Innovator Founder Visa

The Innovator Founder visa (which replaced the Innovator visa in April 2023) is for experienced business people who want to establish an innovative business in the UK. Unlike the old Innovator visa, there's no minimum investment requirement, but your business idea must be innovative, viable, and scalable. You need endorsement from an approved body before you can apply.

An innovative business idea must be genuinely new or significantly different from anything else on the UK market. It should offer something that doesn't currently exist, or provide a significant improvement on existing products or services. Simply opening a restaurant or shop wouldn't qualify - you need to demonstrate genuine innovation in your business model, product, or service.

You must apply to an approved endorsing body, which are typically business accelerators, incubators, or university enterprise programmes. They'll assess your business plan against the innovation, viability, and scalability criteria. You'll need to demonstrate relevant skills and experience, and show that your business has genuine potential for growth.

The Innovator Founder visa is primarily for running your own business. However, you can work for other employers as long as you continue to develop your business. You cannot take employment that would prevent you from running your business. Your endorsing body will monitor your progress and may withdraw endorsement if you're not actively developing your venture.

The initial visa is granted for 3 years. You can extend it for another 3 years if you continue to meet the requirements and maintain your endorsement. After 3 years, you may be eligible for settlement (ILR) if your business meets certain criteria, such as creating jobs, generating revenue, or securing investment. This is one of the fastest routes to settlement.