INNOVATOR FOUNDER VISA

The Innovator Founder Visa is a business immigration route for start-up founders and experienced entrepreneurs seeking to establish and develop an innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK.

The Innovator Founder application process has two distinct stages. Applicants must first obtain endorsement of their business proposal from a Home Office-approved endorsing body and must then submit a separate immigration application to UK Visas and Immigration.

There is no fixed minimum investment requirement. However, applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funding and other resources to establish and develop their proposed business. They must also have generated, or made a significant contribution to, the business idea and intend to play a key role in its day-to-day management and development.

An Innovator Founder Visa is normally granted for three years and may lead to indefinite leave to remain at the end of that period, provided the relevant business, endorsement and continuous residence requirements are met. Eligible partners and children may accompany or join the Innovator Founder in the UK.

If you are interested in setting up a new business in the UK, or you own an existing UK business, you may also be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa via self-sponsorship, that is by being sponsored by your own UK company provided the company holds or obtains a Skilled Worker sponsor licence and the role and sponsorship meet the Skilled Worker requirements.

1. Who Is the Innovator Founder Visa Suitable For?

The Innovator Founder Visa is suitable for both start-up entrepreneurs and experienced businesspersons who are looking to set up a business in the UK which is innovative, viable and scalable.

Generally, applicants will have a new business idea and the business will not already exist. However, it is permissible for an individual to join a business after it has been registered with Companies House, providing the business has not already started trading. Where this occurs, the Home Office will want to be satisfied that the applicant made a significant contribution to the business plan and was not added to an existing business plan primarily for the purpose of facilitating investment.

Innovator Founders can work on their own as a sole founder, or together as part of a founding team, providing they are an instrumental member of the founding team.

The business idea may relate to any sector, provided the idea is sufficiently innovative, viable and scalable and is supported by a business plan.

If you wish to join an already trading business then the Skilled Worker visa may be more appropriate. If you are a senior manager or specialist employee of an overseas business looking to establish a commercial presence in the UK then you may wish to consider the UK Expansion Worker visa instead.

To find out if your business idea may qualify for an Innovator Founder Visa, complete our Innovator Founder Visa Enquiry Form.

2. Requirements for an Innovator Founder Visa

In order to qualify for an Innovator Founder Visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You are at least 18 years old;
• Any required application fee and Immigration Health Charge have been paid;
• You have an endorsement letter from an approved UK endorsing body that confirms that:
  • You are a fit and proper person to receive endorsement under the Innovator Founder route;
  • The endorsing body has no concerns over the legitimacy of the sources of funds or modes of transfer of funds invested by you into your endorsed business;
  • The endorsing body has no reason to believe that you or your business may be the beneficiary of illicit or otherwise unsatisfactorily explained wealth;
  • You have a business plan and you either generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in that business plan;
  • You will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan;
  • You will have at least two Contact point meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals;
  • You are either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team; and
  • You have an innovative, viable and scalable business venture;
• Your endorsement letter was issued not more than 3 months before the date of your Innovator Founder visa application and has not been withdrawn;
• You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening, unless an exemption applies;
• If you are outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months, you have at least £1,270 to support yourself, held for the required 28-day period, plus £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for a first child and £200 for each additional child;
• Your application does not fall for refusal under Part Suitability;
• You have provided a TB test certificate, if required.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy may vary depending on the circumstances of your case. You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

3. How Much Investment Is Required for an Innovator Founder Visa?

You do not need to demonstrate a fixed minimum amount of investment funds in order to qualify for an Innovator Founder Visa.

However, because your business must be viable and scalable, you will need to show that you have access to sufficient funding and other resources to establish and develop it.

The level of funding required will depend on the particular financial and operational needs of your proposed business.

4. Innovator Founder Visa English Language Requirement

Unless exempt, applicants for an Innovator Founder Visa must demonstrate English language ability to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

5. Innovator Founder Visa Maintenance Funds Requirement

An applicant who is applying for entry clearance as an Innovator Founder, or for permission to stay after being in the UK for less than 12 months with permission, will need to show that they have at least £1,270 in personal funds held for 28 consecutive days, with the bank statements or other evidence dated within the 31 days before the application is submitted.

6. Applying for an Innovator Founder Visa as Part of a Team

You do not need to be the sole founder of your business and you may be a member of a founding team. However, if applying as part of a founding team you will need to be an instrumental member of the team and each applicant must receive their own individual endorsement from an approved endorsing body.

7. Endorsement Criteria for an Innovator Founder Visa

New Business Endorsement Criteria

For a Home Office-approved endorsing body to endorse your proposed new business and issue an Innovator Founder endorsement letter, it must be satisfied that you meet a number of requirements:

Innovator Founder Visa General Requirements

The endorsing body will need to confirm that:

• You are a fit and proper person to receive endorsement under the Innovator Founder route;
• The endorsing body has no concerns over the legitimacy of the sources of funds or modes of transfer of funds invested by you into your endorsed business;
• The endorsing body has no reason to believe that you or your business may be the beneficiary of illicit or otherwise unsatisfactorily explained wealth.

Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan Requirement

In order to satisfy the Innovator Founder business plan requirement, you will need to have a business plan and have either generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in that business plan.

You will also need to demonstrate that you will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan and confirm that you will have at least two Contact point meetings with your endorsing body at regular intervals during your period of permission.

You will also need to be either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.

Innovator Founder Visa Innovative, Viable and Scalable Business Requirement

In order to satisfy the innovative, viable and scalable business requirement for an Innovator Founder Visa, your business idea will need to meet all of the following criteria:

• Innovation: You must have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage;
• Viability: Your business plan must be realistic and achievable based on your available resources and you must have, or be actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run your business;
• Scalability: There must be evidence of structured planning and of potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

Same Business Endorsement Criteria

If you are pursuing a business that has previously been assessed by a Home Office approved endorsing body while you had permission on the Innovator, Innovator Founder, Start-up or Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route, either for a previous endorsement application or at a contact point, then you may also apply for a further endorsement as an Innovator Founder.

This might be appropriate if you are looking to switch into the Innovator Founder route from one of the aforementioned routes or apply for an extension of stay as an Innovator Founder.

In order to qualify for an endorsement on the basis of running the same business as in a previous endorsement application, and receive an Innovator Founder endorsement letter, you will need to satisfy a Home Office approved endorsing body that:

• Your business is registered with Companies House and you are listed as a director or member of the business;
• Your business is active, trading and sustainable;
• You have made significant progress against your business plan;
• You are active in the day-to-day management and development of your business.

If you have, or last had, permission as an Innovator or Innovator Founder, you will also need to demonstrate that you attended at least two contact point meetings with your endorsing body or similar checkpoints with a legacy endorsing body at regular intervals during your period of permission and confirm that you will have at least two contact point meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals during your period of permission.

8. List of Approved Innovator Founder Visa Endorsing Bodies

The following is a list of Endorsing Bodies that have been approved by the Home Office to issue an endorsement letter in connection with an application under the Innovator Founder route:

• UK Endorsing Services
• Innovator International
• Envestors Limited
• The Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP).  GEP can only issue Innovator Founder endorsements and only for founders who have already been invited to participate in its programme

Previous Endorsing Bodies, known as ‘Legacy Innovator Endorsing Bodies’, may only provide further endorsements for Innovator Founder applications where they previously endorsed the applicant under either the Innovator or Start-up visa routes prior to 13 April 2023.

If you were endorsed before 13 April 2023 by a ‘Legacy Endorsing Body’ then you should check whether a Legacy Innovator Endorsing Body can issue a current endorsement for your specific application under Appendix Innovator Founder. An endorsement letter must be issued no more than 3 months before the date of application unless a specific transitional provision applies, and legacy endorsement letters are only accepted in the circumstances set out in the current Immigration Rules.

9. Preparing for an Innovator Founder Endorsement Interview

Depending on the assessment process operated by the relevant endorsing body, you may be invited to an interview to discuss your business proposal. You should check the endorsing body’s current procedure and prepare to explain your business plan and financial model in detail. For example, UK Endorsing Services currently schedules an interview after a successful initial assessment and uses it to corroborate the business plan before deciding whether to grant endorsement. Other endorsing bodies may follow a different assessment process.

You should be able to explain clearly how the proposed business is innovative, the market need it addresses and the competitive advantage it offers. You should also understand the evidence and assumptions underlying the proposal, including the target customers, principal competitors, available funding, anticipated operating costs and projected growth.

The interview may also explore your own contribution to the business idea, the skills and experience that you bring to the venture and the day-to-day role that you will perform. Where there are co-founders, each applicant should understand the business as a whole and ensure that their account is consistent with the business plan, financial forecasts and other written evidence. This is particularly important because the endorsement requirements include demonstrating that the applicant generated or significantly contributed to the business plan, will have a day-to-day role in carrying it out and is either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.

10. Common Reasons Innovator Founder Endorsement Applications Are Unsuccessful

An Innovator Founder endorsement application may be unsuccessful where the endorsing body is not satisfied that the business proposal meets the relevant requirements when considered as a whole. Common concerns include:

• The proposed innovation is insufficiently developed or does not clearly differentiate the business from existing competitors;
• Market research is limited, generic or does not provide credible evidence of customer demand;
• Financial forecasts, customer-acquisition targets or growth assumptions are unrealistic or inadequately supported;
• The applicant has not demonstrated access to the funding, personnel, technology or other resources required to deliver the business plan;
• The applicant does not have the relevant skills, knowledge or experience, or has not explained a credible day-to-day operational role;
• The business plan appears generic or externally produced and does not demonstrate that the applicant generated, or made a significant contribution to, its ideas; or
• Information provided in the business plan, supporting evidence and endorsement interview is inconsistent.

No single concern will necessarily determine the outcome. However, applicants should ensure that their proposal is supported by credible evidence, that its assumptions can be explained and defended, and that the application demonstrates a coherent business which is innovative, viable and scalable.

11. What Happens if Endorsement Is Refused or Withdrawn?

A refusal by an endorsing body is not a refusal of an immigration application by the Home Office. However, an applicant will not normally be able to make a valid Innovator Founder Visa application without a current endorsement letter from an approved endorsing body.

Any review or reconsideration process will depend on the procedure operated by the particular endorsing body. Some endorsing bodies permit a limited appeal or secondary assessment, while others restrict the grounds on which a decision may be challenged. Applicants should check the applicable procedure, time limit and whether further evidence may be submitted.

Depending on the reasons for refusal, it may be possible to make a fresh endorsement application after addressing the concerns raised or to approach another suitable endorsing body. A new application will be assessed independently and may involve a further fee.

Where endorsement is withdrawn while an Innovator Founder Visa application is pending, the application may be refused. If endorsement is withdrawn after permission has been granted, the Home Office may consider cancelling the individual’s existing permission. Cancellation is not automatic in every case, and the Home Office should consider the circumstances and reasons for withdrawal.

Anyone whose endorsement has been withdrawn should obtain urgent immigration advice, particularly where the Home Office is considering cancellation or has shortened the period of permission. The available options may include obtaining endorsement from another body, making a further immigration application or challenging an adverse immigration decision, depending on the circumstances.

12. Documents and Evidence for an Innovator Founder Visa Application

The documents required will depend on the applicant’s circumstances and the assessment process operated by the relevant endorsing body. However, an application for endorsement will commonly include:

• A detailed business plan;
• Market research and evidence of customer demand;
• Financial projections and the assumptions on which they are based;
• Evidence of the funding and other resources available to establish and develop the business; and
• Evidence of the applicant’s relevant qualifications, skills, experience and proposed role in the business.

An endorsing body may request additional evidence to assess whether the business is innovative, viable and scalable, and whether the applicant generated or made a significant contribution to the business plan.

For the subsequent Innovator Founder Visa application, an applicant will generally need to provide:

• A valid endorsement letter issued by an approved endorsing body;
• A valid passport or other evidence of identity and nationality;
• Evidence that the English language requirement is met;
• Evidence of the required maintenance funds, where applicable; and
• A tuberculosis test certificate, where required.

Additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s immigration history and personal circumstances. Documents that are not in English or Welsh must normally be accompanied by an appropriate certified translation.

13. Innovator Founder Visa Application Process and Timeline

The Innovator Founder application process involves two separate stages: endorsement by an approved endorsing body and an immigration application to the Home Office.

The process will normally involve:

• Preparing the business plan, financial projections and supporting commercial evidence;
• Approaching a suitable endorsing body and completing its assessment process, which may include requests for further information and an interview;
• Receiving an Innovator Founder endorsement letter;
• Submitting the online immigration application, paying the application fee and Immigration Health Charge and providing the required supporting documents;
• Proving the applicant’s identity, either using the UK Immigration: ID Check app where available or by attending a biometric appointment; and
• Receiving a decision from the Home Office.

An endorsement is not a grant of immigration permission. The endorsing body assesses the applicant and business proposal, while the Home Office determines whether the immigration requirements are met.

The endorsement letter must have been issued no more than three months before the date of the Innovator Founder Visa application and must not have been withdrawn. Applicants should therefore coordinate the timing of the endorsement and immigration stages carefully.

The time required to obtain endorsement will depend on the endorsing body, the complexity and readiness of the business proposal and whether further evidence or an interview is required. Once the immigration application has been submitted, identity has been proved and supporting documents have been provided, the Home Office usually aims to decide applications within three weeks for applicants outside the UK and eight weeks for applicants inside the UK. Processing may take longer in individual cases. Applicants should allow sufficient time for both stages rather than treating the published Home Office processing period as the overall application timeline.

14. Switching Into the Innovator Founder Visa Route

You may apply for an Innovator Founder Visa from outside the UK. You may also be able to switch into the Innovator Founder route from within the UK, provided you do not have, or were not last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household, permission outside the Immigration Rules, or immigration bail.

If you have, or last had, Student permission, you must normally have completed the course for which your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned. Alternatively, if you are studying for a full-time PhD, you must have completed at least 24 months of the course.

15. Innovator Founder Visa Fees and Costs

The current Home Office application fee for an Innovator Founder Visa is £1,357 per person when applying from outside the UK and £1,693 per person when applying to extend or switch from within the UK.

Applicants must also pay the Immigration Health Charge, unless exempt.

Separate fees are payable to the endorsing body. These currently include an endorsement application fee of £1,000 excluding VAT and a fee of £500 excluding VAT for each mandatory contact point meeting.

Applicants should also budget for any professional advice, business-plan preparation, translations, English language testing, tuberculosis testing and biometric services that may be required in their individual circumstances.

16. How Long Is an Innovator Founder Visa Valid For?

Your initial Innovator Founder Visa will be valid for 3 years. It is possible to extend an Innovator Founder Visa for periods of 3 years at a time, subject to being re-endorsed each time. There is no maximum time limit in the Innovator Founder category.

You will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) as an Innovator Founder after spending 3 years in the Innovator Founder Visa category.

17. Innovator Founder Visa Conditions of Stay

As an Innovator Founder Visa holder, you will be subject to various conditions of stay. You will not normally have access to public funds and may study, subject to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme where applicable.

You will be expected to work for the business or businesses that you have established. You may also undertake employment outside your business, provided the role is skilled to at least RQF Level 3. You cannot work as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach.

Work for your own business does not include filling a position with another business or supplying your labour to another business, even where the arrangement is made through your own company or through a recruitment or employment agency.

18. Innovator Founder Visa Dependants: Partners and Children

An Innovator Founder may be accompanied or joined by an eligible dependent partner and dependent children.

A dependent partner may be a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner. The relationship must meet the applicable Immigration Rules and be supported by appropriate evidence. A dependent child must normally be under 18 when first applying, although a child aged 18 or over may continue as a dependent where they already hold permission in that capacity. The child must not be leading an independent life and the relevant relationship and care requirements must be met.

Where the financial requirement applies, additional maintenance funds of £285 are required for a dependent partner, £315 for the first dependent child and £200 for each additional dependent child. The funds must normally have been held for at least 28 consecutive days. Dependents who have been living in the UK with permission for at least 12 months will not normally need to demonstrate maintenance funds.

Dependent partners and children may apply at the same time as the Innovator Founder or separately. Their permission will generally expire at the same time as the Innovator Founder’s permission, although specific provisions apply to children where their parents have different expiry dates.

Dependents will not normally have access to public funds but are generally permitted to work, including in employment and self-employment, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. They may also study, subject to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme where applicable.

A dependent’s permission will not extend automatically when the Innovator Founder extends their visa. Each family member must make their own application and satisfy the applicable requirements. Dependents must also meet their own settlement requirements. In particular, a dependent partner will normally need to complete a five-year qualifying period and satisfy the applicable continuous residence, English language and Knowledge of Life in the UK requirements.

19. Innovator Founder Visa Contact Point Meetings

During your period of permission as an Innovator Founder, you will need to attend at least two contact point meetings with your endorsing body at regular intervals determined by the endorsing body, normally after 12 and 24 months. These meetings allow the endorsing body to assess the progress of your business against the endorsed business plan.

Each mandatory contact point meeting currently costs £500 excluding VAT, payable directly to the endorsing body.

The endorsing body will need to be satisfied that you are continuing to develop your business and have made significant progress in relation to an innovative, viable and scalable business venture, whether based on the original proposal or an approved development of it.

Your endorsement may be withdrawn if you fail to attend a required contact point meeting or no longer satisfy the relevant requirements. If endorsement is withdrawn, the Home Office may consider cancelling your Innovator Founder permission.

20. Innovator Founder Visa Extension Requirements

You may apply to extend your permission for a further period of three years. There is no limit to the number of extensions that may be granted, provided you continue to meet the relevant requirements.

You must obtain a fresh endorsement before applying. If you are continuing with the same previously endorsed business, the endorsing body will need to be satisfied that:

• Your business is registered with Companies House and you are listed as a director or member;
• Your business is active, trading and sustainable;
• You have made significant progress against the previously endorsed business plan; and
• You remain actively involved in the day-to-day management and development of the business.

If you wish to pursue a different business venture, you may instead seek endorsement under the new business criteria. The new proposal must independently satisfy the applicable business plan and innovative, viable and scalable business requirements.

If you have, or last had, Innovator Founder permission, you must also demonstrate that you attended at least two contact point meetings at regular intervals during your existing period of permission, or equivalent checkpoint assessments where applicable.

You must submit your extension application before your existing permission expires. Your fresh endorsement letter must have been issued no more than three months before the date of application and must not have been withdrawn.

21. Planning for Settlement From the Start

If you intend to apply for settlement after three years, you should identify at an early stage which of the settlement criteria your business could realistically satisfy. You should then review your business plan, operating strategy and record-keeping arrangements with those objectives in mind.

Depending on the criteria on which you intend to rely, you should preserve clear evidence of:

• Investment into the business and how the funds were spent;
• The creation, duration, working hours and salaries of qualifying jobs;
• Customer numbers and appropriate industry comparisons;
• Revenue and income from exports;
• Research and development activity; and
• Applications for intellectual property protection in the UK.

You should also maintain an accurate record of your absences from the UK throughout the qualifying period.

You cannot rely on the same settlement criterion twice. If several Innovator Founders intend to rely on the same business, they cannot share the same means of satisfying the criteria. You should therefore coordinate settlement planning with any other founders and ensure that the business generates sufficient distinct evidence for each application.

You should review your progress with the endorsing body and an immigration adviser well before the end of the three-year qualifying period. This will allow time to identify evidential gaps, reassess whether the intended criteria remain achievable and consider an extension application if the settlement requirements have not yet been met.

22. Innovator Founder Visa ILR and Settlement Requirements

In order to qualify for indefinite leave to remain as an Innovator Founder, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You have been endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body which is satisfied that you have shown significant achievements judged against the business plan assessed in your previous endorsement;
• Your business is registered with Companies House and you are listed as a director or member;
• Your business is active and trading and appears sustainable for at least the following 12 months, taking account of its assets and expected income against its current and planned expenses;
• You have had an active key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business;
• You satisfy at least two of the following criteria:
  • At least £50,000 has been invested into the business and actively spent furthering the business;
  • The business has created the equivalent of at least five full-time jobs for settled workers, each with a mean gross salary of at least £25,000 a year, excluding allowances;
  • The business has created the equivalent of at least 10 full-time jobs for settled workers, with no average salary requirement;
  • The number of customers has at least doubled within the most recent three years and is currently higher than the mean number of customers for other UK businesses offering comparable main products or services;
  • The business has engaged in significant research and development activity and has applied for intellectual property protection in the UK;
  • The business generated minimum annual gross revenue of £1 million in the last full year covered by its accounts; or
  • The business generated minimum annual gross revenue of £500,000 in the last full year covered by its accounts, including at least £100,000 from exporting overseas;
• You have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during the qualifying period; and
• You have met the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement.

You cannot satisfy the settlement requirements by relying on the same criterion twice. If other team members are applying for, or have already been granted, settlement as Innovator Founders relying on the same business, they cannot share the same means of satisfying the criteria.

Any jobs relied upon must have existed for at least 12 months and involve an average of at least 30 hours of paid work per week.

23. Frequently Asked Questions: Innovator Founder Visa

What is the Innovator Founder Visa?

The Innovator Founder Visa is for entrepreneurs who wish to establish and develop an innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK. Applicants must have a business plan that they generated or significantly contributed to, obtain endorsement from an approved endorsing body and intend to play a key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business.

Do I need investment funds for an Innovator Founder Visa?

There is no fixed minimum investment amount for an Innovator Founder Visa. However, applicants seeking endorsement for a new business must demonstrate that they have sufficient funding and other resources to establish and develop the proposed business. The level of funding required will depend on the particular business plan.

Who can endorse an Innovator Founder Visa application?

An Innovator Founder Visa application must be supported by an endorsement from an organisation authorised by the Home Office. Only an organisation included on the current list of approved endorsing bodies may endorse a new Innovator Founder application. Legacy endorsing bodies may provide further endorsements only in specified circumstances involving applicants whom they endorsed under the former Innovator or Start-up routes before 13 April 2023.

How long does the Innovator Founder endorsement and visa process take?

The endorsement and immigration application are separate stages. The time required to obtain endorsement depends on the endorsing body, the readiness and complexity of the business proposal and whether further evidence or an interview is required. After the visa application, identity checks and document submission have been completed, the Home Office usually aims to make a decision within three weeks for an application made outside the UK and eight weeks for an application made inside the UK. Individual applications may take longer.

What documents are required for an Innovator Founder Visa?

An endorsement application will commonly require a business plan, market research, financial forecasts, evidence of available funding and evidence of the applicant’s relevant skills and experience. The subsequent visa application will generally require a valid endorsement letter, a passport or other identity document, evidence of English language ability, evidence of maintenance funds where required and a tuberculosis certificate where applicable. Additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

Will I have to attend an Innovator Founder endorsement interview?

An interview is not an express requirement in every case, but an endorsing body may require one as part of its assessment process. Applicants should be prepared to explain their business plan, financial model, market research, funding arrangements, personal contribution and proposed day-to-day role. Their answers should be consistent with the written business plan and supporting evidence.

Can I switch into the Innovator Founder route from inside the UK?

It may be possible to switch into the Innovator Founder route from within the UK. However, an applicant cannot normally switch if they have, or were last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household, permission outside the Immigration Rules, or immigration bail. Additional restrictions apply to applicants who have, or last had, Student permission.

Can an Innovator Founder work outside their own business?

Yes. An Innovator Founder may undertake employment outside the business or businesses they have established, provided the additional role is skilled to at least RQF Level 3. However, they cannot treat the supply of their labour to another business as work for their own business merely because the arrangement is made through their company, a recruitment agency or an employment agency.

Can the partner of an Innovator Founder work in the UK?

An eligible dependent partner may generally work in the UK, including in employment or self-employment. They cannot normally work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. A partner must make their own dependent application and satisfy the applicable relationship, financial and other immigration requirements.

Can the Innovator Founder Visa lead to settlement?

Yes. An Innovator Founder may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after completing three years in the UK with permission as an Innovator Founder. The applicant must obtain a fresh endorsement confirming the required business progress and satisfy at least two of the specified business-success criteria. They must also meet the continuous residence and Knowledge of Life in the UK requirements and must normally have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period.