| Home Office Immigration Statistics – Data Release Q2 2021: The UK Issued 66 Investor Visas (previously Tier 1) to Main Applicants |
| By Farzin Yazdi, Head of Investor Visa at Shard Capital “An impressive opening! During Q2 ’21 the UK began to remove COVID restrictions and today’s data release certainly reflects this with 66 Investor Visas issued to main applicants. Applicants from China & Hong Kong as usual dominated this visa route accounting for a third of all Investor Visas issued followed by Russia, and the United States. For over a year, we have highlighted the trend of increasing investment migration from developed nations such as the United States and Shard Capital’s specialist US Persons offering, and this trend is continuing to gather pace. Also of note, was the first European applicant from Hungary. Refusals in the Investor Visa category are typically low because applicants must go through several stringent checks prior to applying, and this quarter saw three keeping it under 5%. Do it yourself applications always end in disaster from what I have seen and heard. For us we do not open an Investor Visa account unless you have appointed an immigration lawyer or advisor to assist you through your journey. Looking ahead, Shard Capital’s dedicated Investor Visa team has seen a doubling in the number of enquiries over the past two months from Investor Visa applications. Given the lead times these enquiries will filter through to the Home Office statistics in the following two quarters. Personally, I see this due to several factors such as the UK reopening and continuing its global dominance, clients and their professional advisors realising that Investor Visa Investment Management is a specialist financial trade, and a number of financial institutions not offering Investor Visa accounts anymore. Afghanistan Unfortunately, political unrest drives economic migration. Historically, since 2011 the Investor Visa category has issued 26 Investor Visas to main applicants and a total of 121 visas including their dependents. We have seen several Afghani nationals enquire into this category for themselves and family members. While I do not see significant numbers, I expect a handful of Investor Visas to be issued in the following quarters. UK Value for Money? From an investment perspective, the UK’s benchmark indices performed well during Q2 ’21 increasing around 6%, however relative to global benchmarks it did underperform. We did however witness a significant increase in inbound M&A investment from overseas during first half of 2021, especially private equity deals. This indicates to us that the UK equity market offers good value to investors after a period of underperformance. 25 Years and a thank you! On a personal note, next month marks 25 years since I started to work in the square mile as a stockbroker. Yes, I am getting old! What a journey it has been as a migrant, moving to London from the US. I wanted to thank all my clients, colleagues current and ex, intermediaries, friends, and family. The recent peer review has been truly humbling, I feel blessed that what I do is not just a job but a way to help people get a better quality of life and hopefully will be able to do so for another 25ys!” |
