Start up and Innovator visa
For individuals seeking to set up and establish a new business in the UK
Start-up Visa
The UK Start-up visa is for individuals seeking to set up and establish a new business in the UK. These individuals will generally be new entrepreneurs without a track record of running their own business. There are no requirements to invest or secure any amount of funding into the business at the initial start-up stage. The UK Start-up visa category is suitable for early-stage, high-potential entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business in the UK for the first time. Your business idea must be approved by a Home Office-approved endorsing body prior to applying for your visa.
Please find general Start-up visa information and requirements to consider below:
There is no minimum investment funds required.
You must have an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea which must be approved by an endorsing body.
The endorsing body must be satisfied that you will spend the majority of your working time in the UK on developing your business venture.
If approved, you must apply for your Start-up visa within 3 months of your approval from the endorsing body.
If successful, your Start-up visa will be granted for a two-year period; however, this cannot be extended and does not lead to settlement.
In order to achieve settlement, you must switch into the Innovator visa category for a further three years.
Partners and children under 18 can also apply as your dependents.
You must be at least 18 years old and have not previously established a business in the UK (unless you previously held leave as a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur).
You must prove you are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
If you are outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months, then you must have at least £1,270 to support yourself, plus £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for a first child, and £200 for each additional child.
The Home Office has published a list of endorsing bodies. This list contains the names of all currently approved UK Start-up visa endorsing bodies, as well as links to their websites and, where available, details of their application process and endorsement criteria.
Applications for Start-up visas can be made from outside the UK, but it is also possible to switch into the Start-up visa category from within the UK, provided you do not have, or were not last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or outside the Immigration Rules.
Innovator Visa
This route is available for more experienced personnel who have previously had experience running their own business. The UK Innovator visa category is suitable for experienced businesspersons looking to set up a new business in the UK that is innovative, viable, and scalable. Applicants are expected to present a new business idea. Generally, the business will not already exist. However, where it does, the new business should not yet have fully started trading. Applicants can work on their own as a sole founder or together as part of an entrepreneurial team. Joint venture arrangements may also be acceptable. The business idea may relate to any sector, provided the idea is sufficiently innovative, viable, and scalable. For example, the restriction on companies mainly engaged in property development under the previous Tier 1 Entrepreneur category does not apply. Applicants can develop other businesses as well as their main business idea.
Requirements for a UK Innovator Visa
In order to qualify for a UK Innovator visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:
You are at least 18 years old.
You will need evidence of a minimum investment amount of £50,000 being available to you.
These funds can come directly from you as the applicant or from an endorsing body if they choose to fund your application.
You will also need to have an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea which is approved and supported by an endorsing body.
The chosen endorsing body must approve your idea, being satisfied that you will spend your entire working time in the UK on developing your business venture.
Once approved by your endorsing body, you may proceed to submit a full Innovator visa application for acceptance to the Home Office.
You must apply for your Innovator visa within 3 months of receiving your endorsement letter.
UK Innovator visa applicants can bring their partner and any children under the age of 18 to the UK.
You must provide evidence that you are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
Applications for Innovator visas can be made from outside the UK, but it is also possible to switch into the Innovator visa category from within the UK, provided you do not have, or were not last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or outside the Immigration Rules.
You do not need to be the sole founder of your business; you may be a member of an innovator team. However, each applicant must receive their own individual endorsement from an approved endorsing body. Innovator team members required to satisfy the investment funds requirement for a new business endorsement also cannot share the same £50,000 but must instead have at least £50,000 in investment funds each.
If your application is accepted by the Home Office, you will be granted an initial 3-year Innovator visa.
You will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) as an Innovator after spending 3 years in the Innovator visa category.
Innovator Visa – ILR (Settlement)
In order to achieve indefinite leave to remain (settlement) within this category, your chosen endorsing body must be satisfied that you have shown significant achievements judged against the business plan assessed in your previous endorsement. You must be registered with Companies House as a Director or Member of your business, your business must be active, trading, and appear sustainable for at least the following 12 months. You must have had an active key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business, and you will spend your entire working time in the UK on developing your business ventures. You must satisfy at least two of the following:
At least £50,000 has been invested into the business and actively spent furthering your business plan.
The business has created the equivalent of at least 5 full-time jobs for resident workers, which have an average salary of at least £25,000 a year.
The business has created the equivalent of at least 10 full-time jobs for resident workers with no average salary requirement.
The number of customers has at least doubled within the most recent 3 years and is currently higher than the mean number of customers for other UK businesses offering comparable main products or services.
The business has engaged in significant research and development activity and has applied for intellectual property protection in the UK.
The business has generated a minimum annual gross revenue of £1 million in the last full year covered by its accounts.
The business has generated a minimum annual gross revenue of £500,000 in the last full year covered by its accounts, with at least £100,000 from exporting overseas.
You have spent not more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the 3 years prior to the date of application.
You have sufficient knowledge of the English language and Life in the UK.
