an application on your behalf your documents will be returned to him/her. Your documents will be returned using recorded delivery. If you want your documents to be returned by special delivery, you should provide a prepaid special delivery envelope. You can also arrange for your documents to be collected by courier at your own cost. If you would like to arrange a courier, put a courier request in writing by fax to 0114 207 6555.
If you are outside the UK, your documents will be returned in the same way you sent them to us. For example, if you took them to a visa application centre, the visa application centre will return them to you.