The Innovator Founder visa route replaced the Start-up and Innovator routes in 2023. It is essentially a hybrid of the two. It is now the only route for foreign entrepreneurs to enter the UK to establish a new business. It is also available to those who have significantly contributed to an existing business.
Importantly the new route requires no minimum financial investment, but the individual will have to secure endorsement from an approved organisation before an application can be made to the Home Office.
The business venture must be innovative, viable, and scalable. This is assessed as follows:
The applicant's role in the business must be substantial. They must have either generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in the business plan, and they must have a day-to-day role in carrying out the plan.
It is permissible for an individual to have joined a business after it was registered with Companies House, providing the business had not already commenced trading. However, this necessitates additional scrutiny to show the applicant made a significant contribution to the business plan, and has not simply been added to an existing business for the purpose of facilitating investment. In short, with any application the applicant must either be the sole founder, or an instrumental member of the founding team.
Like its predecessors, to be granted leave under the Innovator Founder route, applicants must be endorsed by government-approved endorsing bodies. There are three endorsing bodies (not counting the Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP), a government programme run by the Department for Business and Trade:
The Home Office provides guidance for endorsing bodies to follow when assessing a business for innovation, viability, and scalability, but the exact endorsement process and assessment of each application differs between bodies. Relevant details are set out on each body’s website; all require a detailed business plan, including financial projections, and at least one interview.
In relation to the innovation requirement, endorsing bodies are required to consider:
In relation to the viability requirement, endorsing bodies are required to consider:
In relation to the scalability requirement, endorsing bodies are required to consider:
An endorsing body’s responsibilities do not end upon an endorsement. Applicants are required to have at least two “checkpoint meetings”, before the 12 and 24-month anniversaries of their grant of permission, to demonstrate to the endorsing body that they are making progress towards their business plan. It is open to the endorsing body to withdraw endorsement at any time.
Multiple innovator founders can apply for endorsement to be co-directors of the same company, but each applicant must receive individual endorsement.
If you are currently endorsed under the Innovator and Start-up routes, endorsing bodies are still required to hold contact point meetings with you, and to consider further endorsement when:
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The application itself has been amended to make this route easier than its predecessors:
Nevertheless, the Home Office retains ultimate discretion. Even with a valid endorsement, an application can still be refused if the Home Office deems the business lacks innovation, viability, or scalability, or they doubt the genuineness of the applicant. It is important that the visa application is properly evidenced; an endorsement should not be seen as an automatic ticket to a visa.
The expert solicitors at Latitude Law can provide expert advice on all aspects of UK Innovator Founder visa applications. We can provide detailed guidance about the requirements or prepare the entire application alongside a detailed representation document explaining how the relevant rules are met. Our experts can also provide assistance in applications to switch to the Innovator Founder route from another category, extend your leave or apply for settlement.
Latitude Law has significant experience of preparing successful Innovator Founder visa applications. We have assisted clients with tackling some of the most complex issues that can arise for Entrepreneurs looking to gain endorsement for their new UK business venture.
Thanks to our extensive knowledge of immigration rules, we are able to provide pragmatic advice and meet our clients’ needs. We have connections with the Home Office and other immigration authorities so we can advise you with confidence and ensure the entire immigration procedure runs smoothly and efficiently for you.
Working with a law firm can be a big decision, which is why we ensure that our clients are at the heart of everything we do. We are a highly driven team that is dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration advice.
As a boutique law firm specialising in UK-inbound immigration, our experts understand the complexity and uncertainty that constantly shifting visa and residence policies create for entrepreneurs looking to invest and work here. Our lawyers can provide up-to-the-minute legal advice on how any changes will impact your application.
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As the requirements for an Innovator Founder visa are complex, to ensure success, you should seek specialist advice from an immigration solicitor before you proceed with an application. Latitude Law’s specialist lawyers can advise you about your individual requirements and ensure that your supporting documentation is compliant with the very latest immigration rules.
Get in touch with our legal team today on 0300 131 6767 or fill out our enquiry form and we will get straight back to you. Face your future knowing you have the dedicated support of one of our expert lawyers.
Innovator Founder Visa FAQs
You are eligible to switch to an Innovator Founder visa unless you are currently in the UK in one of the following categories:
There is a job creation requirement for the Innovator Founder category; this is measured at settlement stage and can be either:
There are alternative ways to measure business success, including:
No - applicants are able to supplement their income by working in other employment as well as for the business they have established, provided that the other employment is sufficiently skilled – RQF level 3 or higher.
You can apply for settlement / indefinite leave to remain after 3 years' continuous residence in the Innovator category. You will also need to pass a Life in the UK test at the point of applying for residence.
Global Business Mobility (GBM) visas provide overseas businesses with various routes to operate in the UK. If your company transfers workers from the EU and other countries to the UK, or wishes to establish a presence here, it is important that you understand what is required of you and how to apply. Failure to make use of the correct visa routes could result in delays to business productivity, costing you time and money.
Sponsor licences are available for new hires, intra-company transfers and certain visa routes. To employ skilled workers from overseas, UK employers must hold a valid sponsor licence.
The Expansion Worker visa allows senior or specialist employees to temporarily work in, and expand a business’s presence to the UK. A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed sponsor is required to permit overseas workers to enter the UK as an expansion worker.
