A Promosing Position
The demand for Investor Visas is not abating. Chinese applications for Tier 1 investor visas rose 19 percent to 144 in 2018 from a year earlier, according to data obtained from the Home Office by private equity firm Growthdeck. The recent concerns surrounding the continuation of the programme have melted away. The British government has quietly dropped plans to suspend the Investor Visa route in the UK. In recent months there has been increasing pressure on the UK to do something about these so-called “golden visas” after it emerged that a significant number investors had used the visa scheme as a backdoor into the UK. With the country facing a possibly chaotic immigration future, decisions such as this will not help to encourage wealthy investors to the UK. This decision could have added to the UK’s problems rather than take away from them. Its reversion is welcome.
‘The slump in sterling has made U.K. assets cheap and other areas of the country’s economy offer attractive investment opportunities,’ according to Samuel Hu, head of overseas investors at Growthdeck. These investment opportunities within the UK make for a promising position for those from China and other areas overseas looking to move to the UK in the future.
Like many other settlers, Chinese nationals have always found the UK welcoming and an ideal safe haven with a premier education system and robust rule of law. The UK has also offers a strong cultural appeal and hosts one of the largest Chinese communities in Europe. For business prospects, the UK provides a truly international platform from which to grow investments and contacts. China and the UK have enjoyed a strong trade relationship for many years and post Brexit this is likely to further develop.
China has already invested heavily in London but its presence is now being felt in cities such as Manchester. Whether government backed Foreign Direct Investment or individual the UK is developing as a destination for Chinese money that importantly offers an attractive lifestyles for investors seeking an international base from which to house their families and conduct their professional lives.
If you need help or advice with a Tier 1 Investor Visa query do contact us today. We can help you to decide whether coming to the UK is the right step for you. If it is, we can give you the most appropriate and up-to-date information on making your application and can give you help and advice on all facets of making your move.