Hugh KinninsThe Innovator Founder Visa is a UK immigration route for ambitious entrepreneurs who want to establish and run a genuinely innovative business in the United Kingdom. It replaced the older Innovator visa, offering a streamlined path for founders with ambitious business ideas. Unlike more conventional work visas, this visa is built specifically for high-potential entrepreneurs whose business ideas are new, scalable, and capable of creating jobs and growth in the UK.
Successful Innovator Founders can stay in the UK for up to three years, and they may apply to extend their visa indefinitely, provided they continue meeting the criteria.
After three years, visa holders may also apply for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) if they meet certain business development and residence requirements.
Who Qualifies for the Innovator Founder Visa?
To qualify for this route, applicants must satisfy a number of strict conditions:
Endorsement from an Approved Body
You must obtain a letter of endorsement from a UK Home Office–approved endorsing body. This body will assess your business plan to make sure it meets the Innovator Founder’s criteria of being innovative, viable, and scalable.
Some endorsing bodies will look for particular sectors such as technology, sustainable business, or other high-growth verticals.
The endorsement must be issued no more than 3 months before the visa application.
Business Criteria: Innovation, Viability, Scalability
Your business must be original — not simply copying existing UK businesses.
You should demonstrate demand, a realistic business model, and financial planning.
You need to show clear plans for growth, including a strategy to scale nationally or internationally and possibly create employment.
Points Requirement
According to Innovator Founder caseworker guidance, applicants must score at least 70 points, with 50 of those coming from either “New Business” or “Same Business” criteria. For New Business: 30 points for a business plan + 20 points for innovation, viability, and scalability.
For Same Business: points are awarded if you have prior permission under a previous related visa (e.g., old Innovator or Start-Up) and are continuing the same business.
Every applicant must also meet the English language requirement (B2 level) for 10 points, plus financial requirement for 10 points.
Age
You must be at least 18 years old when applying.
Financial Requirement
Applicants need to demonstrate at least £1,270 in personal savings, held in their account for 28 consecutive days before applying (unless they have already been in the UK for 12 months under a previous Innovator visa).
Importantly, under the current Innovator Founder rules, there is no mandatory £50,000 investment requirement.
English Language
You must prove you have at least CEFR B2 level of English (reading, writing, speaking, listening).
Other Requirements
You must apply on time — the endorsement letter must be dated within three months.
You must not be in breach of certain immigration rules.
If required, a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate may be necessary depending on your country.
How to Apply for the Innovator Founder Visa
Here is a step-by-step guide to applying:
Develop Your Business Plan
Before anything else, you’ll need a robust business plan that outlines how your business is innovative, viable, and scalable. Endorsing bodies will review it closely.
Seek Endorsement
Submit your business plan and any supporting documentation to a Home Office–approved endorsing body. If they approve, they will issue you an endorsement letter, typically valid for up to three months.
Gather Supporting Documents
Collect necessary documents for the visa application:
- Valid passport or travel document
- Proof of personal savings (e.g., bank statements) held for 28 days
- Evidence of English proficiency
- Endorsement letter from the endorsing body
- Any required TB test certificate depending on your country of application
- Documents establishing your identity, such as biometrics (fingerprints and photograph)
Submit Application
- You must apply online via the UK government’s visa service.
- If applying from outside the UK: Use the UK Immigration ID Check app, or visit a visa application centre for biometrics.
- If applying from inside the UK (i.e. switching from another visa): you also apply online, and you must not currently be on certain visa types (e.g., visiting, seasonal worker, or other restricted categories).
Pay Fees
- Application fee (if applying from outside the UK) is around £1,274 per person.
- If switching or extending inside the UK, the fee is £1,590.
- Endorsement fee: £1,000 payable directly to the endorsing body.
- Healthcare (Immigration Health) surcharge also applies.
- There’s also a £500 fee for each mandatory “contact point” meeting with the endorsing body, typically scheduled at 12 and 24 months.
Attend Biometric Appointment / Identity Verification
After submitting the application, you will either:
- Use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify your identity, or
- Go to a Visa Application Centre to give fingerprints and photos.
Wait for Decision
- From outside the UK, decisions typically arrive within 3 weeks.
- From inside the UK, the decision may take up to 8 weeks.
- You may pay for a faster decision in some cases.
Settle or Extend
- If you want to extend your Innovator Founder visa, you must secure a new endorsement and reapply before your current visa expires.
- To apply for settlement (ILR) after three years: you must have held the visa for the full three years, attended required contact point meetings, and shown business success (as assessed against your business plan).
- For ILR, you must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.
- You also need to pass the Life in the UK test if you are between 18 and 64.
Dependent Applications
- Your partner and children can apply as dependents.
- They must prove their relationship, meet financial requirements, and may need to show maintenance funds: e.g., £285 for your partner, £315 for one child, and £200 for each additional child.
- Each dependant will need to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and photo) as part of their application.
Benefits and Risks of the Innovator Founder Visa
Benefits:
- No minimum investment requirement: Unlike the old Innovator visa, there is no fixed £50,000 capital threshold.
- Flexible duration: Initial visa is for three years, with extensions possible through re-endorsement.
- Path to settlement: Eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after three years if the business succeeds and you meet conditions.
- Dependent coverage: Partners and children can join under your visa, enabling relocation of family.
- Work flexibility: You can work for your own business or as a director; may also take on other skilled work.
Consider the following before applying for the UK Innovator Founder Visa:
- Your business idea must clearly satisfy innovation, viability, and scalability.
- Endorsing bodies require contact point meetings (at 12 and 24 months) and will assess performance.
- Even though the £50,000 requirement is gone, you still need to prove you have £1,270 in savings.
- If the endorsing body withdraws its endorsement (for example, if they judge the business not to be progressing), your visa may be curtailed.
Visit the UK’s official Innovator founder visa website to get more information.
Hugh Kinnins
