The number of Chinese citizens who secured investor visas to the UK doubled last year as more and more wealthy people leave for bolt-holes abroad.
A total of 357 British “Tier 1” investor visas were issued to Chinese nationals during the 12 months to the end of September, accounting for 43 per cent of all investor visas issued during that period, according to UK government data. These visas could be obtained in return for a ￡1m investment in gilts or British companies’ shares or bonds, a limit that has since been raised to ￡2m.
That, compared with 178 such visas issued to Chinese investors over the same period a year earlier, makes them the biggest group of beneficiaries of the scheme by far. Five years ago, Chinese nationals made up 10 per cent of people who received British investor visas. Twice as many visas were issued to Chinese last year than to Russian investors.