In May 2018, Roman Abramovich, who invested money in the UK economy and on this basis received an investor visa, could not renew it. To obtain a new visa, the Russian oligarch will have to prove the origin of his income.
According to British media, Roman Abramovich is one of 700 Russian citizens holding an investor visa. One of the richest men in Russia received it by investing more than 2 million pounds sterling in the treasury of the United Kingdom. On this basis, Abramovich received a visa to reside in the UK for 3 years and 4 months, after which it can be extended for another 2 years. Theoretically, a person with an investment visa can renew it countless times, and after 5 years of permanent residence in the country, apply for a residence permit. After 6 years, citizenship request is possible. Until 2018, investors applying for citizenship received citizenship in most cases.
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 fortunes. Unofficial sources believe that the reason for such keen interest was the case of the poisoning of both Sergei Skripal and his daughter, in which the Russian trace is suspected. The British Parliamentary Committee has 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 activities.
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 between his Chelsea team and Manchester was held without the participation of the oligarch. Lawyers announce the official version: a businessman must confirm that his capital was received in an honest way. The procedure involves checking all assets and explaining 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 have and never had anything to do with money laundering and other illegal operations, including those related to the internal politics of Russia.
Many Russian officials believe that Roman Abramovich is the first and most famous person to be thoroughly tested. All investor visa holders will have to go through a similar procedure. Russian businessmen will be obliged to explain the origin of funds 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 have real estate or bank accounts, may be deprived of visas. If the owner cannot explain the origin of the assets, or the explanations do not seem convincing, the property can be confiscated. As a result, family members of the oligarchs permanently residing in the UK may also suffer. Lack of legal means to live - a motivated refusal to extend visas for wives and children.
According to the latest information, Roman Abramovich plans to obtain Israeli citizenship - the holders of the passport of this country have the right to visa-free entry to the UK. However, this measure is unlikely to help - a personal ban on entry to the United Kingdom is possible. The oligarch's lawyers explain that the process of checking the legality of capital may take a long time, and its result is unpredictable in any case. Official sources are not obliged to explain the reasons for the refusal of a visa, and so far the prospects for obtaining it are assessed as unfavorable.
