• Page Contents
• Overview
• Eligibility Requirements
• Period and Conditions of Grant
• Our Fixed Fees
• Service Options
• Remote Legal Services
• Why Choose Us
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You can apply for entry clearance for innovator visa after your business idea has been endorsed by an endorsing body who has issued an endorsement letter. The innovator visa category is for more experienced businesspeople seeking to establish a business in the UK relying on investment funds of £50,000. Applicants will have an innovative, viable and scalable business idea which is supported by an endorsing body. With some exceptions, applicants will have funding of £50,000 to invest in their business.

The Innovator visa route is for a person seeking to establish a business in the UK based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea they have generated, or to which they have significantly contributed.

It is important that before you apply for entry clearance as Innovator Migrant, you have applied for and obtained the endorsement letter from the relevant endorsement body. If your application for entry clearance for innovator is successful, you will be granted leave to enter for a period of 3 years. Upon completion of 3 years residence in the UK as an innovator, you become eligible to apply for ILR. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for ILR, you can apply for extension/renewal of your innovator visa.

Our specialist team of work visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis concerning your application for innovator visa entry clearance.

What Are The Eligibility Requirements For Entry Clearance As Innovator Migrant?

An applicant applying for entry clearance for innovator visa from outside the UK must meet the following requirments to be eligible for grant of Innovator visa:

Valid Application

The applicant must submit a valid application for entry clearance for innovator visa from outside the UK.

Endorsement Letter Requirement

The applicant must have been issued with an endorsement letter by an endorsing body no more than 3 months before the date of application and that endorsement must not have been withdrawn. The endorsement letter must confirm that:

• the applicant has either generated, or made a significant contribution to, the ideas in their business plan; and
• the applicant will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan,
• the applicant is either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.

Applicant's Age Requirement

The applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date of application.

Suitability Requirement

The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.

Tuberculosis Medical Test Requirement

A person applying for entry clearance as an Innovator must, if paragraph A39 and Appendix T of these rules apply, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

Genuineness Requirement

The applicant must be a genuine Innovator applicant.

Points Requirement For The Innovator Route

The applicant must be awarded 70 points from the table below:

Business Plan Requirement For New Business

The applicant must have an endorsement letter from an endorsing body which confirms that:

• the applicant has either generated, or made a significant contribution to, the ideas in their business plan; and
• the applicant will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan,
• the applicant is either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.

Innovative, Viable and Scalable Business Requirement

The applicant must have an innovative, viable and scalable business venture and they must meet all the following requirements:

• the applicant must have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage; and
• the applicant’s business plan must be realistic and achievable based on the applicant’s available resources; and
• the applicant must have, or be actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business; and
• there must be evidence of structured planning and of potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

The applicant must be supported by an endorsing body for this route which confirms in their endorsement letter that they consider that the applicant meets the above requirements.

Investment Funds Requirement

The applicant must show that they have at least £50,000 of funds available to invest in their business by one of the following:

• providing confirmation from the endorsing body that it is providing the funds of at least £50,000; or
• providing confirmation from the endorsing body that it has verified the funds are available from other sources (which can include the applicant); or
• providing confirmation from the endorsing body that it has verified that at least £50,000 has already been invested in the applicant’s business; or
• providing evidence that the £50,000 of funds are available from another source.

Day To Day Management Requirement

The applicant must be involved in the day to day management and development of their business and provide a letter confirming this from an endorsing body.

English Language Requirement

The applicant must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) of at least level B2. The applicant must show they meet the English language requirement as specified in Appendix English Language.

Financial Requirement

An applicant who is applying for entry clearance must have funds of at least £1,270. The applicant must show that they have held the required level of funds for a 28- day period and as set out in Appendix Finance.

Period and Conditions Of Grant

The applicant will be granted permission for a maximum period of 3 years.

The grant will be subject to the following conditions:

• no access to public funds; and
• no work, other than working for the business(es) the applicant has established and
• study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS; and
• if Part 10 applies the applicant will be required to register with the police.

Working for the business(es) does not include any apprenticeship or any work pursuant to a contract of service, whether express or implied and whether oral or written, with another business, (which means successful applicants cannot fill a position or hire their labour to another business, even if the work is undertaken through contracting with the applicant’s own business or through a recruitment or employment agency).

Our Fixed Fees For Entry Clearance For Innovator Visa