Innovator Founder visa: who can apply, what it costs and how long you can stay

The Innovator Founder visa is for people who want to set up and run a new, innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK. GOV.UK says you need an endorsement from an approved endorsing body, you must be 18 or over, and you must prove your English. The visa lasts 3 years and you can extend it.

Who is this visa for?

It is for people who want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK that is different from anything else on the market. An approved endorsing body must have endorsed your business or business idea.

The visa used to be called the Innovator visa.

Can I apply?

You can apply if you want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK, your business or idea has been endorsed by an approved endorsing body, and you meet the other rules.

You must be able to show that your business idea is:

• new: you cannot join a business that is already trading
• innovative: an original idea, different from anything else on the market
• viable: it has the potential to grow
• scalable: you must give evidence of planning that includes creating jobs and growing into national and international markets

You must also:

• have your business or business idea assessed by an endorsing body, which gives you an endorsement letter if the business is eligible
• meet the English language requirement
• be at least 18 years old
• be able to prove you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK

What do I need?

An endorsement, funds and the work you can do

You use an endorsing body instead of a sponsor. GOV.UK’s Innovator Founder pages do not set an occupation code or a salary.

If you want to set up a new business, you must prove to your endorsing body that you have enough funding and where it comes from.

You do not need any investment funds if:

• your business is already established and was endorsed for an earlier visa
• you have changed your business and already agreed it with your endorsing body

With an Innovator Founder visa you can:

• set up a business or several businesses
• work for your business, including as a director or as a self-employed member of a business partnership
• work outside your business, as long as the job needs at least a level 3 qualification

You cannot work as a professional sportsperson or apply for most benefits (public funds).

English language

You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English, and you will usually need to prove it. You can do this by:

• having a UK school qualification you began under 18: a GCSE, an A Level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, or a Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English
• having a degree-level qualification taught in English and awarded by a UK institution, even if you studied outside the UK
• having a degree from an institution outside the UK that was taught in English, with an assessment from Ecctis confirming it is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher and taught in English
• passing a Secure English Language Test with an approved provider, at level B2 or above on the CEFR scale

If you have already proved your English in a previous successful visa application, you may not have to prove it again.

You do not need to prove your English if you are a national of one of these countries or territories:

Antigua and Barbuda	Australia	The Bahamas
Barbados	Belize	The British overseas territories
Canada	Dominica	Grenada
Guyana	Jamaica	Malta
New Zealand	St Kitts and Nevis	St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines	Trinidad and Tobago	USA

How much does it cost?

Cost	Amount
Application fee per person, applying outside the UK	£1,357
Application fee per person, extending or switching in the UK	£1,693
Endorsement from an approved endorsing body	£1,000
Each meeting with your endorsing body (at least twice during your stay)	£500
Healthcare surcharge	Paid as part of the application
Savings to support yourself	At least £1,270 for 28 consecutive days

You pay the endorsement and meeting fees directly to your endorsing body. You pay the £500 each time you meet your endorsing body, if your visa application is successful.

You must have had the £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you apply. If you extend or switch and have been in the UK for less than a year, it must be 28 consecutive days before you extend or switch.

You cannot use money from your investment funds, or money earned while working in the UK illegally.

How long can I stay?

You can stay for 3 years, whether you come to the UK on an Innovator Founder visa or switch to it from another visa while in the UK.

You need to meet your endorsing body after 12 months and after 24 months, to show you are making progress with your business. GOV.UK says your visa may be cut short if the endorsing body withdraws your endorsement.

To stay longer, you can apply to extend for another 3 years when your visa is due to expire. There is no limit on how many times you can extend.

You may be able to apply for settlement (permission to stay in the UK for good) once you have been in the UK for 3 years.

Once you have applied online, proved your identity and given your documents, you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside the UK. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

Can I bring my family?

Yes. Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK. GOV.UK calls them dependants. A dependant is:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18, if they currently have permission to be in the UK as your dependant

To count as your partner, you must be able to prove one of these:

• you are in a marriage or civil partnership that the UK recognises
• you have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but cannot live together, for example because you work or study in different places, or your culture does not accept it

Your child must live with you, unless they live away from home in full-time education. Your child must not be married or in a civil partnership.

Each family member makes a separate application and pays the visa fee. Their visa will usually end on the same date as yours.

On top of your own £1,270, you or your partner or child need:

Family member	Savings needed
Partner	£285
One child	£315
Each additional child	£200

GOV.UK gives this example: bringing a partner and one child needs £1,870. That is £1,270 for you, £285 for your partner and £315 for your child. The money must have been in your bank account, or the dependant’s bank account, for at least 28 days before you or they apply.

Partners and children can work, except as a sportsperson or coach. They can also study. GOV.UK says they can apply to settle permanently if they have lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other rules. They cannot apply for most benefits or the State Pension.

Can I extend or switch?

Extending

You can usually extend if you meet the rules and you are still running a business in the UK or want to set up a new one. Your business or business idea must be assessed by an endorsing body when you extend.

The usual decision time is 8 weeks.

A partner’s or child’s visa does not extend automatically with yours. They can apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.

Switching from another visa

You can switch from inside the UK if you meet the rules. If you are on a Student visa, one of these must also be true:

• you have finished the course you were sponsored to study
• you are studying for a PhD full time and have been for at least 24 months

You cannot switch if you have:

• a visit visa
• a short-term student visa
• a Parent of a Child Student visa
• a seasonal worker visa
• a domestic worker in a private household visa
• immigration bail
• permission to stay outside the immigration rules

You can stay for 3 years after switching. If you have been in the UK for less than 1 year, you must also prove you have enough money to support yourself.

The usual decision time is 8 weeks.

Partners and children in those same groups cannot switch to your visa as dependants. A partner or child on a Student visa can only switch if they have finished the course they were sponsored to study, or have studied for a PhD for at least 24 months.