Innovator Founder Visa

Before applying for the Innovator Founder Visa, the applicant must obtain endorsement from one of the Home Office's approved endorsing bodies. Endorsing bodies include universities, accelerators, and business support organisations that have been approved to assess applications.

The endorsing body assesses whether the business idea is innovative (genuinely new or significantly different from existing offerings), viable (has a realistic prospect of success), and scalable (has the potential to grow significantly and create value). The applicant must also demonstrate they have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to execute the business plan.

Each endorsing body publishes its own application process and may focus on particular sectors or types of business. Applicants should research which endorsing body is most appropriate for their industry. The endorsement letter is valid for three months, during which time the visa application must be submitted.

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

• Investment funds — At least £50,000 must be available to invest in the business. This can be from the applicant's own funds, from investors, or from an endorsing body. In some circumstances — particularly if the applicant has already developed the business — the endorsing body can waive this requirement.
• English language — Applicants must demonstrate English language ability at B2 CEFR level or above.
• Maintenance funds — Sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependants (currently £1,270 for the main applicant plus additional amounts for each dependant).

Once in the UK, the visa holder must work primarily on the endorsed business. They may also work in other employment, but must not be employed in a role equivalent to being an employee of their own company where they do not have a meaningful ownership stake.

After three years on the Innovator Founder Visa, the holder can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain if they can demonstrate the business has met at least two of the following milestones:

• The business has received at least £50,000 in investment.
• The business has generated at least £1 million in annual revenue (or £500,000 with a high growth rate).
• The business has created the equivalent of ten full-time jobs for settled workers.
• The business is generating significant economic value or social benefit, as evidenced by a credible endorsement body letter.

The endorsing body must confirm that the milestones have been met. If after three years the milestones have not been achieved but there is a credible explanation and continued strong prospects, the visa can be extended for a further period rather than ILR being refused outright.

The milestone framework for the Innovator Founder Visa is the most significant practical challenge for many holders. Unlike salaried employment routes where visa extension and settlement are straightforward once the salary threshold is maintained, the Innovator Founder Visa requires evidence of genuine business progress measured against specific objective criteria. Understanding how the milestones are assessed in practice — and planning for them from the outset — is essential.

The investment milestone (at least £50,000 received) requires evidence of actual funds transferred to the business, not merely promised. Applicants should maintain clear financial records showing the source of the investment, the date it was received, and how it has been or will be deployed. Investment from the endorsing body itself, from angel investors, venture capital funds, or government schemes (such as Innovate UK grants) can all count. Personal savings invested by the applicant into the business can also count, provided they meet the original investment requirement at application stage. Bank statements showing the investment receipt and the business's current financial position are the core evidence.

The employment milestone (equivalent of ten full-time jobs for settled workers) requires that the roles are genuine positions filled by persons with settled status or ILR — not visa holders of any kind, and not contractors in roles that could be described as self-employment. Part-time roles can be aggregated to reach the full-time equivalent threshold. Payroll records, RTI submissions to HMRC, and copies of employment contracts are the primary evidence. The endorsing body will ask for this documentation when conducting the milestone assessment.

The revenue milestone (£1 million annual revenue or £500,000 with a high growth rate) requires audited or certified management accounts showing revenue from genuine commercial activity. Revenue should be from arm's length transactions — inter-company transactions, related party transactions, or artificially inflated figures are likely to attract scrutiny from both the endorsing body and UKVI. If turnover growth has been exceptional (such that the £500,000 threshold applies), evidence of the growth trajectory over multiple periods is important. Applicants approaching this milestone should engage their accountant well in advance of the endorsing body assessment to ensure accounts are prepared in a form that will satisfy evidential requirements.

If your Innovator Founder Visa application is refused, you should read the refusal letter carefully to identify the stated grounds. Most Innovator Founder Visa refusals carry a right to administrative review rather than a full tribunal appeal. Administrative review is an internal UKVI process in which a different caseworker checks whether the original decision contained a caseworking error — such as overlooking submitted evidence or applying the wrong legal test. The fee is £80 for in-country reviews (free for overseas reviews), and the request must be submitted within 14 days from within the UK or 28 days from outside.

Administrative review has a limited scope: it does not allow new evidence to be submitted (with narrow exceptions) and cannot reconsider the full merits of the application. If the review fails and you believe there is a legal error in the decision itself — for example, the Home Office has misapplied the endorsement criteria set out in Appendix Innovator Founder of the Immigration Rules — a judicial review in the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) may be available as a last resort. This is a specialised, expensive route that requires arguable public law grounds, not merely a disagreement with the outcome.

Before submitting any challenge, obtain advice from an adviser regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) or a qualified solicitor on the Law Society's immigration panel. OISC-regulated advisers must meet competency standards and are subject to a complaints process — you can search the OISC register at gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser. Unregulated "immigration consultants" cannot legally give immigration advice and should be avoided. If you have a complaint about a regulated adviser's conduct, this can be raised with the OISC directly.

For applicants concerned about the processing time for their application, the Home Office publishes current processing time estimates on GOV.UK. If your application significantly exceeds the published processing times, you can raise a complaint with UKVI through the Home Office complaints process or, in cases of serious delay, submit a Pre-Action Protocol letter before bringing judicial review proceedings for delay.