# Innovator Founder Visa

Source: https://www.savoryandpartners.com/programs/business-migration/uk/innovator-founder · Updated: 2026-09-17

Obtain United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa. Contact Savory & Partners' expert consultants now to learn more about the United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa.

## United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa Requirements

The Innovator Founder route is for entrepreneurs establishing and running an innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK. The business or business idea must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body, and the applicant must play a key role in its day-to-day management and development.

To be eligible for this program, you should be at least 18 years of age, demonstrate a B2 level in English reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension, and have an innovative business idea.

## Main Applicant Requirements

- 18+ years of age
- Approved Innovator Founder endorsement
- Innovative, viable and scalable business
- English at B2 CEFR or above, unless exempt
- Maintenance funds of at least £1,270 for 28 consecutive days, where the financial requirement applies
- Tuberculosis test certificate where required

## Eligible Dependents

- Partner: husband, wife, civil partner or eligible unmarried partner
- Children under 18
- Children over 18 only if they already hold permission as the Innovator Founder’s dependant and continue to meet the dependant requirements

## United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa Benefits

## Business & Employment

You are authorized to start a business/businesses. Once set up, you can work as a director or as a partner. You may also work outside your own business in a role requiring a qualification at RQF Level 3 or above.

## Health & Education

Access to world-class health services and quality educational opportunities for you and your family.

## Straightforward Process

Designed to be a smooth and straightforward process, with a quick application turnaround time.

## Pathway to Settlement

Eligible Innovator Founder visa holders may apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 years if they meet the settlement requirements. British citizenship is a separate later step.

## Legal Basis

The Innovator Founder route is governed by the Immigration Rules: Appendix Innovator Founder. It applies to founders establishing a UK business based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea supported by an approved endorsing body.

## Visa Application fees Outside the UK

| Item | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Main Applicant | £1,357 |
| Each dependent | £1,357 |

## Visa Application fees inside the UK

| Item | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Main Applicant | £1,693 |
| Each dependent | £1,693 |

## Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

| Item | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Applicants under 18 | £776 per year |
| All other applicants | £1,035 per year |

## Endorsement Fees

| Item | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Endorsement | £1,000 |
| Mandatory contact-point meeting | £500 each |
| Minimum required meetings during the 3-year visa | 2 |

## Application Process For United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa

Once the online application, identity checks and supporting documents are complete, a decision is usually issued within 3 weeks for applications made outside the UK and 8 weeks for applications made inside the UK.

1. Savory and Partners will have an initial consultation meeting with you where we will check that you are able to satisfy the general eligibility requirements of the immigration rules for an Innovator Founder visa.
2. You must make a down payment for our professional fees and sign an engagement agreement with us to provide you with assistance and advice throughout your application.
3. Demonstrate that the business is innovative, viable and scalable.
4. An approved endorsing body assesses the business or business idea and issues an endorsement if the criteria are met.
5. The endorsing body will have an initial consultation with you where you can pitch your concept and business plan.
6. The endorsing body assesses the Innovator Founder criteria and, if satisfied, issues the endorsement.
7. Submit the Innovator Founder visa application online and complete the required identity and document checks.
8. If granted, enter or remain in the UK to establish and run the endorsed business. Permission is normally granted for 3 years, with mandatory endorsing-body contact-point meetings.

## Application Process for United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa

3 Weeks Outside UK / 8 Weeks Inside UK

## Visa-free Countries with the United Kingdom Innovator Founder Visa

Visa-free destinations: 

With the UK Residency Card, you can travel freely to the UK.

### With the United Kingdom Permanent Residency you can travel to the following countries:

- The United Kingdom

## Client Success Stories

### Business Expansion in the UK

**The Challenge**

A Palestinian business owner based in Dubai approached us with a key challenge: He was thriving in the UAE but had big dreams of expanding his business into Europe, starting with the UK. The problem? As a majority shareholder in his company, he didn’t qualify for the sole representative visa—the usual pathway for this kind of situation.

To make matters worse, the sole representative visa program was discontinued just as he came to us in May 2022. Still, our client was determined to make it work, and we knew we had to find a solution.

**Our Solution**

After hearing his story and understanding his goals, we recommended the UK Expansion Worker Visa. This visa is perfect for senior managers or specialists who want to set up a branch of their company in the UK. It wasn’t going to be easy, but we saw his potential and got to work.

**Here’s what we did: **we helped him collect all the right evidence to prove that his business in the UAE was not only thriving but ready to take on the UK market. We showed the authorities past and upcoming projects with UK clients, making it clear that a UK branch wasn’t just a nice idea—it was a necessity.

**The Result**

Thanks to the solid case we built, our client got the visa. Now, he’s setting up his UK branch and taking his business to the next level. But that’s not all. This visa also opens the door for him to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years.

And because he’s eyeing even bigger opportunities across Europe, we’re also helping him acquire a Caribbean passport. With that, he’ll have visa-free access to over 150 countries—making his global expansion dreams a reality.

_Why Choose the UK Expansion Worker Visa?_

The UK Expansion Worker Visa lets you stay in the UK for one of two durations—whichever comes first:

- **12 months** from the start date of the job listed on your certificate of sponsorship, or
- The duration specified on your certificate of sponsorship, **plus an extra 14 days**.

If you need more time, you can extend it for another 12 months, up to a total of two years under this visa.

## Download brochure

- Length: 4 pages
- Language: English & Arabic
- size: 1 mb

**Content**
- United Kingdom Country profile
- Benefits of the program
- Investment requirements
- Investment process

## About Innovator Founder Visa

- CAPITAL: London
- TOTAL AREA: 242,500 km²
- POPULATION: 69.41 million
- LANGUAGE(S): English
- CURRENCY: Pound Sterling (£)
- EXCHANGE RATE: £1 = $1.36
- GDP – PER CAPITA (2025): $54,950
- GDP – TOTAL (2025): $3.84 trillion

### About the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is an island state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and other small islands. The total area of the UK is approximately 242,500 square kilometers (93,269 square miles). As the 20th most populated country in the world, the UK has a population density of 268.2 people per square kilometer (741.4 per square mile). The capital is London, which is among the world’s leading commercial, financial, and cultural centers.

With a temperate climate, the UK experiences plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons but seldom drops below −10 °C (14.0 °F) or rises above 35 °C (95 °F). The United Kingdom is a leading global trading nation, with imports and exports comprising around half of the country's GDP. In terms of Foreign Direct Investment, the United Kingdom remains one of the most attractive destinations for Foreign Direct Investment in the region.

His Majesty King Charles III ascended to the throne in September 2022, on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. He is also head of state of several independent countries in the Commonwealth. The United Kingdom retains links with parts of its former empire through the Commonwealth. It also benefits from historical and cultural links with the United States and is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

### Where is the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) is an island country that sits north-west of mainland Europe. It is made up of mainland Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) and the northern part of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland). There are numerous smaller islands that belong to the UK, especially off the Scottish coast.