UK weighs invite-only investor visa: £5M over 3 years to reach permanent residency

The UK is considering fresh proposals for an investor visa for wealthy foreign nationals. According to Bloomberg, the scheme would offer a three-year route to permanent residency for applicants willing to invest at least £5 million into sectors considered priority areas for Britain (around $6.7 million).

A key feature of the initiative is its invite-only format. Applicants are expected to undergo enhanced screening, after which they could access a direct path to permanent status following three years of residence.

Separately, it is noted that at the end of last month, documents were sent to private advisory firms for high-net-worth clients. The materials were transmitted via the Office for Investment, an interdepartmental body based at 10 Downing Street, where the Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade are also located.

In the media materials reviewed, it is stated that qualifying investments must be directed to so-called priority sectors, including fast-growing UK companies.

What’s included and what’s excluded

The draft makes it explicit that property will be excluded from the assets that can be counted as qualifying investments. The rationale is to reduce risks associated with speculative capital inflows—criticism that the previous Tier 1 (Investor) scheme faced.

The prior investor route was closed in February 2022. Officially, this was done to limit the impact of overseas money—also amid concerns about links to Russian capital.

To distance itself from the previous model, the government plans stricter checks and enhanced due diligence procedures to minimise money-laundering risks. Previously, the entry threshold was £2 million and the time to settlement was 5 years. At the same time, the old system offered accelerated timelines for larger sums: 3 years for £5 million and 2 years for £10 million.

In practice, the proposed £5 million entry point mirrors the logic of the earlier accelerated level, but the new version’s lower thresholds are expected to be removed. By comparison, Portugal starts at roughly €500,000 under fund investment programmes, Greece ranges from €250,000 to €800,000, and the US under EB-5 typically sets a standard threshold around $1.05 million.

Political uncertainty

The fate of the initiative remains unclear. Advisors received documents before major political upheaval: after the Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections, Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced heightened pressure. It is not yet known where the plans stand or whether they will be carried through.

If Starmer cannot maintain his position within the party, the project could be halted. Another factor is criticism from some Labour opponents, who challenge related proposals tying permanent status to income levels.

For example, in November 2025 an accelerated route was announced: visa holders earning above £125,000 would qualify for a three-year path to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) instead of the standard five years.

Why the UK is returning to the “golden visa” model

The very fact that an investor-visa format previously rejected is now being discussed is linked to growing economic pressure. Amid changes to the tax regime—namely the abolition of non-domiciled tax treatment, which took effect in April 2025—some of the ultra-wealthy, including Jon Fredriksen, Nassef Sawiris and Guillaume Poux, have left the country or reduced their ties to it.

Business Minister Peter Kyle publicly acknowledged that the higher taxes introduced under Labour have prompted some ultra-rich residents to relocate.

According to Henley & Partners, nearly 11,000 millionaires left the UK in 2024. The firm projects a further outflow of 16,500 people by the end of 2025. Against this backdrop, the UAE, Italy and Turkey are stepping up efforts to attract the same pool of mobile capital that London is effectively competing for right now.

At the same time, the UK is reassessing its immigration policy: new approaches to attracting “global talent” were planned, but the system overall is moving toward tighter controls. For instance, from January 2026 language requirements have been raised to B2, and for most migrants the time to ILR under “earned” status has increased from 5 to 10 years.

A government spokesperson, in a letter, stated that the UK is “doing everything to attract investment”, while the interdepartmental Global Talent Taskforce “keeps all options under control”.

In November, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, in the second budget, also outlined plans for a so-called “tax proposal” aimed at attracting people with high potential. However, details are still limited. Observers believe Kyle’s admission that tax changes accelerated the departure of wealthy residents may have influenced the timeline for revisiting visa policy.

The invite-only investor visa format differs from most existing “golden visa” routes. Aside from private schemes such as citizenship-by-invitation in Grenada (which is not a standalone programme), the UK approach appears to function as a selective channel with pre-vetting. Such a mechanism is likely intended to manage reputational risks and control who enters the “investment pipeline”.

If you’re exploring an investment-based residence permit and potential path to permanent status, the UK proposal with an invitation-only approach is a key signal for high-net-worth applicants. At Digital Nomad, we help you assess eligibility, risks, and the practicality of the route to status. Learn more: https://digital-nomad.gr/en/goldenvisa

Our Telegram channel about various types of Greek residence permits, digital nomad programs, and the Greek Golden Visa: @digitalnomadgr