Innovator Founder Visa – A Five Minute Explainer

The Innovator Founder visa is a hybrid of the now defunct Innovator and Start-up Visas. It is now the only route for foreign entrepreneurs to enter the UK to establish a new business. It is also available to those who have significantly contributed to an existing business.

Business Idea

The business venture must be innovate, viable, and scalable. This is assessed as follows:

• The applicant must have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage (innovative).
• The applicant's business plan must be realistic and achievable based on the applicant's available resources (viable).
• The applicant must have, or be actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business; and (viable).