At JNS Solicitors, we assist entrepreneurs with Innovator Founder Visa applications. We have handled over 100 cases and support clients at every stage, from securing endorsement through to settlement.
The Innovator Founder Visa lets you start or run a business in the UK with no minimum investment requirement. The visa lasts 3 years and can lead to permanent residence.
If you are considering this route, we can assess your situation and advise on your options.
How we help
We work with Innovator Founder clients in three main ways.
Endorsement support
We work with Envestors Limited and Innovator International, and where your business idea fits, we can make introductions. We do not write business plans, but we guide clients through the endorsement process and put together immigration bundles that meet both endorsing body and Home Office requirements.
Visa applications
Before we submit anything, we review your case the same way a Home Office caseworker will. We look at your business structure, your documentation, and your compliance position. By the time we submit, you know exactly what to expect.
Ongoing compliance
Our Compliance service supports you throughout the 3-year visa term. We advise on what to do, what evidence to collect, and how to show strong business progress at each checkpoint. When it comes time to renew your endorsement or apply for settlement, you are ready.
Our track record
We have handled over 100 Innovator Founder Visa cases. In the past two and a half years, we have had one refusal.
About 90% of our clients are in tech, AI, and fintech. We also work with founders in creative industries and healthcare.
A recent case
One client came to us very close to her ILR deadline. She had a successful business turning over more than £1 million in her first year, but she was also the sole carer for three children and was frequently travelling for work. Gathering all the documentation was difficult. Home Office scrutinised the application heavily and delayed the decision for over 6 months. We worked through it with her, strengthened her submission, and secured her ILR.
Another example
A different client signed up for our Compliance service from day one. He stayed in regular contact, followed our guidance, and kept his documentation in order throughout. His business did not generate huge profits, but his case was well prepared. He got his ILR decision in two weeks.
The difference is preparation.
What is the Innovator Founder Visa?
The Innovator Founder Visa is the main route for entrepreneurs who want to set up or run a business in the UK. It replaced the old Innovator visa in April 2023.
Unlike the previous route, there is no minimum investment. What matters is your business idea and its potential. The visa is valid for 3 years, with unlimited extensions and a route to settlement after 3 years.
Your partner and children under 18 can come with you as dependants. They can work, study, and use public services.
Requirements
Endorsement
You need endorsement from one of four approved bodies: Envestors Limited, Innovator International, UK Endorsing Services, or the Global Entrepreneurs Programme. They assess whether your business idea is innovative (new or significantly different), viable (realistic and credible), and scalable (with real potential to grow and create jobs). Only around 29% of endorsement applications succeed. This is where most people struggle.
English language
You need English at CEFR Level B2, equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Some nationalities are exempt.
Maintenance funds
You need at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you apply. If you are bringing family, you need £285 extra for a partner, £315 for a first child, and £200 for each additional child.
Costs
Government fees
The visa costs £1,274 if you apply from outside the UK, or £1,590 if you are switching or extending from inside the UK. You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year, so £3,105 for a 3-year visa. Dependants pay the same.
Endorsement fees
Endorsing bodies set their own fees. Expect around £1,000 for the initial application, plus around £500 for each contact point meeting at 12 and 24 months.
Our fees
We charge between £2,750 and £6,000 for Innovator Founder Visa work, depending on the complexity of your case. View our fees
Processing times
If you apply from outside the UK, you usually get a decision within 3 weeks of your biometrics appointment. From inside the UK, it typically takes around 8 weeks. Priority processing is available if you need a faster decision.
Contact point meetings
At 12, 24, and 36 months after your visa is granted, you have contact point meetings with your endorsing body. You present evidence of your business progress and submit documentation to their platform, which Home Office can access.
These meetings matter. If you cannot show enough progress, your endorsing body can withdraw their endorsement, and Home Office can cancel your visa.
A lot of clients relax once they get their visa, thinking the hard part is done. It is not. Three years goes quickly. Without active trading and real business performance, endorsement renewal will fail, no matter how many criteria you think you can tick on paper.
This is why we recommend starting our Compliance service from day one.
Route to settlement
After 3 years, you may qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain. You need to meet at least two of seven business criteria. These include investing at least £50,000, doubling your customer base, engaging in significant R&D, generating annual revenue of £1 million or more, or creating jobs (either 10 jobs, or 5 jobs paying an average of £25,000).
You also need to have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, pass the Life in the UK test, and get an endorsement letter confirming you have met the criteria.
Switching to this visa
You do not have to be outside the UK to apply. Since November 2025, Student visa holders can switch without leaving. Graduate visa, Skilled Worker, and most other work visas also allow switching.
We handle switching cases regularly. A few weeks ago, we helped a client switch from Skilled Worker to Innovator Founder. Both visas were approved within 3 weeks. We are currently working with another client switching from the Graduate visa.
Success rates
Endorsement is the hard part. Only around 29% of applications are approved. Most people fail here, usually because their application does not show innovation, viability, and scalability clearly enough.
Once you have endorsement, the visa approval rate is much higher, around 86 to 88% based on Home Office figures. But the application still gets scrutinised closely. Caseworkers go through every page. One of our clients submitted over 200 documents for her ILR. Home Office noticed a single page had been missed during scanning and asked for it before they would proceed. That level of detail is normal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need investment to get an Innovator Founder Visa?
No. The Innovator Founder Visa has no minimum investment requirement. Your business idea and its potential are what matter to the endorsing body.
What is the Innovator Founder Visa success rate?
Endorsement is the difficult part, with only around 29% of applications approved. Once you have endorsement, the Innovator Founder Visa approval rate is around 86 to 88% based on Home Office figures. Most people who fail do so at the endorsement stage, not the visa application itself.
Can I switch from a Student visa to the Innovator Founder Visa?
Yes. Since November 2025, Student visa holders can switch to the Innovator Founder Visa from within the UK without leaving the country.
Can my family come with me on the Innovator Founder Visa?
Yes. Your partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants. They can work, study, and use public services in the UK.
How long until I can get permanent residence?
You may qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 3 years on the Innovator Founder Visa, provided you meet at least two of the seven business achievement criteria and satisfy the other residence requirements.
Get in Touch
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and specialise in business immigration. Whether you are developing your idea, preparing for endorsement, or already on the visa and planning for settlement, we can help.