United Kingdom · Startup Visa
United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa
The Innovator Founder visa is the United Kingdom's main route for people who want to build a new, innovative and scalable company. An approved endorsing body must back the plan before the Home Office considers the application.
- Startup route
- Innovator Founder visa
- Minimum capital
- No fixed sum; endorsing body assesses the funding
- Permanent residence
- 3 years (indefinite leave to remain)
- Citizenship
- 5 years' residence incl. 12 months with ILR
Innovator Founder visa
Previously called the Innovator visa, this route admits founders whose business idea is new, innovative, viable and scalable. The applicant must set up and run the company personally; joining a business that is already trading is not allowed. An endorsing body approved by the Home Office assesses the plan, issues an endorsement letter and then reviews progress at 12 and 24 months. The rules set no fixed investment amount: for a new venture, the founder shows the endorsing body enough funding and where it comes from. The first grant lasts up to 3 years, extensions have no overall limit as long as a new endorsement is obtained, and indefinite leave to remain can follow after 3 years.
- Validity
- Up to 3 years; extendable in 3-year steps
- Processing time
- About 3 weeks from abroad; about 8 weeks inside the UK
- Government fee
- GBP 1,357 from abroad; GBP 1,693 to extend or switch in the UK
- Endorsement fee
- GBP 1,000, then GBP 500 per progress meeting
- Health surcharge
- GBP 1,035 per adult per year; GBP 776 for under-18s
- English level
- CEFR B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening
- Family
- Partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants
- Leads to
- Indefinite leave to remain after 3 years
Requirements
- An endorsement letter from an approved endorsing body confirming the business is new, innovative, viable and scalable.
- Aged 18 or over on the date of application.
- English at CEFR level B2 in all four skills, unless an exemption applies.
- At least GBP 1,270 in personal savings held for 28 consecutive days, unless already in the UK with permission for 12 months or more.
- For a new venture, evidence to the endorsing body of enough business funding and its source.
- A hands-on role setting up and running the company; investment funds cannot be counted as personal maintenance.
How to apply
- Prepare a business plan and approach one of the endorsing bodies on the current GOV.UK list.
- Pay the GBP 1,000 endorsement fee and receive an endorsement letter if the plan is accepted.
- Apply online, pay the visa fee and health surcharge, and give fingerprints and a photo.
- After approval, travel or switch, then meet the endorsing body at the 12-month and 24-month checkpoints.
Global Talent visa
Founders with a recognized track record sometimes compare the Innovator Founder route with Global Talent. This visa targets leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, and digital technology, and it does not rely on an endorsing body monitoring a business plan. Applicants either hold a prize from the official list of eligible prestigious awards or secure an endorsement in their field first. Each grant can run from 1 to 5 years, extensions have no total cap, and indefinite leave to remain may be available after 3 or 5 years depending on the field and the way the applicant qualified.
- Validity
- 1–5 years per grant; no overall limit on extensions
- Government fee
- GBP 766 (GBP 561 endorsement plus GBP 205 visa)
- Health surcharge
- Usually GBP 1,035 per year for each applicant
- Family
- Partner and children can join; GBP 766 each
- Leads to
- Indefinite leave to remain after 3 or 5 years
Requirements
- Aged 18 or over.
- Recognition as a leader or potential leader in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.
- Either an endorsement from the relevant field or an award on the eligible prestigious prize list.
- Payment of the immigration health surcharge with the visa application.
How to apply
- Check whether an award on the eligible prize list allows a direct visa application.
- Otherwise apply for endorsement in the relevant field and pay GBP 561.
- Once endorsed, apply for the visa, pay GBP 205 plus the health surcharge, and give biometrics.
Endorsing bodies in 2026
The Home Office list, as updated in August 2026, names three business endorsing bodies that handle both Innovator Founder and Scale-up cases: UK Endorsing Services, Innovator International and Envestors Limited. The Global Entrepreneurs Programme can also endorse Innovator Founder applicants, but only founders it has already invited onto its own program. Universities no longer appear among the active endorsers. They sit on a legacy list and may only keep supporting people they endorsed under the Innovator or Start-up routes before 13 April 2023. Because the list changes from time to time, applicants check the live GOV.UK page before paying any endorsement fee.
Rule changes founders should know about
Founders themselves need English at B2 for both first applications and extensions, which is above the B1 level used for most settlement and citizenship tests. The Appendix Innovator Founder rules also provide that partners and children applying to settle on or after 26 March 2027 must show speaking and listening at B2 rather than B1. Separately, the Home Office consulted until 12 February 2026 on an earned settlement model with a 10-year baseline. That paper proposed keeping a 3-year path for Innovator Founders, and by October 2026 the government had not published its response, so the existing settlement rules continue to apply.
Questions and answers
Is there a minimum investment for the Innovator Founder visa?
No fixed sum is written into the current rules, and the GBP 50,000 figure found in older guides is not an entry condition today. Founders show their endorsing body enough funding for the plan and its source. GBP 50,000 invested and actively spent does reappear later as one of seven benchmarks at the settlement stage, where the company must meet any two.
Can an Innovator Founder take a job alongside the business?
Yes, within limits. The holder may work for their own company and may also take employment in a role skilled to RQF Level 3 or above. Apprenticeships are excluded, and so is contract work for another business, including contracting through the founder's own company or an agency. Most public funds remain unavailable for the whole period of the visa.
What happens if the endorsing body withdraws its support?
GOV.UK warns that the visa can be cut short if the endorsement is withdrawn. Endorsing bodies meet the founder at around 12 and 24 months to review progress, so abandoning the venture or missing key milestones can put permission at risk. A founder whose plans change needs the endorsing body to agree to the revised or replacement business.
Does the earned settlement proposal affect Innovator Founders?
The November 2025 consultation proposed lifting the standard qualifying period to 10 years while giving Innovator Founder and Global Talent holders a 7-year reduction after 3 years of continuous residence, which would leave their path at 3 years. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026, and as of October 2026 no outcome had been published, so the current rules remain in force.
Official sources
- Innovator Founder visawww.gov.uk
- Innovator Founder and Scale-up visas endorsing bodieswww.gov.uk
- Immigration Rules Appendix Innovator Founderwww.gov.uk
- Global Talent visawww.gov.uk
- Earned settlement (consultation)www.gov.uk
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in United Kingdom.
Startup visa
Innovator Founder visa backed by an endorsing body, up to 3 years
02Temporary residence
Unlimited 3-year extensions, each with a fresh endorsement
03Permanent residence
Indefinite leave to remain after 3 years if business tests are met
04Citizenship
Naturalization after 5 years' residence and 12 months holding ILR