Innovator Founder Visas
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Apply for Innovator Founder Visa
Apply for Innovator Founder Visa
At Rove Legal, we recognise the potential that business, industry and trade in the UK presents to overseas businesspeople. If you have a business idea that has been assessed and approved for its innovation, scalability and viability by a UK endorsing body, we can help you to apply for either a Start-up or Innovator Visa.
Deciding which visa to apply for will depend on whether you have previously started businesses in the UK and how much capital you have available to invest into your new business.
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The Innovator Founder Visa
The Innovator Founder Visa
The Innovator Founder Visa is a pathway for overseas entrepreneurs seeking to establish innovative businesses in the UK. Introduced in April 2023, the Innovator Founder Visa offers a streamlined approach for foreign entrepreneurs to set up their ventures in the UK.
It effectively combines the attractive aspects of its predecessor routes, including the elimination of the £50,000 minimum investment requirement and a reduced ‘check-in’ requirement with endorsing bodies, from three down to two.
Initially, the visa is valid for three years, although applicants can request an additional three-year extension.
One of the advantages of the Innovator Founder Visa is its pathway to UK settlement, potentially allowing for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after just three years, as opposed to the standard five-year requirement for the ILR.
Your business proposal must illustrate a scalable and innovative concept that demonstrates viability. It is essential that applicants either originate or play a significant role in the development of this concept.
Home Office doesn’t require applicants to invest a specific investment in their proposed business but must demonstrate sufficient funding and a reliable source of financial support.
A primary condition for applicants is to exhibit their significant involvement in daily operations and execution of their business strategy.
As an Innovator Founder Visa holder, you have the option to have secondary employment. However, certain conditions need to be met. Partners and dependant children (under the age of 18) can be included on this visa and are allowed to work in any area throughout their stay, except for sports and coaching, and pursue any education.
How Can Rove Legal Help?
How Can Rove Legal Help?
Eligibility Checks
Before preparing your application, we will help you decide which immigration route is most suitable to your circumstances. We will then make sure meet all criteria stipulated by UKVI for the relevant visa category.
Proactive Advice
We can provide guidance in obtaining an endorsement letter for your business idea from an endorsement body approved by the Home Office.
Application Submission
We will help you gather the required documentation and assist with the submission of your visa application.
INNOVATOR VISA ADVANTAGES
What advantages does the Innovator Founder Visa offer?
What advantages does the Innovator Founder Visa offer?
Once you are awarded an Innovator Founder Visa, you will have the ability to work for your company as well as other employers, as long as the position requires at least RQF Level 3 (which is equivalent to UK A Levels).
Enrolling in university to pursue further education is also allowed on this visa providing you’ll still run your business. Following the first three years, fulfilling the criteria permits you to seek indefinite leave to remain or to renew your visa.
Who is eligible to apply for the Innovator Founder Visa?
Who is eligible to apply for the Innovator Founder Visa?
The Innovator Founder Visa is ideally suited for entrepreneurs and seasoned business professionals looking to launch a novel and inventive enterprise in the UK.
If you have a new and original business idea that hasn’t been implemented before, this visa is the right choice for you. If the business is registered with Companies House, you can still apply to join as part of the founding team. However, bear in mind the business should not have been trading yet at the time of application. In situations like these, the Home Office needs to ensure that the Innovator Founder Visa applicant has genuinely contributed to the company plan and was not just added to an existing plan to complete their own portion of the investment in the firm. Applicants must provide substantial and impactful input into the business plan.
For those who want to apply to join a trading business, the skilled worker visa might be the better choice. Similarly, senior managers or specialist employees from abroad, intending to set up a business footprint in the UK, should look into the UK Expansion Worker visa as an alternative.
The Innovator Founder Visa is open to both sole founders and members of a founding team, provided that they are all instrumental members of the company. The visa doesn’t require applicants to focus on any particular sector, as long as the business idea is deemed innovative and the business plan is both achievable and scalable.
Business Plan Requirements and Points
New Business Requirements:
Overall, 50 points are allocated for the new business section with 30 points awarded for a comprehensive business plan and 20 for demonstrating the business is innovative, viable, and scalable.
Home Office require applicants to demonstrate that they have generated the business plan or significantly contributed to it. In addition, they need to be instrumental in day to day implementation of the business plan. The applicant must also plan at least two of what’s known as contact point meetings with the endorsing bodies to review and assess the business plan progress.
Same Business Requirements:
You can collect 10 points here. However, these points cannot be combined with 50 points from the New business criteria. You will be awarded the 10 points If you had a previous visa under one of the legacy routes such as Tier-1 (graduate entrepreneur), Start-up visa or Innovator founder route and your business is endorsed by the Home Office’s latest authorised bodies mentioned earlier.
20 points are given if your business is active, trading and could be shown as sustainable (contracts, historical cashflows, etc). You must also show that you have made significant achievements against your initial business plan.
The remaining 20 points are given to applicants who can prove they are essential and active in the day-to-day running and growth of their business. This could be evidence of meetings, business travel etc.
What is considered an Innovative Business for the Innovative Founder Visa?
Your business plan should be designed to meet new or existing market needs. You could also prove the innovativeness of the plan if your business could provide the UK with a competitive advantage in the global market. This means it could be an idea that isn’t well established in the UK and could potentially benefit the UK economy for example, by demonstrating the realistic potential for new job creation from your business.
Bear in mind your business plan has to be both achievable and based on realistic assumptions. Your experience and resources also play a part in assessing the viability of your business. This means you must either possess the knowledge and skills or experience required or be in the process of developing such skills or knowledge. Your business development timeline and structured plan also play an important role here.
English Language Proficiency
You have to collect the mandatory 10 points for English language requirements in order to apply for this visa. To do this, applicants must demonstrate English proficiency at least to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) through standardised tests, a degree taught in English, or an exemption based on nationality. Exemptions are available for nationals of certain countries, including Barbados, Australia, Dominica, Grenada, Canada, St Kitts and Nevis, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Guyana, St Lucia, Malta, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, New Zealand, Belize.
Financial Requirements
The final mandatory 10 points are given to applicants who can demonstrate financial stability, with £1,270 in their bank account for 28 days before applying. Additional funds are required for dependants, if applicable.
Supporting Documentation
Applicants must provide essential documentation, including an endorsement letter, proof of English language proficiency, financial statements, and, if applicable, a TB test certificate.
Visa Application Fees
The application fees for an innovator founder visa vary based on the country from which you are applying. If you’re applying from overseas the fee is £1,191 while in-country applicants either switching to this visa or extending it will need to pay £1,486
Family members will each be required to pay £1,191 along with the immigration health surcharge that has recently been increased in 2024. You can check the immigration health surcharge here.
Your contact point meetings with the endorsing body will be £500 per meeting and you’d need to show at least two booked meetings at regular intervals. Only exemptions are for those who hold visas under Appendix Innovator, Innovator Founder and Start-up visas.
Our Process
3 Easy Step to Your Visa
3 Easy Step to Your Visa
Say goodbye to complicated immigration applications and endless documentation. Our senior partners are ready to make the process smooth and easy for you!
Fill in our contact form with a brief overview of your situation and we will be in touch as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation with our immigration law experts.
During your free consultation, we will provide guidance on how we can support you with your immigration needs. Once we have assessed your current situation and objectives, we will advise on the best course of action.
Once you have approved the quote, we will supply you with our full terms of business. After the terms have been agreed to, we will work closely with you (or on your behalf where appropriate) to achieve your immediate and long-term UK immigration goals.
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Our Testimonials
Our Testimonials
This firm can only be described as excellent. Their knowledge of immigration law is second to none. The fast efficient way that they deal with situations is first-class professionalism at its very best. Once you have used Jay and his team you will never use anyone else.
Jay Moghal of Rove Legal is extremely professional and has deep and impressive knowledge of all aspects of immigration law and procedure. He is creative and a great communicator, fierce and energising, encouraging the pursuit of his clients’ cases with impeccable judgement. I would not hesitate to recommend Jay. His knowledge and professionalism shines through in every event.
Jay and his team assisted with switching over from a student BRP to a spousal one. All I had to do was show up to my appointment and take my fingerprints/photos. They handled the rest! What a dream.
Rove Legal were an absolute dream to deal with. Jay Moghal was our appointed lawyer and he was excellent to deal with. He ensured we submitted all of the required documents and when our application was delayed with COVID challenges he chased the UK Government to expedite the issue and ensure a successful outcome. Highly recommend Rove Legal and Jay to anyone who needs immigration to support.
Highly recommended. Jay is a thorough professional, who reviewed the case in depth, looked after all the aspects and his suggestions on what I should submit with the case were spot on. I don’t think my case would have been accepted without his help.
I had a very good experience with Mr Jay Moghal. I faced a couple of problems and appreciate his professionalism and transparency to deal with my issues and solve the problem. I highly recommend him.
YOU MAY WONDER
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is self-sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, and how does it compare to the Innovator Founder route?
Applicants for either of these immigration routes must meet the following requirements:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- Your business idea must have been endorsed for its innovation, scalability and viability by an approved body
- Your application must be made within three months of the date on your endorsement letter.
- Your English language level should be a minimum of B2 (CEFR) or 5.5 (IELTS).
- You must have at least £1,270 to support yourself if applying from outside the UK, or from within the UK if you’ve been in the country for less than 12 months.
To be eligible for a UK Start-up visa, you must not have established a business in the UK previously (unless this was under the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa).
Individuals applying for the UK Innovator visa must have invested or be able to invest at least £50,000 in their UK business, unless switching from the Start-up visa category to pursue the same venture.
How long can I stay in the UK?
UK Start-up visas are valid for two years, after which you will need to switch to a different visa category (such as the Innovator visa) if you wish to continue developing your business in the UK. The Start-up category does not provide a direct route to settlement in the UK.
If you are issued an Innovator visa, you will have leave to stay in the UK for up to three years. After three years of continuous residence in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for settlement, providing your business meets a number of conditions set out by the Home Office.
What is self-sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, and how does it compare to the Innovator Founder route?
Self-sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa is an alternative option for entrepreneurs seeking to establish themselves in the UK. Instead of relying on endorsement from an endorsing body under the Innovator Founder route, entrepreneurs can sponsor themselves through their own UK-based company. This alternative route provides flexibility for business owners who may not meet the specific requirements of the Innovator Founder route.
Is it possible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain through the Innovator Founder Visa pathway?
Absolutely, holders of the innovator founder visa are eligible to apply for ILR, or indefinite leave to remain, after residing in the UK for three years.
Can I include family members on an Innovator founder visa?
Yes, your spouse/partner, along with dependant children, can be included in your application.
What if the Home Office refuses my Innovator Founder application?
Your application could be refused due to various reasons. The first step is to understand the ground for refusal, often stated in the refusal letter sent by the Home Office. Based on that, you can then come up with a strategy. We can advise you to prepare for a judicial or administrative review of your application.
I want to start a Business in the UK. What visa is suitable for me?
If you plan to establish a business in the UK, the best way to proceed is to apply for an Innovator Founder Visa. As of 2024, most other visa routes, such as the Tier-1 Investor Visa and Start-up Visa, will no longer be available. Therefore, applying for an Innovator Founder Visa is the way to go. This is a Point-Based System (PBS) visa, which awards 70 points for the business plan’s viability, endorsement by qualified bodies, and meeting language and financial requirements.
