The UK Innovator Founder Visa

The UK is one of the World’s most popular immigration destinations for people wishing to live and work in a new country with high standards of living. United Kingdom offers Innovator/Founder visa to foreign investors outside EU who have access to £50,000 in investment funds.

The UK Innovator Visa was launched in April 2019, replacing the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa.  The UK Innovator and Founder Visa (UKIFV) is tailored to those people to set up and run an innovative business in the UK, must be something that’s different from anything else on the market your business or business idea has been endorsed by an approved body.

Benefits

  • Foreign investors qualify for UK residence permit
  • Family and children allowed to immigrate to UK
  • Permanent settlement after five years of living in the UK

Minimum Investment

Foreign investors must have invested £50,000 in a new UK business and create two jobs during the initial period. Applicants must meet english language requirements and also must have no criminal record.

  • set up a business or several businesses
  • work for your business – this includes being employed as a director, or self-employed as a member of a business partnership
  • Apply for indefinite leave or settlement after 3 years.

Innovator visa is issued for a maximum of 3 years and can be extended for another 2 years. Permanent settlement is possible under this category. Processing time is only 3 weeks outside UK and 8 weeks within UK.

Restrictions

You cannot:

  • set up or take over the running of one business or more
  • work for your business, including being self-employed, but you should check your work meets the conditions of being self-employed
  • do any work outside your business, for example work where you’re employed by another business
  • get public funds

Family

A dependant partner or child is any of the following can be included :

  • your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
  • your child under 18 – including if they were born in the UK during your stay
  • your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependant

Settlement

Settlement is possible after 3 years of living.

UK Citizenship

After 6 years of legal residence in the United Kingdom.