Who can apply for the Innovator Founder visa?

The Innovator Founder visa is the main visa for business owners, entrepreneurs or individuals looking to establish new business ideas in the UK. The route offers a three‑year pathway to settlement.

To apply for this visa, you must establish a new business in the UK. You must also manage, develop and actively run the day‑to‑day business.

The route does not permit passive investment and cannot be used to join an existing business unless you can demonstrate you were one of the founding members of that business.

Innovator Founder visa requirements

The first step in obtaining the Innovator Founder visa is obtaining an endorsement from an approved endorsing body.

Endorsement 

Endorsing bodies are responsible for reviewing and assessing your business proposal before any visa application can be submitted.

There are four endorsing bodies:

• Envestors Limited
• UK Endorsing Services
• Innovator International
• The Global Entrepreneurs Programme

If successful, the relevant body will provide an endorsement letter and will confirm that:

• The business venture is innovative, viable and scalable  
• The applicant generated, or made a significant contribution to the business plan  
• There are no concerns regarding the source or availability of the applicant’s funding  
• The applicant is a fit and proper individual to receive endorsement

There is no ability to skip this stage. Without an endorsement letter, an applicant cannot qualify for the Innovator Founder visa.

How do the endorsing bodies review applications?

There are three key elements that endorsing bodies look at when reviewing the business idea:

• Innovative: Whether the business idea is original and has a competitive advantage in the UK market.
• Viable: Whether the business plan is realistic and achievable, and whether the applicant has the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver it, and whether the financial projections and resources are sufficient to support delivery of the plan.
• Scalable: Whether the business has potential for growth in the UK, including expansion in the market or potential for job creation.

Common difficulties include applicants overlooking the endorsement process and not demonstrating that they meet the innovative requirement. Given the highly discretionary nature of the endorsement process, applicants must ensure that their business proposal and supporting evidence meet the required standard.

Visa application

Once you have the endorsement letter, you can apply online for the Innovator Founder visa.

In addition to endorsement, you must meet the following requirements:

• English language requirement
• Financial requirement
• Genuine Innovator founder requirement

The Home Office may make a separate assessment, in addition to the endorsement stage, to determine whether you are a genuine Innovator Founder. This may include a further review of the business venture if there are specific grounds for doubt or new information emerges that was not before the endorsing body.

There is no ability to skip this stage. Without an endorsement letter, an applicant cannot qualify for the Innovator Founder visa.