UK Innovator Visa

In order to receive an Innovator Visa endorsement, you have to apply to an endorsement body with your business plan proposal. In order to grant your approval, the endorsement body is looking at 4 key parts of your proposal – innovation, sustainability, scalability and viability and of course your CV to prove you are capable of making your proposed business a success.

The Innovator Visa lasts 3 years and is eligible to be for renewal as long as the business is active and the endorsement body continues to endorse you.

Yes, Innovator Visa does fall under the Tier 1 category, although it is mostly referred to as the Innovator Visa.

Applying for a Start-up is a great option for those who do not have enough funds or knowledge available, as there is no minimum investment amount required. Plus, you can work full time in the UK to help support and fund your startup business. The downside however, is that it's only a 2-year visa and does not count towards gaining the ILR (P.R).
Should you have the funds and knowledge available within your business's industry then you can skip the Start-up process and go straight for the Innovator Visa. Both categories require you to have an endorsement body approve your idea.

There are currently around 59 UK endorsement bodies currently spanning a number of different industries. Choosing an endorsement body is something we will help guide clients with as part of our service.

No, you can not work full-time, however, you could invest in multiple other businesses should you wish.