The United Kingdom remains one of the world’s most attractive destinations for entrepreneurs and business founders. With its thriving startup ecosystem, access to global markets, and a clear pathway to permanent settlement, the UK Innovator Founder Visa offers ambitious individuals the chance to build something truly significant. Transitley’s immigration specialists are here to guide you through every step of the process, from your initial idea to your first day trading in Britain.
Launched in April 2023, the Innovator Founder Visa replaced both the former Innovator Visa and the Start-Up Visa, consolidating the UK’s business immigration routes into a single, streamlined pathway. It is designed for individuals with a genuinely new, innovative, viable, and scalable business idea, and who have the ambition to grow it in the UK.
What is the UK Innovator Founder Visa?
The Innovator Founder Visa is the UK’s primary business immigration route for entrepreneurs who want to establish a new business in the United Kingdom. Unlike many other countries’ entrepreneur visa routes, it does not require you to invest a fixed minimum sum of money. Instead, the focus is entirely on the strength, originality, and commercial potential of your business idea.
The visa is granted initially for three years. You may extend it as many times as necessary, and after just three continuous years on this route, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), making it one of the fastest settlement pathways available to business migrants in the UK.
Who is eligible?
To qualify for the UK Innovator Founder Visa, you must meet the following criteria as set out by UKVI:
- Your business idea must be new, innovative, viable, and scalable. You cannot apply to join an existing trading business or acquire a franchise.
- You must obtain endorsement from a UK Home Office-approved endorsing body, who will assess your business plan against the required standard.
- You must demonstrate English language proficiency at CEFR B2 level (approximately equivalent to IELTS 5.5).
- You must hold £1,270 in personal savings, maintained for a minimum of 28 consecutive days before your application, unless your endorsing body certifies your funds as sufficient.
- You must not fall foul of the general suitability requirements under the Immigration Rules.
Important update: since November 2025, under Home Office rule change HC 1333, international students who have completed their UK course can now switch directly to the Innovator Founder Visa without leaving the country, a significant change that opens this route to a much wider pool of applicants.
The endorsement process: the heart of your application
Before you can apply to UKVI for the visa itself, you must first have your business idea assessed by an approved endorsing body. These include universities, accelerator programmes, and specialist business organisations approved by the Home Office.
Endorsing bodies typically charge approximately £1,000 for their assessment. They will want to see:
- A clear, detailed business plan.
- Evidence that your idea is genuinely new and not based on an existing model.
- Realistic projections for commercial growth.
- Plans for job creation and expansion into national and international markets.
- Evidence of your personal suitability and commitment to building the business.
Once you receive your endorsement letter, you must submit your UKVI visa application within three months.
Ongoing requirements: progress reviews
The Innovator Founder Visa involves active monitoring of your business progress. Your endorsing body will conduct mandatory check-in meetings at 12 months and 24 months after your visa is granted. At these meetings, you must demonstrate that your business is developing as planned. A negative review can affect your ability to extend your visa or apply for settlement.
Visa fees and costs
The following costs apply under the current fee structure (verified against UKVI guidance, 2026):
- Endorsing body fee: approximately £1,000 (varies by endorsing body).
- Visa application fee: £1,274 if applying from outside the UK; £1,590 if switching or extending from inside the UK.
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,035 per person per year, paid upfront for the full visa duration.
- Personal maintenance funds: £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days (unless waived by your endorsing body).
Always verify current fees on GOV.UK before submitting your application, as immigration fees are subject to periodic revision.
Processing times and the eVisa
Processing typically takes three weeks for applications from outside the UK, or approximately eight weeks for in-country switching or extension applications. From late 2025, all successful applicants receive a digital eVisa rather than a physical Biometric Residence Permit. You will need to create a UKVI account to access and share your immigration status.
The route to settlement (ILR)
After three continuous years on the Innovator Founder Visa, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). To qualify, you must:
- Be actively running your endorsed business.
- Demonstrate significant and measurable business progress since your initial endorsement.
- Have attended all mandatory progress meetings.
- Pass the Life in the UK Test.
- Meet the continuous UK residence requirements.
- Satisfy the English language requirement at CEFR B1 level or above.
It does not require you to invest a fixed minimum sum. The focus is entirely on the strength, originality, and commercial potential of your business idea.
How Transitley helps
Transitley’s immigration advisors work with entrepreneurs at every stage of the Innovator Founder Visa journey, from refining your business plan and identifying the right endorsing body, to preparing your UKVI application, managing your eVisa account, and planning your route to ILR. Whether you are based in India, the Middle East, Africa, or anywhere across the world, our experienced team can guide you from concept to company.
If you have an innovative business idea and the ambition to build it in the UK, speak to a Transitley immigration specialist today.