UK's $3.3mn path to residency: Lawmakers push for new investor visa to stop wealthy from leaving, report
According to the proposal, the new investor visa will be designed to attract wealthy foreigners as rising tax hikes continue to drive well-heeled residents out of the country
- Nov 26, 2025,
- Updated Nov 26, 2025 11:51 AM IST
A group of UK lawmakers has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to introduce a new investor visa designed to attract wealthy foreigners as rising tax hikes continue to drive well-heeled residents out of the country.
A dozen members of the House of Lords argued that the easiest way for the UK to emerge from its “economic and political morass” is to introduce a visa requiring a minimum investment of £2.5 million ($3.3 million), according to Bloomberg. The proposal suggests that the funds from these investments would be used to support Britain’s public services and national infrastructure.
"Unless the government seizes this opportunity, the UK’s future looks bleak," the letter reads, with signatures from prominent figures like businesswoman Nosheena Mobarik, Merrill Lynch veteran Richard Spring, and former 10 Downing Street Chief of Staff Edward Lister. They warn that the country is losing both capital and talent at an alarming rate due to the current tax policies.
The proposal comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to introduce new taxes in her second budget this week, following the scrapping of the preferential tax treatment for wealthy foreigners earlier this year. The tax changes have led to an exodus of billionaires, including Checkout.com’s Guillaume Pousaz, Revolut’s CEO Nik Storonsky, and Egypt’s Nassef Sawiris, all of whom left the UK amid the scrapping of the 15-year-old non-dom tax status.
Pre-existing fast-track residency path
Starmer’s administration has already introduced a fast-track residency path for high-earners and is considering a new investor visa aimed at wealthy foreigners. However, the damage may already be showing. A recent survey by Oxford Economics found that non-doms had divested £840 million from local assets ahead of the changes, while some ultra-rich Britons have already left the country in response to tax hikes.
The letter from lawmakers highlights the growing concern that the UK is being "significantly damaged" by the loss of foreign investment and talent. "Foreign investors are continuing to leave, taking their investments, philanthropy, spending and, importantly, job creation with them," it states.
As countries like Italy and Greece introduce their own tax incentives to attract the world’s wealthy, UK lawmakers argue that the nation must act quickly to prevent further capital flight. The proposed investor visa would be a significant step towards reversing this trend and ensuring that the UK remains an attractive destination for global investors and entrepreneurs.
A group of UK lawmakers has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to introduce a new investor visa designed to attract wealthy foreigners as rising tax hikes continue to drive well-heeled residents out of the country.
A dozen members of the House of Lords argued that the easiest way for the UK to emerge from its “economic and political morass” is to introduce a visa requiring a minimum investment of £2.5 million ($3.3 million), according to Bloomberg. The proposal suggests that the funds from these investments would be used to support Britain’s public services and national infrastructure.
"Unless the government seizes this opportunity, the UK’s future looks bleak," the letter reads, with signatures from prominent figures like businesswoman Nosheena Mobarik, Merrill Lynch veteran Richard Spring, and former 10 Downing Street Chief of Staff Edward Lister. They warn that the country is losing both capital and talent at an alarming rate due to the current tax policies.
The proposal comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to introduce new taxes in her second budget this week, following the scrapping of the preferential tax treatment for wealthy foreigners earlier this year. The tax changes have led to an exodus of billionaires, including Checkout.com’s Guillaume Pousaz, Revolut’s CEO Nik Storonsky, and Egypt’s Nassef Sawiris, all of whom left the UK amid the scrapping of the 15-year-old non-dom tax status.
Pre-existing fast-track residency path
Starmer’s administration has already introduced a fast-track residency path for high-earners and is considering a new investor visa aimed at wealthy foreigners. However, the damage may already be showing. A recent survey by Oxford Economics found that non-doms had divested £840 million from local assets ahead of the changes, while some ultra-rich Britons have already left the country in response to tax hikes.
The letter from lawmakers highlights the growing concern that the UK is being "significantly damaged" by the loss of foreign investment and talent. "Foreign investors are continuing to leave, taking their investments, philanthropy, spending and, importantly, job creation with them," it states.
As countries like Italy and Greece introduce their own tax incentives to attract the world’s wealthy, UK lawmakers argue that the nation must act quickly to prevent further capital flight. The proposed investor visa would be a significant step towards reversing this trend and ensuring that the UK remains an attractive destination for global investors and entrepreneurs.