United Kingdom: routes without an investor visa

Status in the United Kingdom cannot be obtained by investing money. The remaining routes run through your own business, recognised achievements and employment: conditions, fees and the path to settlement.

Checked on: 4 October 2026

The Tier 1 (Investor) visa has been closed to new applications since 17 February 2022, and nothing has replaced it. All current routes are based on what a person does in the country: builds a business, works in their field or is employed by a UK employer.

Route	For whom	Key condition	Visa length
Innovator Founder	Founders of an innovative business	Endorsement of the business by an approved body	3 years, extendable
Global Talent	Leaders and promising specialists in science, culture and digital technology	An endorsement from a body in the field or a prize from the approved list	Up to 5 years, extendable
Skilled Worker	Specialists with a job offer	A sponsoring employer and a salary from GBP 41,700 a year	Depends on the contract

Innovator Founder

The route for those who set up and run an innovative business in the United Kingdom. Before applying, the business or business idea is assessed by an endorsing body, which issues an endorsement letter. The official page states no minimum investment amount; for personal support at least GBP 1,270 must be held in a bank account for 28 consecutive days.

Fees: GBP 1,357 when applying from abroad, GBP 1,000 for the assessment of the business and GBP 500 for each of the mandatory meetings with the body (at least two). The healthcare surcharge is paid separately.
A decision usually takes up to three weeks when applying from abroad.
Besides the own business, employment in a skilled role is allowed.
A partner and children can apply as dependants.
An application for settlement is possible after three years in the country.

Global Talent

The route requires neither an employer nor an investment. The applicant must be a recognised leader or a promising specialist in one of three fields: academia and research, arts and culture, digital technology. Winners of prizes from the approved list apply directly; others first need an endorsement from a body in their field.

Fees: GBP 766, of which GBP 561 for the endorsement and GBP 205 for the visa; the healthcare surcharge is usually GBP 1,035 a year per person.
The visa is granted for up to five years and is extended with no overall time limit.
Settlement is possible after three or five years, depending on the field and the basis.

Skilled Worker

The standard employment route. It requires a job offer from a UK employer with a sponsor licence and a salary of at least GBP 41,700 a year, or the going rate for the specific occupation if that is higher.

Settlement and citizenship

Settlement (indefinite leave to remain) is currently available after three years on the Innovator Founder route, three or five years on Global Talent and five years on Skilled Worker. An application for citizenship is made after five years of living in the country and 12 months after settlement; the Life in the UK test and proof of language knowledge are required, and no more than 450 days may be spent outside the country in the five years. The citizenship fee is GBP 1,839.

The settlement rules are under review. In November 2025 the government proposed raising the baseline period from 5 to 10 years with reductions for certain categories; three years is proposed to remain for Global Talent and Innovator Founder. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026. As at the end of June 2026 the changes were not in force; on the date of this check we found no confirmation that they had come into force.

Tax for new residents

Since 6 April 2025 a four-year regime for foreign income and gains has applied. A new tax resident who was not UK resident for at least 10 consecutive years before arrival may pay no UK tax on foreign income in the first four tax years. The regime is claimed in the tax return; a person who claims it loses the tax-free allowances for Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.

What this means for a Russian citizen

We found no restriction by nationality in the published conditions of the routes listed; the decision depends on meeting the requirements of the route.
Real estate and deposits in the United Kingdom give no right to status.
A UK residence status does not lift the EUR 100,000 limit on deposits in EU banks: the exemption applies only to EU, EEA countries and Switzerland.
A move is best planned allowing for a possibly longer period to settlement.

Sources

This material is for reference only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Programme terms change: verify them against the primary source before deciding.

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