In May 2018, Roman Abramovich, who invested in the UK economy and on this basis received an investor visa, could not extend it. To obtain a new visa, the Russian oligarch will have to confirm the origin of his income.
According to British media, Roman Abramovich is one of 700 Russian citizens with an investor visa. One of the richest people in Russia received it by investing more than 2 million pounds in the treasury of the United Kingdom. On this basis, Abramovich received a visa to stay in the UK for 3 years and 4 months, after which it can be extended for another 2 years. Theoretically, a person holding an investment visa can extend it countless times, and after 5 years of permanent residence in the country, apply for a residence permit. After 6 years, a citizenship request is possible. Until 2018, investors applying for citizenship in most cases received it.
However, in the spring of 2018, the situation changed dramatically. The British authorities drew attention to numerous investors and decided to find out the origin of their conditions. Unofficial sources believe that the cause of such keen interest was the case of the poisoning of both Sergey Skripal and his daughter, who are suspected of having a Russian trace. The committee of the British Parliament published a report on “dirty money from Russia, ” which may well be associated with the financing of espionage and even terrorist activities. The situation is aggravated by the unstable international situation, the expanding list of sanctions, the opacity of the Russian economy and the growing contradictions in the field of international activity.
Roman Abramovich is not included in the lists of Russian politicians and entrepreneurs who are officially banned from entering the EU and other European countries. However, with an expired visa, he cannot visit the UK. Even the match of his Chelsea team with Manchester was held without the participation of the oligarch. Lawyers announce the official version: the businessman must confirm that his capital was obtained honestly. The procedure involves checking all assets and clarifying the sources of funds for the purchase of each of them. The oligarch’s lawyers will have to prove that Abramovich’s capital does not and never had anything to do with money laundering and other illegal operations, including those related to the domestic policy of Russia.
Many officials in Russia believe that Roman Abramovich is the first and most famous person to undergo a total audit. A similar procedure will have to go through all holders of an investor visa. Russian businessmen will be obliged to explain the origin of the means for a luxurious lifestyle, the presence of numerous assets both in the UK and abroad. It is possible that oligarchs who do not live in the United Kingdom but who have real estate or bank accounts will lose their visas. If the owner cannot explain the origin of the assets or the explanations do not seem convincing, the property may be confiscated. As a result, family members of oligarchs permanently residing in the UK can also suffer. The lack of legal means of residence is a motivated refusal to extend the visas of wives and children.
According to the latest information, Roman Abramovich plans to obtain Israeli citizenship - the holders of this country's passport have the right to visa-free entry to the UK. However, this measure is unlikely to help - a personal ban on entry into the United Kingdom is not ruled out. The oligarch’s lawyers explain that the process of checking the legality of capital can be delayed, and the result is unpredictable in any case. Official sources are not required to explain the reasons for refusing a visa, but for now the prospects for obtaining it are assessed as unfavorable.
