Overview
The Innovator Founder Visa replaced the earlier Innovator and Start-up routes in April 2023. It is designed for founders who have an innovative business idea that is new to the UK market, commercially viable, and capable of scaling. The defining feature is endorsement: before you apply to the Home Office, you must secure the backing of an approved endorsing body that has assessed your business concept.
The route grants an initial three years of leave, with no minimum personal investment fund required since the 2023 reform. After three years, if the endorsing body confirms your business has met the agreed milestones, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain without the extended residency periods required on most other work routes.
Updated for 2026: There is no minimum personal investment fund requirement since the April 2023 reform that replaced the old Innovator route. The application fee is around £1,357 for entry clearance. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year. Confirm current figures at GOV.UK before applying.
Glasgow's growing startup ecosystem, university spinout activity at the University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde, and clusters in fintech and life sciences make the city an increasingly active base for Innovator Founder applicants. Our advisers work with founders at every stage of the process, from assessing whether the idea qualifies to submitting the completed visa application.
Key Benefits
Endorsement strategy, not guesswork
The endorsement decision is made by the endorsing body, not the Home Office, and different bodies cover different sectors. We assess which approved endorsing body is the right fit for your business concept and walk you through what the assessment process involves, so you approach it prepared.
Visa application built correctly
Once endorsement is secured, the visa application needs to present your business, your personal history and your immigration intentions accurately and completely. We prepare the full submission and handle Home Office contact on your behalf.
Route mapped before you commit
Before you pay any fees, a Glasgow adviser reviews whether your business idea and personal profile meet the eligibility criteria. We identify any gaps in your position early, because the endorsement stage is not the place to discover a problem.
ILR pathway from year one
The Innovator Founder route to ILR is faster than most work routes if milestones are met. We track your three-year path, advise on the business milestones your endorsing body will assess, and prepare your settlement application when the time comes.
Our Service Packages
Eligibility Assessment
A one-to-one consultation with a Glasgow immigration adviser. We review your business idea against the endorsement criteria, assess your personal immigration history, and give you a written summary of whether the Innovator Founder route is the right one for you.
From £150 + VAT
Visa Application Package
Full Innovator Founder Visa application once your endorsement letter is in hand. We prepare every section of the online form, draft supporting statements, and submit on your behalf. Includes one revision after Home Office contact.
From £1,200 + VAT
Endorsement Preparation
Guidance on which approved endorsing body to approach for your sector, what the body's assessment process involves, and how to present your business concept at the endorsement stage. We do not write your business plan but we advise on the immigration aspects of the process.
From £450 + VAT
Refusal Review
If your Innovator Founder Visa application was refused, we review the refusal letter against the Immigration Rules, advise whether administrative review or a fresh application is the stronger route, and refer you to a representative for tribunal advocacy where an appeal is right.
From £450 + VAT
What is the Innovator Founder Visa?
The Innovator Founder Visa is the UK government’s business immigration route for founders who have a new, commercially credible and scalable business idea. It launched in April 2023, replacing the earlier Innovator and Start-up routes, and it is now the main route for international entrepreneurs who want to build a business in the UK.
The route is different from most UK visas because the first decision is not made by the Home Office. Before you submit a visa application, you must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body, an organisation approved by the Home Office to assess whether your business idea meets the required criteria. Only then do you apply for the visa itself.
Glasgow is one of the UK’s most active startup cities outside London. The University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde both run active commercialisation programmes. Glasgow’s fintech cluster, its life sciences base at the Glasgow Bioinnovation Hub, and Creative Scotland’s digital sector support make the city a realistic location for founders wanting to build something substantial. Our advisers in Glasgow work with applicants at every point in the Innovator Founder process.
Who can apply for the Innovator Founder Visa
To be eligible for the Innovator Founder Visa you must be aged 18 or over, have a business idea that meets the three mandatory criteria, and hold a valid endorsement from an approved endorsing body. The business idea must be:
- Innovative: genuinely new, not a copy of an existing UK business model, and presenting a real commercial opportunity.
- Viable: credible as a real business, with a concept that is capable of being developed into a working enterprise.
- Scalable: capable of growth, job creation or meaningful economic contribution to the UK.
There is no minimum personal investment fund required since the April 2023 reform. You must be able to maintain yourself financially in the UK, and there are suitability requirements covering immigration and criminal history. We assess eligibility at the first consultation before you invest time or money in the endorsement process.
The endorsement requirement
Endorsement is the step that distinguishes the Innovator Founder route from other UK work visas. Before you can apply to the Home Office, you need a letter of endorsement from one of the approved endorsing bodies listed on GOV.UK.
Each endorsing body covers specific sectors and types of business. Some focus on technology and digital products, others on life sciences, fintech or general high-growth ventures. The right body for you depends on your sector, the stage your idea is at, and what the endorsing body’s published criteria require.
Endorsing bodies charge their own fees for the assessment, and they run their own process, which may include interviews, written submissions about the business concept, and financial projections. We advise Glasgow founders on which body to approach and what the assessment process involves. We do not write business plans, but we make sure the immigration aspects of your preparation are correct, so the endorsement application does not fail on procedural grounds.
Once you hold an endorsement letter, it is valid for three months for the purpose of making a visa application. Applications must be submitted within that window.
No minimum investment fund
The April 2023 reform removed the minimum personal investment fund that applied to the old Innovator route. Under the previous rules, applicants needed to show £50,000 in funds. That requirement no longer applies to the Innovator Founder Visa. The business viability assessment is done by the endorsing body as part of the endorsement process, not by the Home Office through a funds check.
You still need to demonstrate that you can support yourself in the UK without recourse to public funds. Confirm the current position on funding requirements at GOV.UK before applying, as the rules are subject to change.
Switching to the Innovator Founder Visa from inside the UK
If you are already in the UK on an eligible visa, including certain work routes and student visas, you can switch to the Innovator Founder route without leaving the country. You still need an endorsement letter before you apply to switch. Not every visa category permits an in-country switch; visit visas and some other short-term categories do not. We confirm at the first consultation whether switching is available to you or whether you need to apply for entry clearance from your home country.
Glasgow has a significant international student population at both the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde. Students and recent graduates with a business idea from their research or studies sometimes ask about switching or applying once their course ends. We advise on the timing and the eligibility conditions that apply in each case.
What the initial three-year grant allows
The Innovator Founder Visa grants three years of leave. During that period you can operate or develop your endorsed business in the UK, work for your own business without restriction, and in some circumstances take on additional employment alongside your core business activity. You can bring your spouse or partner and dependent children as dependants, and all family members can work in the UK without restriction.
You must continue to work on the endorsed business throughout the period of leave. If you move away from the approved business concept in a fundamental way, you should contact your endorsing body, as endorsement must remain active for the visa to remain valid.
Business milestones and the three-year review
At the endorsement stage, you and your endorsing body agree a set of milestones that your business is expected to reach over the three-year period. These milestones vary by sector and stage, but they typically cover evidence of trading activity, investment raised, jobs created, or revenue generated.
At the end of the three years, the endorsing body carries out a review. If your milestones have been met, you can apply for ILR. If you have made genuine progress but have not fully met the milestones, you may be able to extend. If you have not meaningfully progressed the business, the route may not continue. Understanding what your milestones require, and how to document progress against them, is important from the start of the route. We advise on the immigration implications of the milestone framework, not on the commercial strategy itself.
Innovator Founder Visa fees and costs in 2026
The Home Office application fee is around £1,357 for entry clearance. If you are switching or extending in the UK, the fee may differ; confirm the current figure at GOV.UK before applying. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year of leave, so around £3,105 for a three-year grant. The endorsing body charges its own assessment fee, which varies by organisation and is separate from the Home Office fee. Budget also for any legal advice on the business plan preparation (which is outside our scope) and for professional fees on the visa application itself. We give every client a full written cost breakdown at the assessment stage.
Processing times
Standard processing time for an Innovator Founder Visa entry clearance application is around three weeks from biometrics. Priority services may be available at some visa application centres and can reduce the waiting time further. In-country switching applications have their own processing timeline; confirm the current service standard at GOV.UK. Processing times vary depending on the volume of applications and the time of year. We advise on whether a priority service is worthwhile for your situation.
Bringing your family to Glasgow
Your spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner of two years, and any dependent children under 18, can apply as dependants on the Innovator Founder route. Each dependant submits their own application and pays their own fees and Immigration Health Surcharge. Dependants can live, work and study in the UK without restriction during your leave period. Many Glasgow-based founders bring their families with them when they relocate, and we prepare the family’s applications alongside the main application so that the timing and documentation are consistent.
Innovator Founder Visa to ILR in three years
One of the most significant features of the Innovator Founder route is the accelerated path to settlement. You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after three years on the route, compared with five years on most other work visas, provided your endorsing body confirms at the three-year review that your business has met the agreed milestones.
In addition to the business milestone review, you must meet the continuous residence requirement, pass the Life in the UK Test and demonstrate English at the required level. We prepare ILR applications for Innovator Founder holders as a continuation of the same file, so the evidence built over three years is used efficiently at the settlement stage.
The Glasgow startup ecosystem
Glasgow is a practical choice for founders on the Innovator Founder route. The city has a well-developed support infrastructure for early-stage businesses. The University of Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall innovation hub and Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre both run programmes that connect founders with research expertise and commercialisation support. Glasgow City Innovation District connects the university spinout network with the wider business community in the east end of the city.
Glasgow’s fintech cluster sits alongside Edinburgh as part of a Scottish financial technology corridor with direct connections to the London market. Life sciences activity at the Glasgow Bioinnovation Hub has grown consistently. The city also has a strong digital and creative technology sector supported by Screen Scotland and Creative Scotland. For founders whose business has a Scottish angle, the Innovator Founder route and Glasgow’s sector strengths align well.
Our office in Glasgow means we advise founders who are already in the city and those who are choosing Glasgow as their UK base. The endorsement bodies active in tech, life sciences and financial services are familiar to us, and we help clients understand which sector focus is the right fit for their application.
Documents needed for the application
Once you hold an endorsement letter, the visa application requires a current passport, the endorsement letter from an approved endorsing body, evidence of your intention and ability to establish your business in the UK, and evidence of your personal financial position. If you are switching in-country, you will also need evidence of your current leave. Dependant applications require additional relationship and identity documents. We issue every client a tailored document list rather than a generic checklist, because the precise requirements depend on your endorsing body, your nationality and where you are applying from.
If your application is refused
Refusals on the Innovator Founder route most commonly arise from gaps in the endorsement, inconsistencies in the personal eligibility criteria, or suitability concerns. Where a refusal contains a case-working error, there may be a right of administrative review. In many cases, understanding the reason for refusal and rebuilding the application is more effective than a procedural review.
Some refusals carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. We review the refusal letter against the Immigration Rules, advise you honestly on whether administrative review, a fresh application or an appeal is the stronger route, and where an appeal is right we refer you to a representative for the tribunal hearing while we continue to support the underlying evidence and documentation.
2026 rule and fee changes
The Innovator Founder route has been in its current form since April 2023, replacing the earlier Innovator and Start-up routes. Home Office fees are reviewed periodically; the most recent general fee increase took effect in April 2026. The list of approved endorsing bodies changes as organisations join or leave the scheme, so always verify the current list at GOV.UK before approaching a body. The Immigration Health Surcharge rate is £1,035 per year. We keep Glasgow clients’ plans current as guidance and fee schedules are updated.
How UK Visa Assistance helps
UK Visa Assistance is a Glasgow immigration practice. We advise Innovator Founder applicants on eligibility and route suitability, guide founders through the endorsement process from a regulatory and immigration standpoint, prepare the visa application and all supporting documentation, and manage Home Office contact on your behalf. We work on fixed fees agreed in advance. For the business plan and commercial preparation required by the endorsing body, we can recommend independent advisers if needed.
To start, call 0141 496 0321 or request a callback for a free initial assessment of your Innovator Founder Visa eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
The Innovator Founder Visa is a UK work route for founders with an innovative, viable and scalable business idea. It replaced the Innovator and Start-up routes in April 2023. To apply you must first be endorsed by an approved endorsing body, which assesses whether your business concept meets the required criteria. The visa grants three years of leave, and you can apply for ILR after three years if your business milestones are met.
The endorsing body assesses three things. Innovative means the idea is genuinely new, not a copy of an existing UK business model. Viable means the concept is credible and capable of being turned into a real business. Scalable means it has the potential to grow and create jobs or economic value in the UK. The endorsing body makes this assessment against published criteria for each condition. We advise on whether your concept is likely to satisfy all three before you approach an endorsing body.
Since the April 2023 reform there is no minimum personal investment fund required for the Innovator Founder Visa. The old Innovator route required £50,000 in funds; that requirement was removed when the current route launched. You must still be able to support yourself in the UK, and you should confirm the current position at GOV.UK before applying, as the rules can change.
The Home Office publishes a list of approved endorsing bodies, each covering different sectors. Some focus on tech and digital, others on life sciences, fintech, or general high-growth businesses. The right body depends on your sector, your stage of development, and whether you are a new applicant or extending. We help Glasgow founders identify the most appropriate body for their business before they make an approach.
No. The endorsement assessment is a business evaluation carried out by the endorsing body, and writing the business plan is outside the scope of immigration advice. We handle the immigration application: eligibility, the visa form, supporting documents, and submission to the Home Office. We can explain what the endorsement process involves and what criteria the endorsing body applies, but the business case itself is yours to prepare, or to develop with a business adviser.
Yes, if you are in the UK on an eligible visa, including some work routes and student visas, you can switch to the Innovator Founder route without leaving. You still need an endorsement from an approved endorsing body before you can apply to switch. Not every visa permits switching, so we confirm at the first consultation whether you can apply in-country or need to apply for entry clearance from abroad.
The initial grant is three years. At the end of three years, your endorsing body assesses whether your business has met the milestones agreed at the start of the route. If milestones are met, you can apply for ILR. If some progress has been made but milestones are not fully met, you may be able to extend and continue. If you have not met the criteria, the route may not continue. We advise on extension and ILR readiness as part of our ongoing service.
You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after three years, which is significantly faster than the five years required on most work routes, provided your endorsing body confirms your business has met the required milestones. You must also meet the continuous residence requirement and pass the Life in the UK Test. The three-year ILR route is one of the most distinctive features of this visa.
Yes. Your spouse or partner and any dependent children under 18 can apply as dependants. Each dependant needs their own application and pays their own Home Office fee and Immigration Health Surcharge. Dependants can work in the UK without restriction. We prepare the family's applications together so the documentation is consistent.
The Home Office application fee is around £1,357 for entry clearance. On top of that you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge at £1,035 per year of leave, so around £3,105 for a three-year grant. There is also an endorsement fee charged by the endorsing body, which varies by organisation. Confirm the current Home Office fee at GOV.UK before applying, as fees are reviewed periodically. We give you a full cost breakdown at the assessment.
Refusals on the Innovator Founder route are most often connected to the endorsement stage or to a gap in the personal eligibility criteria. Where the refusal contains a case-working error there may be a right of administrative review. In other cases a fresh application with a stronger file is the practical route. We review the refusal letter, advise on which route is stronger, and where an appeal is right we refer you to a representative for tribunal advocacy while we support the underlying evidence.
Yes. Our office is in Glasgow and we work with founders across the city, including those connected to the University of Glasgow spinout network and the Strathclyde technology community. Most of our work is done by phone, video and secure document exchange, so founders based elsewhere in Scotland or applying from outside the UK can use our service without difficulty.