Data shows that in the past year, the largest number of UK "£2 Million Investor Visas" were granted to Chinese citizens. As of now, the number of £2 million investor visas in the UK has risen significantly over the last year, increasing by 46% to 405. Among these, applications from Turkey and Russia saw the largest growth. Some observers are concerned that the UK government may tighten immigration visa regulations following the official Brexit in March 2019.
The UK's "£2 Million Investor Visa" originally required applicants to invest £1 million in the UK; after a revision in 2014, the minimum investment threshold was raised to £2 million. In the year prior to the new regulations taking effect, investors rushed to apply, with 357 Chinese citizens obtaining investor visas that year, accounting for 43% of the visa category. In 2015, the UK government introduced stricter regulations due to concerns over money laundering, yet the number of applications for the "£2 million visa" continues to rise.
Reports suggest that some experts believe the growth in UK "£2 Million Investor Visas" has occurred against the backdrop of a decline in the appeal of US visas, which is related to the Trump administration's tightening of visa policies.
UK law firms have analyzed that a secure legal system, a reputation for protecting investor assets, and price arbitrage resulting from the weak pound have prompted more wealthy Chinese individuals to invest in the UK. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's tightening of residency policies in the US is leading an increasing number of wealthy individuals to turn their investments toward the UK.
Speculation about the tightening of the "£2 Million Investor Visa" policy is not unfounded. Looking at the history of changes in UK immigration policy, it is clear that the overall trend has been toward tightening; if further major factors such as Brexit come into play, the likelihood of policy changes increases significantly.