The UK Innovator Founder Visa lets determined business owners create and expand their creative companies in the UK. It is a good option for forward-thinking founders who want to start and grow their businesses in a vibrant global environment.
*Want guidance to apply for UK Innovator Visa? Sign up with Y-Axis for comprehensive support with the process.
The UK Innovator Visa is designed for experienced entrepreneurs looking to set up or run an innovative business in the UK. It requires endorsement from a Home Office–approved body and is suitable for individuals with a scalable, viable, and innovative business idea.
To be eligible, people needed approval from a Home Office-approved group. Usually, the visa lasted three years and could lead to permanent residency. Visa holders could also bring family members and, in some situations, work outside their own business.
The UK Innovator Visa offers the benefits given below.
The Innovator Founder Visa is open to experienced international entrepreneurs who have backing from UK-approved organizations. Those applying should possess either proven business experience or show they can do the job, plus have a full plan for a business that's new, doable, and can grow.
The primary types of UK Innovator Visas are given below.
To qualify for the Innovator Visa, you must obtain an endorsement from an approved UK endorsing body within 3 months before your application and fulfill the following requirements:
The table below has the list of documents required for a UK Innovator Visa are given below.
| Document | Details |
| Valid Passport | Must be valid for the entire duration of your stay |
| Endorsement Letter | From a UK-approved endorsing body |
| Business Plan | Demonstrates innovation, viability, and scalability |
| Proof of Funds | Bank statements showing £1,270 for 28 days |
| English Language Certificate | CEFR Level B2 via approved test or academic qualification |
| Criminal Record Certificate | From any country lived in for 12+ months in the past 10 years |
| Tuberculosis Test Results | If from a listed country |
The process to apply for a UK Innovator Visa is given below:
Step 1: Obtain an endorsement from an approved UK endorsing body
Step 2: Prepare all required documents, including your business plan and financial proof
Step 3: Apply online via UKVI and pay the visa fee
Step 4: Submit your biometrics via ID-check app or at a visa centre
Step 5: Wait for a decision (usually 3 weeks if outside the UK; 8 weeks inside)
Step 6: Upon arrival, attend scheduled contact point meetings at 12 and 24 months
Step 7: Apply for visa extension or settlement (ILR) after 3 years if growth milestones are met
Detailed information about the fees and costs of UK Innovator Visa is given below.
| Fee Type | Amount (in GBP) |
| Visa Application Fee | £1,191 (outside UK) / £1,486 (inside UK) |
| Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) | £624 per year |
| Endorsement Fee | Approx. £1,000 |
| Extension or ILR Fee | £1,486 (extension) / £2,885 (ILR) |
| Dependant Visa Fee (per person) | £1,191 (outside UK) / £1,486 (inside UK) |
Detailed information about the processing time for UK Innovator Visa is given below.
| Application Location | Standard Processing Time | Priority Option Available |
| Outside the UK | 3 weeks | Yes |
| Inside the UK | 8 weeks | Yes (for an extra fee) |
| With Priority Service | 5 working days (target) | Yes |
| With Super Priority Service | 1 working day (target) | Limited availability |
According to UK immigration guidelines, individuals can sponsor certain dependents, like:
These dependents are allowed to live, study, and work in the UK if the sponsor satisfies specific maintenance and accommodation standards.
After approval:
Y-Axis a leading immigration and visa consultancy in the UK offers complete Innovator Founder Visa support, including:
To get an endorsement an applicant must submit their business plan with proper documentation to the UK government. The UK government will evaluate the business idea based on innovation, viability, and scalability criteria. They will approve a letter if they are satisfied with the business plan.
You must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR level B2, covering listening, reading, writing, and speaking, typically through a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. Alternative evidence includes a UK GCSE/A‑level in English taken before age 18, or a degree-level qualification taught in English (if verified as equivalent via Ecctis). These ensure effective communication necessary for business operations and daily life.
You must have access to a minimum of £50,000 in investment funds to establish or develop your business. These funds must be legitimate, actively spent on the venture, and documented via funding sources such as savings, investors, or grants. Additionally, if applying from outside the UK or after less than 12 months in-country, you must show maintenance funds of at least £1,270 for yourself (plus dependent thresholds).
Yes, you may apply under the “same business” endorsement route if your current visa was under Start‑up or Innovator categories and your business was previously endorsed. To qualify, you must provide evidence of attending at least two contact point meetings, demonstrate significant progress in an active, trading, viable business registered with Companies House, and show ongoing involvement in daily management.
The UK Innovator Founder Visa is granted for 3 year. After staying in the country for three years an applicant can apply to extend their visa or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if they meet the eligibility criteria.
Yes an applicant can bring their spouse or partner and children aged below 18 to the UK, provided they secure a dependant visa. The UK Innovator Founder Visa holder dependents can work or study in the UK.
The UK Innovator Founder Visa has no minimum investment requirement. Although, the applicant must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to establish and grow your business in the UK.
UK Innovator Founder Visa takes around eight weeks from within the country. Although the entire preparation process may take longer because first you must have a business plan and get the idea approved, and then the visa is granted for three years which can be renewed for another three years and more.
The UK Innovator Founder Visa, updated in April 2023 from the Innovator Visa, is for experienced entrepreneurs. It targets those with original business ideas that are practical and can grow. Applicants need approval from a UK endorsing body. The visa lasts three years and can lead to permanent residency in the UK if endorsement standards are maintained. Holders can live in the UK continuously, and their families can join them. The visa prioritizes ventures with high potential impact, instead of requiring large capital investments. Approved applicants can tap into the UK's active startup environment and international markets.
The Innovator Visa has several advantages for business owners:
This visa helps founders grow businesses with strong potential while living in a leading global centre for new ideas and businesses.
The Innovator Founder Visa is initially valid for three years, during which you need to keep your endorsed business running and fulfill reporting duties. If the endorsing body says your business is still viable and innovative, you can apply for a three-year extension. After having valid Innovator status for three years, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if you meet all visa conditions, like absence limits, earnings, and ongoing endorsement.
To be eligible for the Innovator Visa, candidates must:
Meeting these requirements ensures eligibility for both endorsement and visa application.
Applicants need to show they can live in the UK without needing public money. This can be done through:
This requirement is in place to ensure you can support yourself until your business can do so.
The costs involved in applying for UK Innovator Visa are given below.
| Fee Type | Approximate Cost (GBP) |
| Visa application (outside UK) | £1,191 |
| Application (inside UK for extension) | £1,486 |
| Endorsement fee | £1,000 (estimated) |
| IHS Healthcare surcharge | £624 per person per year |
| Dependant fee | £1,191 each (outside UK) |
To be eligible for the UK Innovator Visa, your business idea needs to be innovative, viable, and scalable. This means it should provide something new—a product, service, or business model—that either addresses a gap in the UK market or improves on what's already available. Ideas that are too common or easily copied won't work.
The key criteria include:
To get approved, you'll need a recommendation from a Home Office-approved group. These groups include:
Each group will look at your business idea to see if it's new, if it could be successful, and if it fits with the UK's economic goals. Each group has its own rules and ways of applying, so it's a good idea to talk to them early on.
Yes, you can extend your UK Innovator Visa afters its validity expires, provided you meet the visa requirements. To be eligible for an extension, your business needs to be currently operating, inventive, practical, and able to grow. You'll also need a recent endorsement from a recognized organization to confirm this. Usually, the extension lasts for another 3 years, and you can extend it multiple times. It's also necessary to show that you haven't broken any visa rules, that you meet the English language requirement, and that you have enough money to support yourself. Please submit your application before your current visa runs out.
Yes, the UK Innovator Visa can lead to permanent residency in the UK, and eventually British citizenship. To gain UK citizenship through the Innovator visa:
After holding ILR for 12 months: You can apply for British citizenship if you meet the residency rules, pass an English test, pass a criminal record check, prove your knowledge of life in the UK and can prove you are of good character.
