Innovator FounderBusiness Route
FromNo set minimum
- RequiresEndorsing body
- Settlement3 years
- BusinessMust be innovative
UK Residency by Investment
Britain Has No
Golden Passport
The Tier 1 Investor visa — the UK's cash-for-residency route — was closed in February 2022 and has not returned. What remains are genuine business and talent routes. They are slower, harder, and real.
- 2022
- Investor Visa Closed
- 3–5 yrs
- To Settlement
- 3
- Live Routes
- 100%
- Confidential Files
The Live Routes
Three Real Routes, No Shortcuts
Anyone offering you a British passport for a fixed sum is describing a visa that no longer exists. These are the routes that do.
Global TalentTalent Route
FromNo investment
- RequiresEndorsement
- Settlement3 years
- FieldsScience, arts, tech
Expansion WorkerCorporate Route
FromOverseas business
- RequiresActive foreign business
- SettlementNot direct
- DurationUp to 2 years
The UK closed its Tier 1 (Investor) visa in February 2022 and has not replaced it. No current UK route grants residency or citizenship in exchange for a passive investment. Rules change frequently — every requirement is re-confirmed against current Home Office guidance on the day we file.
The Route to Settlement
Three Doors, One Long Road
Britain asks for time and substance rather than a lump sum. Every genuine route runs through a period of lawful residence before settlement, and settlement before citizenship.
01
Innovator Founder
For founders launching a genuinely innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK. There is no fixed investment minimum, but your business plan must be endorsed by an approved body.
- Endorsement from an approved body first
- Business must be innovative and scalable
- Settlement possible after three years
- English language and residence conditions apply
02
Global Talent
For leaders and emerging leaders in academia, research, arts, culture or digital technology. No money is required at all — the bar is your record, not your balance sheet.
- Endorsement by a recognised body
- No investment requirement whatsoever
- Settlement possible after three years
- Dependants may accompany you
03
Settlement, Then Citizenship
Indefinite Leave to Remain follows a qualifying period of lawful residence. British citizenship generally follows twelve months after that, subject to residence and good-character requirements.
- Continuous lawful residence required
- Life in the UK test and English requirement
- Citizenship generally 12 months after ILR
- Absences from the UK are counted strictly
Why Ozmark
Counsel, Not Salesmanship
The UK is where honest advice is worth the most, because the dishonest version is still being sold here every day.
-
We Will Tell You If You Don't Qualify
The investor visa is gone. If your plan was to buy residency, we will say so at the first meeting rather than take a fee to explore a route that no longer exists.
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Endorsement, Not Just Paperwork
Innovator Founder and Global Talent stand or fall on endorsement. We work on the substance of your case — the business, the record, the evidence — not just the application form.
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Transparent Case Tracking
Endorsement, application, decision — you see every milestone of your file in plain language, and you hear about a query from us before you hear about it from anyone else.
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Confidential by Default
Your file touches the smallest possible number of hands. No case is discussed, listed or used as a reference without your written permission.
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Support Through to Settlement
Residence tracking, absence records and ILR timing — the details that quietly sink applications five years later. And a Lahore office your family can still walk into.
The Ozmark Method
A Considered Path, Five Movements
- 1
Free Consultation
A private, confidential sitting to establish whether any current UK route genuinely fits your circumstances.
- 2
Eligibility & Route Selection
Honest profiling against live Home Office criteria — and a plain answer if the answer is no.
- 3
Endorsement & Evidence
Business plan or talent evidence built to the endorsing body's actual standard, not a template.
- 4
Visa Application & Decision
Application filed, maintenance and English requirements evidenced, and queries answered promptly.
- 5
Residence, ILR & Citizenship
Absences tracked, settlement timed correctly, and your citizenship application prepared when the clock allows.
190+
Visa-Free & Visa-on-Arrival Destinations
EUSchengen Area
USESTA Eligible
JPJapan Visa-Free
CACanada eTA
ILRThen Citizenship
In Their Words
Families Who Trusted the Process
Three firms told us the investor visa was still open. Ozmark told us it closed in 2022 and offered us a real route instead. That first honest hour saved us a fortune.
The endorsement was the whole battle. They rebuilt the business plan around what the endorsing body actually assesses, not what looked impressive.
No investment, no shortcut — just a properly evidenced case. Endorsed on the first submission.
Before You Ask
Questions, Answered Plainly
Is the first consultation really confidential?
Yes — a private sitting with a senior counsellor, in person in Lahore or over a call. Nothing about your case is shared or discussed outside your file, whether or not you engage us.
Can I still buy UK residency through investment?
No. The Tier 1 (Investor) visa closed to new applicants in February 2022 and has not been replaced. No current UK route grants residency or citizenship in exchange for a passive investment, whatever you may have been told.
How long until I can apply for British citizenship?
Most routes require a qualifying period of lawful residence before Indefinite Leave to Remain — three years on Innovator Founder and Global Talent, five on many others. Citizenship generally follows twelve months after ILR, subject to residence and good-character requirements.
What does an endorsing body actually assess?
For Innovator Founder, whether your business is genuinely innovative, viable and scalable — not merely profitable. For Global Talent, whether your record shows leadership or exceptional promise in your field. Neither is a formality, and both can be refused.
Are there tax implications?
Becoming UK-resident carries substantial tax consequences that depend on your circumstances and your domicile position. We aren't tax advisors, so we connect you with a qualified UK professional before you make any move rather than guessing.