Abramovich visa delay amid oligarchs review
Wealthy Russians facing tougher Home Office scrutiny after poisoning attack on Skripals
The Home Office is yet to renew Roman Abramovich’s UK visa after the Government ordered a review of the immigration status of hundreds of wealthy Russians living in Britain. The billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club applied for a renewal when his visa expired last month but had not yet received a decision, a source told The Daily Telegraph. The source said the process was taking longer than usual but there was no suggestion the visa would be denied.
THE Home Office is yet to renew Roman Abramovich’s UK visa after the Government ordered a review of the immigration status of hundreds of wealthy Russians in Britain.
Mr Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea Football Club, applied for a renewal when his previous visa expired last month but had not received a decision, a source familiar with the matter told The Daily Telegraph.
The source said the process was taking longer than usual but there was no suggestion the visa would be denied.
Earlier, the Bell, a Russian website, cited three sources close to the oligarch saying he had not received a new visa, despite filing an application as usual.
While there is no suggestion that the delay is connected to any wrongdoing, it comes amid increased government scrutiny of rich Russians in Britain.
Amber Rudd, the home secretary at the time, told MPS in March that she had instructed Home Office officials to review how 700 wealthy Russians who were issued Tier 1 investor visas before 2015 acquired their fortunes.
It followed the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer who had spied for Britain, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury in March. Both victims survived.
The Government blamed the Kremlin for ordering the murder attempt and said it would investigate Russian wealth as part of its response.
Mr Abramovich, 51, who is worth an estimated £8billion, made his fortune in Russia’s oil industry in the Nineties. He has been a frequent visitor to London since he bought Chelsea FC in 2003. Unlike some other Russian investors, Mr Abramovich never took UK residency but has continued to visit the UK on a Tier 1 visa. He was not at Wembley on Saturday, when Chelsea won the FA Cup by beating Manchester United 1-0. However, he has not attended every past Chelsea cup final and it is not clear whether the visa delay affected his travel plans on this occasion.
Earlier this year, Swiss newspapers reported that he had twice applied for residency in Switzerland. In January the island of Jersey offered him residency as a high-value individual.
Tier 1 visas are open to applicants from outside the European Economic Area who are willing to invest at least £2million in the UK economy. The visas are valid for three years and four months, and can be extended another two years before renewal is required.
The Home Office website says that applicants can expect a decision within three weeks. A spokesman for Mr Abramovich declined to comment.
Ben Wallace, the Home Office security minister, said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”
He added: “In 2014 and 2015 we took action to tighten up the Tier 1 investor route. This included introducing new powers to refuse applications where there are reasonable grounds to believe funds have been obtained unlawfully. As a result of these reforms, applications reduced by 84 per cent.
“As the Prime Minister and former home secretary made clear, we are taking another look at how the route operates and are undertaking further checks on investors who came to the UK through this route before the reforms were introduced.”
Mr Abramovich was included on a list of officials and oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin that could serve as a basis for future US sanctions. The “name and shame” list of 210 people published by the US treasury did not stipulate any punitive measures. It was drawn up as part of sanctions legislation signed by Donald Trump last August.