Innovator Visa

Innovator Visa UK eligibility requirements:

• Applicant is at least 18 years old
• Applicant’s endorsement letter was issued not more than 3 months before the date of their Innovator visa application
• Applicant is competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2, equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking
• Applicant has at least £50,000 available to invest in their UK business or have already invested £50,000 in your UK business
• Applicant has been endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body that has assessed their business idea for innovation, viability and scalability
• Applicant is capable of undertaking, any work or business activity in the UK stated in their application
• Applicant must have at least £1,270 available to support themselves and £285 for partner, £315 for one child or £200 for each additional child without relying on public funds

Obtain Endorsement Letter from Approved Endorsement Body

In order to apply for a Start-up visa, applicant will need to be endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body, Venture Capital Firms via submitting business plan with relevant idea, which are innovative, viable and scalable

Our immigration advisers can assist applicants to identify an appropriate endorsing body and then prepare a strong application for endorsement which demonstrates their business idea is innovative, viable and scalable

Apply for Visa –Entry Clearance from outside of the UK or switch from relevant visas in the UK

After obtaining endorsement letter, applications for Innovator visas can be made from outside the UK, however it is possible to switch into the Innovator visa category from within the UK, if applicant was last granted leave to remain as

• Start-up Visa
• Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur
• Tier 1 Entrepreneur
• Tier 2 General
• Tier 2 ICT Skilled Worker
• Standard Visitor visa -if applicant came to the UK to get funding and had a supporting letter from an endorsing body

After applicant has completed 2 years as a Start-up visa holder, they will be able to apply for further leave to remain in the Innovator category in order to continue developing your business. The Innovator category can lead to settlement in the UK after a further 3 years.

Applicant’s partner and any children under the age of 18 may accompany or join they as dependents.

Applicant can be sole founder of their business and they can be a member of an innovator team. Each applicant must receive their own individual endorsement from an approved endorsing body, in order to satisfy the investment funds requirement for a new business endorsement each applicant must has at least £50,000 investment funds each.

Initial Innovator visa will be granted for 3 years, it will be possible to extend an Innovator visa for periods of 3 years at a time. Applicant will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after spending 3 years in the Innovator visa category

Applicant will need to stay in contact with your endorsing body with checkpoints at 6, 12 and 24 months after their application is successful. The endorsing body will need to be satisfied that applicant is continuing to work on your business venture and has demonstrated reasonable progress in relation to either their original or a new business idea that is innovative, scalable and viable

Obtain British Passport via innovator Visa