business plan for uk innovator visa

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• Visas and immigration
• Work in the UK

Innovator Founder visa

You can apply for an Innovator Founder visa if:

• you want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK - it must be something that’s different from anything else on the market
• your business or business idea has been endorsed by an approved body, also known as an endorsing body
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

This visa used to be called the Innovator visa.

Eligibility

You must be able to show that your business idea is:

• new - you cannot join a business that is already trading
• innovative - you must have an original business idea which is different from anything else on the market
• viable, with potential for growth
• scalable - you must give evidence of planning that includes creating jobs and growing into national and international markets

You’ll need to get an endorsing body to assess that your business idea meets the requirements.

Knowledge of English

You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You’ll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply.

If you’re not eligible for an Innovator Founder visa

You may be eligible for another type of visa to work in the UK .

How long you can stay

You can stay for 3 years if you either:

• come to the UK on an Innovator Founder visa
• switch to this visa from another visa while in the UK

You’ll need to meet with your endorsing body after 12 months and 24 months to show you’re making progress with your business. Your visa may be cut short if your endorsement is withdrawn by the endorsing body. If you want to stay longer, you must re-apply with a new endorsement before your current visa expires.

If you want to stay longer in the UK

You can apply to extend your stay for another 3 years when your visa is due to expire. There’s no limit on the number of times you can extend.

You may be able to apply for settlement once you’ve been in the UK for 3 years.

How to apply

You must apply online.

How you apply depends on whether you’re:

• outside the UK and are coming to the UK
• inside the UK and extending your current visa
• inside the UK and switching from a different visa

Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

How long it takes

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
• 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision .

How much you pay for an application depends on where you apply from.

It costs £1,191 per person if you apply outside the UK.

It costs £1,486 per person if you apply to extend or switch your visa in the UK.

Healthcare surcharge

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application.

Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK

You’ll also need to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken - there’s no fee for this.

What you can and cannot do

With an Innovator Founder visa you can:

• 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
• do work outside your business, as long as it’s ‘skilled work’ - for example, a job on the Skilled Worker eligible occupations list or a job needing at least a level 3 qualification
• bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’ , if they’re eligible
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 3 years and meet the other eligibility requirements

You cannot:

• work as a professional sportsperson, for example a sports coach
• apply for most benefits ( public funds ), or the State Pension

If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with an Innovator Founder visa.

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How To Create a Good Innovator Visa Business Plan

If you intend to start a new business in the UK then you could be eligible for the Innovator Visa, as part of your application you will need to have a good business plan. Find out more about how you can create a good Innovator Visa Business plan.

For assistance with your business plan, get in touch with our immigration lawyers today on 020 4502 8582 .

Request a call back from our immigration experts

What is the innovator visa.

The Innovator Visa is a UK business visa that replaced the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa in 2019. The Innovator Visa is for people who plan to start a business in the UK. To start up visa and be eligible you must have at least £50,000 available to invest in your business.

The other main requirement for the Innovator Visa is that you must have your innovative business idea endorsed by an approved endorsing body. To do this you will need to present an original business plan

If your application is approved, the Innovator Visa will allow you to live in the UK for up to three years. The innovator visa route can also be extended after this and you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK after just 3 years of living in the country.

What are the criteria for the business idea?

Your business proposal is a key part of your Innovator Visa application, you need a good business plan so that it will be endorsed by an approved body. If you do not have a business plan that has been endorsed then your application will not be approved.

There are 3 main endorsement criteria that your plan will need to meet, your business idea must be:

• Innovative –  This means that your business idea is original and it meets new or existing market needs or creates a competitive advantage.
• Viable –  This means that your business plan must be realistic based on the market awareness, skills and knowledge and experience that you have in relation to running a business.
• Scalable –  This means that there is evidence of structured planning and the protentional for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

An approved endorsing body will need to assess your business proposal to determine whether it meets the above criteria. If it does then they will send a letter of endorsement to the Home Office. Endorsing bodies must have a track record of supporting entrepreneurs in the UK and must be approved by the Home Office. A list of all the approved endorsing bodies can be found on the gov.uk website.

How to structure an Innovator Visa business plan

To give your plan a good chance of being endorsed it must be structured in a clear and coherent way. There is no set layout that you must follow but you should ensure that your plan clearly shows that you meet the criteria for this visa.

Some things that you should include in your business plan include:

• An executive summary – an introduction to you and your proposal
• Description of your business idea
• Organisation structure and legal considerations
• Product or service description
• Market analysis
• Marketing and promotion plans
• Competitor analysis – looking at any opportunities that you can exploit
• Finances and budget
• Risk management

By including these elements you will develop a strong business plan that is more likely to receive investment funds and an endorsement. As well as the above elements you should ensure that you clearly address how you meet the criteria for the Investor Visa, more details about this are given below.

Do you need help applying for an Innovator Visa? Our lawyers can assist you. Get in touch

Usually, in your business plan, you will need to demonstrate that your business idea is a genuinely new idea and that it is not merely competing with another business that already exists.

However, in some circumstances, your business plan may be counted as innovative if it is similar to another applicant’s business plan, but you have a competitive advantage to your plan such as a more cost-efficient model or a superior product. Whether this applies will depend on the endorsing body that is evaluating the business plan.

To prove that your proposed business is innovative you should explain in your plan what makes your business idea new, what gap in the market your business ideas will fill and if there are already similar businesses to yours you should explain what makes your idea different.

A company will only endorse your business plan if you can show that you will actually be able to deliver the business idea. To prove that your business plan is viable you will need to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills and, knowledge, experience and market awareness to deliver on your business plan.

To meet the viability requirement you should consider including the following information in your business plan:

• Information about your professional and academic background
• Details about how your experience will help you – you don’t necessarily need to have run a similar business before, transferable skills can also be included to help demonstrate the viability
• How you plan to handle competition
• When you project the business to begin making a profit by
• Information about who your clients/customers will be
• Details about your advertising and marketing plans
• Details about any recruitment or training plans you have to fill skill gaps

As well as being innovative and viable your business plan will also need to show that your business idea has the potential for growth and job creation into both national and international markets.

To demonstrate that your idea is scalable you should include information about your business start, which markets you plan to expand into, how you plan to expand into these markets and how you intend to fund your expansion.

It’s important to note that scalability is not just about whether your business has the potential to grow, a business can only be properly considered as scalable if it has operational leverage. This means that your business mustn’t add revenue and operating costs at an equal rate, instead, you will need to demonstrate that your own business model is capable of increasing revenue with only small additional operating costs.

How to find an endorsing body

Once you have completed your Innovator Visa business plan the next step is to find an endorsing body to approve the innovator visa endorsement plan.

The term “endorsing body” is used to refer to organisations that have expertise when it comes to identifying, actively developing and investing in businesses related to their sectors. The endorsing body for your Innovator Visa application must be one that has been approved by the UK government, the list of approved bodies changes but an up to date list can be found on the gov.uk website.

Every endorsing body will have a different process for how they evaluate your business and marketing strategies, so it’s important to choose the most appropriate endorsing body for you and that you follow the relevant process that they have.

Some endorsing bodies only open their applications for certain periods of the year, some only accept applicants who have been accepted onto one of their programmes and some only endorse applications for businesses in certain sectors in the UK market. There are important factors to consider when choosing which endorsing body to contact.

How can London Immigration Lawyers help?

The Innovator Visa is very competitive, this is because it offers a much quicker route to permanent residency in the UK than lots of other visas but also because endorsing bodies are limited to how many business plans they can endorse every year.

In order for your innovator founder visa application to be successful, you will need a very good Innovator Visa business plan to give you a competitive advantage. Our immigration lawyers have an in-depth knowledge of the immigration rules and know exactly what it takes to meet the eligibility criteria for the Innovator Visa. Our lawyers can assist you with writing your Innovator Visa business plan with structured planning, and can offer you professional legal advice throughout the application process.

As well as assisting you with your business plan, our lawyers can also help you with other parts of the UK Innovator Visa application process, including the application form and help with gathering your supporting documents.

For more information about how our immigration lawyers can help you, get in touch with our team today on 020 4502 8582 .

You may be interested in reading about.

British citizenship, spouse visa application, indefinite leave to remain, spouse visa extension, skilled worker visa, sponsor licence application.

We can help you if you need help with your Innovator Visa application. Call us now

Last modified on June 9th, 2023 at 1:27 pm

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Order your fully compliant Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan UK

Our success rate is above 95%

What is Innovator Founder Visa?

Are you an experienced business owner? Or have you spent years in a certain industry and are now considering moving your entire setup to the UK?

If yes, you can qualify for a recently launched entry permit called the Innovator Founder UK Visa (ex. Innovator Visa UK). It is an exceptional opportunity for qualified business personnel who are willing to either move their enterprise or establish a new venture in the UK from scratch.

However, a UK new innovator founder visa qualification is based on a comprehensive, quality, and practical idea to invest in the business. It doesn’t end here as a new innovator visa UK is an expensive affair. An applicant needs to have an investment amount of up to £50,000, along with a valid endorsement from a reputed govt-approved body.

Because of its stringent visa rules, many people find it challenging to apply for it. However, once you find and understand innovator founder visa requirements, you can complete the process with ease.

Fully compliant

Your Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan will be fully compliant with all requirements from the endorsement body. We watch carefully for changes to guidelines. This is why we have a nearly perfect success rate of 95%. If any revisions are necessary, we will provide them free of charge.

Fully customizable

We prepare each of our presentations from scratch, including graphics and beautiful, modern design. Your tailored solution will highlight your best features and provide those who will review your case with the kind of structured outline that they need to approve your application.

Industry focus

Our experienced business plan writers have produced 5,000+ business plans that have covered more than 42 industries. Because our expertise is so broad, we can provide business plans that are tailored to your industry and location in the UK.

Experienced team

OGScapital’s dedicated immigration-focused teams have worked on nothing but immigration cases for nearly two decades. Every year, our experts produce 120-150 business plans for Innovator Visa applicants, with 95% of them resulting in approval.

Operational guide

We can bring industry-specific best practices to your Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan. This means you will be able to use your business plan as a road map for business development. You’ll move steadily towards even your largest business goals with help from our experts.

Our solution

A comprehensive OGScapital business plan will get you the Innovator founder visa approval you need.

Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan:

Users:   Innovator Founder Visa applicants and immigration lawyers

Size:  35-45 pages

Timeframe:   10-12 days

Graphic design:  included

Assigned team:   2 senior consultants, including a project lead

Unlimited revision period:   3 weeks

Rush Delivery Service:  Available

Every OGS business plan includes:

• Executive summary
• Description of your products and services
• How your business meets the Innovation
• research and development activity
• Market analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Staff profile and recruitment strategy
• Marketing and sales strategy
• SWOT analysis
• Investment strategy and funding requirement
• Detailed revenue and Cost of sales forecast
• Cash flow forecast
• Annual Profit & Loss forecast
• Balance sheet forecast
• Forecasted stock levels (if applicable)
• Forecasted advertising/marketing expenditure
• Forecasted fixed asset schedule
• Forecasted staff costs
• Any relevant appendices, including CVs

Founder Visa Business Plan Introduced in 2019, UK’s govt entry permit aims to serve as a “Tier 1 Business visa route” for individuals planning to move to England. As said earlier, the recently launched visa category typically facilitates veteran businesses and firm owners with a unique and prosperous idea to start or run a venture in the UK. An investment of £50,000 is a mandatory criterion to qualify for a business visa in the UK.

Also, the visa candidate needs an approved and official body to promote and support the venture plan. That is to say, an effective and practical business idea backed by a comprehensive plan is crucial to qualify for visa application approval. Applicants also need to convince the endorsers along with a business plan startup visa for the UK.

UK tier 1 innovator founder visa requires applicants to meet the criteria of the “genuine entrepreneur” to get a business UK visa. However, the new rules of UK business visas have replaced this requirement with an “endorsement body”. That means if you want to qualify for a UK innovation visa, you must attach a letter issued by an endorsement body.

Moreover, the current updates in the visa requirement have lowered the capital investment to £50,000. Earlier, it was £200,000 for all applicants to start a new business in England. If an applicant doesn’t have a good business plan, the new UK business visa class has slim chances of approval.

The good news is that there are several govt-approved endorsers with potential experience in the business field to help interested candidates get the approval. You can benefit from their corporate connections and contacts to create a proposal in a specific niche. Remember that who you’re applying to typically depends on the niche you work in or the services you want to launch in the market.

Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan example

We prepare our Innovator Founder Visa Business Plans using our trademark user-friendly format, complete with beautiful and modern design. Review the sample to see what kind of quality OGScapital can deliver.

Innovator Visa Business Plan Sample (UK)

How much should be invested under Innovator Founder Visa program?

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Does the business plan has to be approved by an endorsement body? What organisations are the endorsement bodies?

Yes, approved bodies include business accelerators, seed competitions, and government agencies, and higher education providers. These bodies assess applicants’ business ideas, carefully considering their levels of innovation, viability and scalability.

How much does an OGScapital Innovator Founder visa business plan cost?

Our fee is as reasonable as it is competitive. We scale our fees up or down depending on task complexity.

What sections will my business plan include?

Each of our business plans is structured differently, but all of our business plans include a few key sections: market analysis, business model description, operational strategy, goals, financial model, etc

What will you do for me if the endorsement body denies my application?

Our success rate of 95% means that this is highly unlikely, but in the unlikely event that your application is denied, we will revise the document as necessary without any added cost.

OGSCapital will provide you with a complete uk innovator founder visa business plan for a reasonable fee.

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OGScapital was founded in 2006 by a dedicated group of 8 business document experts. Our specialized immigration plan writing team know exactly what Home Office expects, and they are some of the first to know when their requirements change. Because of what we know and how much we’ve done in this area, we can proudly call ourselves the #1 immigration business plan focused company in the world. We serve 150 clients like you every year, and our 95% success rate says everything you need to know about what you can expect from us.

OGScapital was established in 2006

Our team members have experience in 42+ industries

We create 150 Innovator Founder Visa business plans per year

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Benefits of the UK Innovator Founder Visa

UK innovator founder is a relatively newer business visa developed for industrialists, business owners, and investors to establish their business and settle in the UK with spouses and families. While the visa category has hefty capital investment requirements and approval criteria, many people apply for this entry permit because of its benefits.

With a UK innovator founder visa for business, applicants can;

• Stay in England for five years with their families
• After completion of the visa duration, applicants can get permanent residency status from the govt
• Applicants can start a business with $50,000 – which is a low investment for established business personnel
• Applicants can live with their families in England for three years
• Applicants can apply for a two-year visa extension
• After becoming permanent UK citizens, an applicant can have access to UK’s universities, schools, and colleges for academics, and hospitals to receive medical facilities by the govt. It can help them save the cost of healthcare expenses.

How do I Get a UK Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan?

If you plan to establish a venture or company in the UK and are considering applying for a UK innovator founder visa, you need to have a unique and innovative business idea. The business plan should meet specific criteria that include;

• Scalability

The way you design your business plan for UK startup visa and use ideas in it can play a vital role in your visa approval process.  You need to lay things coherently and logically to make it legible and easy for the endorser to find your business idea unique and potentially impactful.

You can get your UK innovator founder visa business plan with the help of a pro-business plan writer. The qualified and veteran UK startup visa consultants can help you make a lean plan that is practical, innovative, and scalable.

Is it easy to write a UK innovator founder visa business plan?

Becoming a successful visa approval candidate requires having sufficient investment capital for your venture in England.

To write a UK innovative business plan, you need to showcase that your venture’s idea is;

• Viable  – should demonstrate the practicality of your business idea, your skills and knowledge to execute the plan, and your involvement in the operations.
• Innovative  – idea should be unique and original from the others on the market
• New  – idea should  be new as you can’t pursue a business plan that is  already  on the market

Plus, you must mention the source of your funds. Most importantly, getting a UK innovator founder visa (ex. Innovator Visa UK )  requires you to devise a business plan. It demonstrates your potential for success in the UK. You must seek the assistance of a visa consultant for a UK startup to improve your chances of success.

Your Professional Innovator Founder Visa Business Planers

There is no way you can deny the importance of professional help when it comes to innovator founder visa UK guidance. OGS Capital specializes in creating or drafting exceptionally effective and viable business plans for investors willing to start their entrepreneurial journey in the UK.

With more than 12 years of experience in writing business plans for new and established companies, our expert team has extensive knowledge of crafting business plans that can help you accomplish your business goals. We offer the best strategic advice for your business scope and provide access to easy funding solutions.

OGS Capital is what you need to excel in producing and strategizing your business plan to increase your chances of success for a UK innovator founder visa.

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What is a Good Innovator Visa Business Plan?

The UK Government launched the Innovator visa for overseas entrepreneurs when the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) category was closed  in March 2019. The Innovator visa category is aimed at experienced business people, who have at least £50,000 available to invest in their business. An innovator must seek endorsement from an approved endorsing body for their business proposal. The latest list of approved endorsing bodies can be found here . The endorsing bodies have the commercial insight, and entrepreneurial experience which equips them to assess an applicant’s business proposal. So what are the endorsing bodies looking for in a good Innovator visa business plan?

Innovator Visa Endorsement Criteria

Your Innovator visa business plan will need to set out a specific business idea in a clear and structured proposal. In addition, the idea will need to meet the endorsement criteria. These criteria are set out in paragraph W6.3 of Appendix W of the Immigration Rules. An applicant for the innovator visa must meet all of the following criteria in providing their Innovator visa business plan:

• Innovative – The applicant has a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage;
• Viable – The applicant’s business plan is realistic and achievable based on the applicant’s resources. The applicant has the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run a business;
• Scalable – There is evidence of structured planning and of potential job creation and growth into national and international markets.

A strong business idea in and of itself will not be sufficient – the world’s most innovative business will not meet the criteria if it is not something that can be scaled to national and international markets. Similarly, a business which is very viable will not meet the criteria if it is not innovative. In addition, the applicant must be relying on their own Innovator visa business plan. They must have generated the ideas in the plan (or made a significant contribution to those ideas) and must be responsible for executing the plan. This does not preclude teams from applying on the basis of the same plan, but each team member must be a founding member of the team. 

Innovator Visa Business Plan Criteria

You will need to show in your Innovator visa business plan that the business idea is genuinely new and not merely a different version of an existing business idea. However, if you have gained a competitive advantage by making a similar product in a more cost-efficient manner, this may count as an innovative business idea. You may wish to include:

• In what way is your idea new and unprecedented?
• What gap in the market will this idea fill?
• If there are similar businesses, in what way is this different?

As part of your Innovator visa business plan you will need to show that you and your team can deliver the business idea. In order to show this, you will need to demonstrate that you or your team have the skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to deliver your business plan. This does not necessarily mean you have run the same or same type of business before, but you should have transferable skills from previous work or education, which is relevant to your business. You may wish to include:

• Your professional and academic background and experience;
• An explanation of how your experience will assist you;
• Who will buy your products/services and why?
• How do you propose to tackle your competition?
• When will the business start to make a profit?
• What plans do you have in place for marketing/advertising?

Your Innovator visa business plan will need to show evidence of structured planning and the potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets. You may wish to include:

• Specific markets that you plan to expand into, (you may wish to include both geographical location and target customer base);
• Details of how you plan to expand into larger markets, including any financial targets and any marketing strategies that may assist you;
• Information about how you will fund your intended growth, i.e. from personal investment, external funding or business revenue.

It is important to remember that these terms are not defined in great detail in the immigration rules. A lot of discretion is given to endorsing bodies, meaning that different bodies may interpret different terms differently. It is therefore important to provide a clear and structured Innovator visa business plan.

You will need to select the endorsing body that is most appropriate for your business proposal. You can browse a list of suitable endorsing bodies here . Each endorsing body will have a different approach to how they will consider your business so it is important to follow the relevant process of the individual endorsing body. 

Contact our Immigration Barristers

If you would like further advice on an application for an Innovator Visa , or assistance with preparing an Innovator visa business plan, please contact our immigration barristers in London on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.

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Knowledge Hub for Growth

A guide to the innovator founder visa.

In this guide, we explore who the innovator founder visa is aimed at, the requirements and benefits, and we offer insights into the application process. Our  business immigration solicitors  can support you with your application for an innovator founder visa.

Tips on a successful innovator founder visa application 

Who can apply for the innovator founder visa.

The innovator founder visa is for entrepreneurs wanting to start up a business in the UK but who are subject to UK immigration controls and require a business or work visa.

You can apply for the innovator founder visa if you are an experienced entrepreneur, a serial business founder or if this is your first entrepreneurial enterprise.

The innovator founder visa is for innovative businesses, so it is ideal for the technology , digital and fintech sectors. However, if you can add an innovative twist or app to any business, you potentially can obtain an innovator founder visa to start you on your immigration and business journey in the UK.

The business criteria for the innovator founder visa

To secure your innovator founder visa, your business must be new and meet these three criteria:

• Innovative – you must have an original business idea
• Viable – the business must have potential for growth
• Scalable – you must be able to evidence planning for job creation and growth

Unlike the old Tier 1 (Innovator) visa, there is no minimum investment figure of £50,000 required. Instead, your business is assessed on viability and part of that process looks at whether you can access the funds and resources to be able to make a success of your business. For some start-ups, you may need modest capital whilst others will need significant investment. Some endorsing bodies are venture capitalists and can provide both endorsement and funding or you can secure independent funding.

The innovator founder visa application

In April 2023, the Innovator Founder visa replaced the Tier 1 (Innovator) visa and the start-up visa, so there is now one innovator route for entrepreneurs to simplify the visa application process.

In summary, to obtain an innovator founder visa, you need to go through a two-stage process:

• Endorsement by an endorsing body
• Approval of your visa  application

The independent endorsing body looks at your business plan to see if your planned business venture meets the three business criteria. If you get an endorsement letter, a Home Office official looks at your visa application to check if you meet:

• The age requirement – you must be at least 18
• The English language requirement – through either sitting an English language test or proving you are exempt from sitting the test. For example, because of your qualifications or your nationality, eg if you are from a majority English-speaking country
• The maintenance requirement – you have enough personal savings to support yourself while you are in the UK. The current rules say you must prove that you have had at least £1,270 in savings in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before your application 
• The general immigration requirements – where the Home Office checks various matters such as your immigration history or if you have any relevant criminal convictions that would prevent entry clearance

The visa falls within the UK points-based immigration system and you need 70 points to qualify. You will achieve these points if your business secures endorsement and you meet the above four criteria.

The innovator founder visa endorsement process

The success or failure of your innovator founder visa application is likely to rest on:

• Choosing the right endorsing body to endorse your business venture
• The quality of the business plan presented for endorsement

The full list of endorsing bodies can be found here .

It is important to get your choice of endorsing body right as the independent endorsing body will not just endorse your business idea, they will also review your progress against your business plan and endorse your settlement application. They may also offer venture capital. Most endorsing bodies host talks and webinars so you can get a feel for whether they will be a good fit for your business and if your business will meet their specific endorsement criteria.

The business plan

You may be a genius or have an idea for a groundbreaking business venture, but it needs to be packaged in a business plan to secure your innovator founder visa.

You can get professional help with writing your business plan so it goes into sufficient detail on how you meet the innovative, viable and scalable criteria but the ideas must be your own and you must intend to be fully engaged in your business venture.

Downloaded business plans or those harnessing the latest AI assistance are easy to spot. Business immigration solicitors can help you get the support you need with a professional business plan if you have a gem of an idea and the energy to make it work and transform it into a scalable business, but you need support in writing your plan and collating sufficient supporting information. Alternatively, some endorsing bodies will assist you with your business plan leaving your business immigration solicitor to address the immigration rules and tweak the plan to give your application the best chance of success in the two-stage application process. That input is necessary because Home Office officials can request further information or evidence from you or your endorsing body. 

Timeframe for the innovator founder visa

The timeframe for your innovator founder visa depends largely on you and how much preparation you need to do on your choice of endorsing body and business plan content before you seek endorsement. The process can be very quick if you have already done your research, you understand the endorsing body selection criteria and you have experience in pitching in your sector. Our business immigration solicitors can provide as much or as little support as you need to secure your endorsement.

The endorsing body will issue an endorsement letter. The letter must state how your business idea or business meets the innovator founder visa criteria and that there are no concerns over the legitimacy of the source of funds. This endorsement letter must be used within three months, failing which you will need to get another endorsement letter.

The Home Office stage of the application process can be completed in as little as three weeks, sometimes longer if the Home Office has questions about the endorsement or there are other issues, such as previous immigration records. When submitting your application (or during your innovator founder visa), you can also apply for eligible family members (partners and children under the age of 18) to join you on dependant visas.

Your innovator founder visa will be granted for three years. At the end of the three years, subject to endorsement from your endorsing body and meeting the indefinite leave to remain eligibility criteria, you may be able to apply to settle in the UK. You can also extend the visa for a further three years instead or where you don’t meet the criteria for indefinite leave to remain but would require a new endorsement letter for this. 

What you can do on the innovator founder visa

Once your innovator founder visa has been granted, you can come to the UK to live and work and pursue your business by working in it. The visa route is flexible enough to allow you to:

• Take additional paid employment, provided the job is a role requiring a skill level of not less than RQF Level 3 (the equivalent to UK A Levels)
• Study  

Dependants on dependant visas are allowed to study in the UK or work on an employed or self-employed basis. The only work-related restriction is that your family member cannot work as a sportsperson or coach.

Whilst it is hard to comment on what might work for you and your specific business, the essential component of a successful innovator founder visa application is a detailed and well-researched business plan addressing the endorsing criteria of your chosen endorsing body and meeting all the immigration rules criteria. With a professional business plan, you limit the prospects of the Home Office asking questions of the endorsing body about their endorsement and the suitability of you and your business for a visa.

The best tip for making a successful innovator founder visa application is to get professional help with your application and business plan and fully utilise the help and resources of your chosen endorsing body and business immigration solicitors.

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UK Innovator Visa - the process, features and options available

The UK Innovator Visa was created for people looking to move to the UK who either own an established business or have a carefully created business plan for a new business. This article looks at the eligibility criteria, how to apply and when to get help.

Written on 14 September 2022

The UK Innovator Visa was specifically created for people looking to move to the UK who either own an established business or have a carefully created business plan for a new business. You will be required to set up and run a UK business once you have been approved for the visa.

Introduced in January 2021, the UK Innovator Visa replaced the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa which was phased out from 2019.

What is the Innovator Visa for?

The UK innovator visa is for people who wish to run a business, or a number of businesses, in the UK. People in the UK on an innovator visa are not allowed to work for any business or take on any other work which is outside of their own businesses. This means that you cannot be employed by another business, nor can you train for another profession (eg doctor, dentist or sports coach).

Under the innovator visa you cannot apply for any benefits, income support or tax credits.

The innovator visa enables you to stay in the UK for three years in total, and you can apply to extend this for a further 3 years once the visa has expired. You can extend the visa as many times as you wish, although after 5 years of being in the UK on the innovator visa, you may be able to apply for British nationality. In some circumstances you can settle after three years.

Innovator Visa core requirements

To be eligible for the UK Innovator Visa you will need to demonstrate that you:

• Have an existing business or a well-structured business plan with the intention of creating a UK business – both of which will need to be officially endorsed
• Have a minimum of £50,000 of capital to invest in your business
• Can prove you can support yourself when living in the UK
• Have a bank account with a minimum of £1,270 for 28 consecutive days before applying for your visa (this must be separate from the investment fund)
• Are willing to run the UK business
• Are over 18 years of age
• Can speak English

If you are applying for innovator visas as a team (eg business partners) each applicant will need to meet these requirements, including each applicant must have £50,000 investment fund.

Endorsement of your business or business plan

Your business or business idea are critical to being accepted for a UK innovator visa. As the name suggests, one of the key requirements of your business is that it would need to be innovative and unlike anything else currently available on the market.

Once you believe it is both innovative and unique, you will need to get your business endorsed by a Home Office’s approved endorsing body. You can review the list of endorsing bodies on the UK Government Website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/endorsing-bodies-innovator/innovator-endorsing-bodies

Endorsing bodies will not give any advice around hypothetical questions and their role in the application process is purely to evaluate your business to determine whether to endorse it or not. Your business will need to demonstrate that it is innovative, viable and scalable if it is to be endorsed.

Only bodies on the official government list can endorse a business or business plan, so you should double check the list before submitting your application.

Endorsement guidelines

A business or business plan is more likely to be endorsed if it meets the following guidelines:

• You will either be the founder or one of the team of founders
• Your business or business idea should be new and the original idea of yours or the team of founders
• There should not be significant competition already established in the UK market
• Your business idea should not be in an industry that is restricted under the innovator visa, such as property

Choosing an endorsing body

The UK Government (Home Office) does not provide guidance over which endorsing body to choose, so you will need to carefully select someone from the list yourself.

We recommend working with a lawyer who is an immigration and visa specialist who will be able to guide you as to which endorsing body is best to approach to maximise your chances of having your business endorsed.

Supporting documentation for your Innovator Visa application

Once you have your endorsement letter from the endorsing body, you will also need to have a number of documents to include with your Innovator Visa application including:

• Current passport (with a blank page) or other valid travel identification
• Bank statement showing you have had at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 or more consecutive days
• Proof of £50,000 capital or investment funds
• Evidence that you meet English language requirements which means you can prove you can speak, read, write and understand English
• Any required medical tests, such as TB (this will be dependent on your previous country of residence)
• Non-English/Welsh documents will need to have certified translation

Bringing your family to the UK

Successful innovator visa applicants can also bring family to the UK providing they have their own visas – if they are from outside the European Economic Area. Your family members are welcome to come to the UK providing they are:

• Children under the age of 18
• Children over the age of 18 if they live with the innovator visa holder as a dependent
• Spouse/partner

For each additional dependent, you will need to provide evidence that you have £630 in your bank account.

Dependents will be eligible to attend state schools and will gain the right to work once they arrive within the UK.

Innovator visa application costs

The basic costs when applying for an innovator visa are:

Your visa: £1,021 (or £966 if you are from Turkey or Macedonia)

Your spouse or other dependents: £1,021.

Once you have been accepted and are living in the UK, if you need to extend your Visa further, the cost for you is £1,277 and for each dependent or spouse an additional £1,277 will need to be paid per person.

In addition to the visa costs, you will also be required to pay £400 per year for a UK Immigration Health surcharge which covers any state provided health care. This is a requirement and not optional, even if you have private health cover.

How long does an innovator visa application take?

Once you have applied for a visa, you will normally get a decision within 3 weeks if you are applying from outside the UK or up to 8 weeks if your application is made while living in the UK.

What happens if the innovator visa application is refused?

If your innovator visa application is refused, you will be issued with a ‘notice of refusal’. Unfortunately, if you live outside the UK, then you will have no right of appeal. However, if you live in the UK at the time of application, you may be able to apply for a review, the details of which will be contained within the ‘notice of refusal’.

Get help from a lawyer

The process can be complex and ensuring your business or business plan has the best possible chance of being endorsed is absolutely critical.

It is therefore recommended that you work with a lawyer who specialises in helping people successfully apply for an innovator visa.

A lawyer will be able to review your business or business plan, talk you through the financial requirements and provide advice that will give you they best possible chance of having your business endorsed.

They will also be able to make recommendations as to which endorsing body you can apply to, which can be difficult to do on your own.

The investment of working with a lawyer will ensure you have explored all avenues. If it is determined that the innovatory visa isn’t suitable for you, they may also be able to recommend a different visa which you are more likely to be accepted for.

Request help with your UK Visa Application

Our free introduction service will connect you with an approved UK Visa specialist lawyer from our network who that has the required qualifications and experience to assist people with their UK Visa situation, whether making a new application or extending an existing Visa.

Once you have requested an introduction you will receive:

• A free introductory consultation to discuss your situation
• Evaluation of your most suitable UK Visa options
• An explanation of the process and how our partner can assist
• A no obligation fee-quote which will enable you to decide whether to proceed or not

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How to Write a Compelling Business Plan for Your Innovator Founder Visa Application

How Can I Write An Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan?

When preparing your UK Innovator Founder Visa application , one element stands out as a fundamental pillar: a comprehensive, well-crafted business plan. This document is your opportunity to present your vision, illustrating not only the blueprint of your business but also its potential for growth, innovation, and sustainability. Here, we delve deeper into how to create a compelling business plan that will capture the attention of endorsing bodies and underpin your Innovator Founder Visa application.

Table of Contents

Are you interested in making an Innovator Founder Visa application? Then do speak with one of our business immigration solicitors today by calling  +44 207 269 9590  or  click here  to contact us.

Laying the Foundation: Understanding the Essentials of the Business Plan

Before we get started with what parts need to be included in your Innovator Founder Visa business plan, it’s important to understand the purpose of creating one in the context of this visa application. An Innovatof Founder Visa business plan is not just an overview of your idea but a document that will showcase the potential of your idea to meet the criteria of innovation, viability, and scalability. With this in mind, let’s discuss the individual sections that should be included in your business plan.

Executive Summary

This is your elevator pitch. The Executive Summary should captivate your reader’s attention by providing a concise yet powerful overview of your business proposal. It should encapsulate your business’s mission, vision, and strategic direction, highlighting the key objectives and how you intend to achieve them.

Business Description

In this section, provide a comprehensive overview of your business. Describe what your business does, the industry it operates in, the legal structure, and its location. This section should also include the business’s history, if applicable, its current situation, and future goals.

Market Analysis

This part of your business plan should exhibit your in-depth wisdom of the market landscape. Determine your target demographic, define their needs, and how your product or service satisfies their necessities in an innovative and distinctive way. It would be good to present a competitor analysis and clarify how your offering is distinct and superior.

Organisation and Management

Here, detail the structure of your business, the ownership details, and the management team. Emphasise the aptitudes, experiences, and credentials that make you and your team aptly suited to successfully running the business.

Product Line and Services

Detail the goods or services that your venture provides, and illustrate their relevance to your intended customer base. It’s also important to highlight how these offerings stand out in contrast to currently available goods or services within the marketplace .

Marketing and Sales Strategy 

The section on your promotional and revenue growth plans should delve into the strategies you intend to implement for publicising your business and driving its expansion over a span of three years. Here you should outline your basic marketing and sales ideas, including what marketing channels you will utilise, pricing strategy, sales process, and customer retention strategies.

Financial Projections

A substantial component of your business plan is predicting your business’s financial performance. This may include expected income reports, cash flow reports, and balance sheets for the next three to five years.

Discuss you Innovator Founder Visa application with one of our business immigration solicitors, call  +44 207 269 9590   or  click here  to contact us.

Innovation, Viability, and Scalability: The Cornerstones of Your Business Plan

The Innovator Founder Visa is focused on businesses that bring something new to the table, have a practical execution plan, and exhibit potential for growth.

Your business idea must be unique and capable of meeting an existing market need or creating a new market. Highlight how your business idea differs from existing solutions and how it introduces unique techniques, processes, or technologies.

To meet the “viability” criteria, you should demonstrate a clear understanding of your product or service, your target market, and an analysis of your competitors. However, you will need to clearly demonstrate how feasible your idea is and how likely it is to succeed primarily in the UK market.

Scalability

Scalability is all about growth potential. Illustrate how your business is capable of expanding over time, whether through penetrating new markets, extending the product line, or increasing operational size.

Securing an Endorsement: The Final Step

Having meticulously crafted your business plan, the next stage is to secure an endorsement from a recognised UK endorsing body. These entities will assess your business plan taking into account its novelty, feasibility, and potential for expansion. Remember, they are not just looking at the business idea alone but also your capability to execute it successfully.

When presenting your business plan to the endorsing body, ensure that you make your case as  compelling as possible, providing evidence to support your claims wherever feasible. 

Remember, the endorsing body not only wants to see that your business idea meets the relevant criteria but that you are also passionate and committed to it and ready to make it succeed. Be prepared to be scrutinised and to have to defend your business plan and answer questions about your business, market, or financial projections.

Practical Tips for a Successful Business Plan

Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling business plan:

• Be clear in how you explain your idea: Avoid unnecessary jargon and keep your language professional and straightforward. The goal here is to communicate your business idea and plan effectively, not to impress with complex language.
• Use data and real-world examples: Support your statements with data and real-world examples wherever possible.
• Keep your financial projections realistic: While it’s essential to be optimistic, it’s also vital to keep your financial projections levelled in reality. Unrealistic figures can make your business plan look unreliable.
• Proofread: A business plan riddled with errors can give an unprofessional impression. Ensure you thoroughly proofread your document and, if possible, have others review it as well.
• Stay Flexible: Understand that your business plan is a living document. It should evolve with your business, reflecting changes in your strategy, market, or other aspects of your business. Be prepared to update and refine it as needed.

Composing your Innovator Founder Visa business proposal is indeed a significant undertaking. Carefully invest your time in constructing a strong and comprehensive plan that professionally delineates your business concept. By adhering to the recommendations outlined in this guide, you’ll make significant strides toward creating a business proposal that not only encapsulates your vision but also validates your enterprise’s capacity to meet visa requirements, enhancing your chances of obtaining an endorsement.

Remember, the robustness of your business proposal is a critical determinant in the success of your Innovator Founder Visa application. Therefore, it’s essential to be meticulous and ensure your idea leaves a lasting impression on the endorsing entities.

Also Read: How Can I Ace My Innovator Founder Visa Application?

Your business plan should comprise an overview, an elaboration of your enterprise, a market study, your business framework, a detailed explanation of your product or service, promotion, and revenue generation tactics, as well as precise financial forecasts. It needs to effectively manifest novelty, feasibility, and potential for growth. 

The short answer is – as detailed as possible, including metrics for income, cash flow and balance sheet forecasts, for at least three years ahead. They should be realistic, based on sound assumptions, and you should be prepared to justify them.

Supporting evidence can include market research, examples of previous success in business or in executing similar projects, or prototypes of your product or service. Letters of intent or interest from potential customers or partners can also be very persuasive.

There is no strict prerequisite for length. What matters is that your business plan covers all necessary elements and communicates them effectively. Generally, a business plan may range from 20 to 50 pages, but the quality of content is far more important than quantity.

The business plan you submit for your Innovator Founder Visa application represents your business concept at that point in time. It is understood that business plans may need to evolve in response to new information or changing circumstances. If your plan changes significantly, you should communicate this to your endorsing body and may need to seek a new endorsement based on the updated plan.

This is all about showing how your product, service, or business model adds value, is original, and significantly different from existing offerings in the market. You could include evidence of intellectual property, proprietary technology, or a unique approach to addressing a market need.

To show viability, you must illustrate that your business model is capable of generating revenue and eventually becoming profitable. This can be achieved by providing a clear strategy for attracting and retaining customers, explaining your pricing strategy, and providing realistic financial forecasts.

Scalability refers to your business’s potential for growth. In your business plan, you should outline how your business can handle increased demand and expand, such as by scaling operations, entering new markets, or developing new products or services.

Not necessarily. Having relevant experience can strengthen your application, but it is not a strict requirement. What is important is to demonstrate that your idea is innovative, scalable, and viable and that you have the skills, knowledge, and dedication necessary to make your business a success.

Yes, it is essential and advisable to incorporate your team members into your business proposal. Accentuate their competencies, background, and designated functions within your prospective enterprise to illustrate that you have assembled a competent team equipped to realise your business goals.

Let Us Assess Your Eligibility For The Innovator Founder Visa

Dr Bernard Andonian – the Co-Founder of Gulbenkian Andonian Solicitors, is an experienced Immigration Solicitor, former Judge, and recipient of a PhD in Law from the University of West London. He has over four decades of experience practising UK Immigration, Human Rights and Civil Litigation Law. He has served on the Law Society  Immigration Law Panel, achieved numerous groundbreaking decisions in higher courts and is featured in the  Legal 500’s Hall of Fame . 

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A Guide to the UK Innovator Visa: Requirements and Process

Entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business or investing in the UK can apply for an Innovator visa. AlexandraSpencer.co.uk is designed for individuals who have a business idea that is innovative, viable, and scalable. The Innovator Visa is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to establish a business in the UK and contribute to the country’s economy. In this article, we will provide a guide to the UK Innovator Visa: Requirements and Process.

What is an Innovator Visa?

The Innovator visa is a type of visa that allows entrepreneurs to establish businesses in the UK. This visa is designed for individuals who have a business idea that is innovative, viable, and scalable. The Innovator visa is valid for up to three years and can be extended for another three years. After five years, entrepreneurs can apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. 

To be eligible for an Innovator visa, the entrepreneur must have at least £50,000 in investment funds from a UK-approved funding source. They must also have a business plan endorsed by an approved UK body, such as a business accelerator or university. Entrepreneurs must also meet the English language requirement and have enough funds to support themselves and any dependents.

Once the Innovator visa is granted, the entrepreneur can work on their business full-time in the UK. They can also bring their spouse and children under the age of 18 to the UK as dependents. The visa holder must adhere to the terms of their visa and work on their endorsed business throughout their stay in the UK.

The Innovator Visa is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to establish their businesses in the UK and contribute to the country’s economy. With the right idea, funding, and plan, entrepreneurs can make the most of this visa and potentially secure their future in the UK.

What are the Requirements for an Innovator Visa?

Entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for an Innovator visa must meet several requirements. First, they must have an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea that has the potential for growth in the UK market. Second, they must have at least £50,000 in investment funds from an approved source. Third, they must be able to prove their business experience and show that they are capable of running a business in the UK. Finally, they must have a valid endorsement from an approved endorsing body. If an entrepreneur meets all of these requirements, they can apply for an Innovator visa and start their business in the UK.

What is an Endorsing Body?

An endorsing body is an organization that is approved by the UK government to endorse entrepreneurs who are applying for an Innovator visa. The endorsing body will assess the entrepreneur’s business idea and provide an endorsement if the idea is deemed innovative, viable, and scalable. There are currently 24 endorsing bodies that are approved by the UK government. 

These endorsing bodies are responsible for ensuring that the entrepreneurs they endorse are committed to developing their businesses in the UK. They also provide support and guidance to the entrepreneurs throughout their visa application process. The Innovator Visa is designed for entrepreneurs who want to establish a new business in the UK or who want to invest in an existing business. It allows successful applicants to stay in the UK for up to three years, with the option to extend for a further three years. The Innovator visa also provides a pathway to settlement in the UK.

What is the Process for Applying for an Innovator Visa?

The first step is to prepare a business plan that meets the Innovator visa requirements. This plan must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body. Once the plan is approved, the applicant can apply for the Innovator visa. The applicant must also meet the English language requirement and have enough funds to support themselves and their business. The visa is granted for up to 3 years and can be extended for another 3 years. After 5 years, the applicant can apply for settlement in the UK. 

If you are interested in applying for an Innovator visa, the process involves several steps. The first step is to create a comprehensive business plan that meets the requirements set forth by the Innovator Visa Program. This plan must also be endorsed by an approved endorsing body. Once your plan is approved, you can then apply for the Innovator visa. It’s important to note that you must meet the English language requirement and have sufficient funds to support both yourself and your business. If approved, the Innovator visa is granted for up to 3 years and can be extended for an additional 3 years. After a total of 5 years, you may apply for settlement in the UK.

What Supporting Documents are Required?

When applying for an Innovator visa, several supporting documents are required to be submitted. These include a detailed business plan, which outlines the innovation and viability of the proposed business idea. The applicant is also required to provide evidence of endorsement from an approved endorsing body, demonstrating that their business idea is innovative, scalable, and has the potential for growth. Additionally, the applicant must provide evidence of their proficiency in the English language, as well as proof of their financial capacity to support themselves and their dependents in the UK. Finally, the applicant must also submit a valid passport or travel document, as well as any other relevant documents pertaining to their immigration history.

What is the Cost of an Innovator Visa?

The cost of an Innovator visa is £1,021 for the main applicant and £1,021 for each dependent. If you are applying for an Innovator visa, you should be aware that the cost for the main applicant is £1,021. Additionally, if you have any dependents who will be joining you in the UK, you will need to pay £1,021 for each of them. It is important to factor in these costs when budgeting for your visa application.

What are the Benefits of an Innovator Visa?

The Innovator Visa provides entrepreneurs with a range of benefits. Firstly, it allows them to start and run a business in the UK without requiring any initial investment. Additionally, it provides access to expert business support and guidance from approved endorsing bodies, helping entrepreneurs develop their business ideas and strategies. The visa also allows entrepreneurs to work and live in the UK for up to three years, with the possibility of extending for a further three years. This provides a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs to establish their businesses in the UK and contribute to the country’s economy.

What are the Limitations of an Innovator Visa?

The Innovator Visa, although a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators to establish their businesses in the UK, comes with certain limitations. Firstly, the visa requires a minimum investment of £50,000, which may be a significant financial barrier for some. Secondly, the visa holder must demonstrate that they have a viable and innovative business idea, which can be a challenging task. Thirdly, the visa holder must be actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business, and cannot work for any other employer in the UK. Lastly, the visa is granted for a period of three years, after which the visa holder must apply for an extension or switch to another visa category.

The Innovator Visa is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business in the UK. However, entrepreneurs must meet certain requirements and provide supporting documents when applying for a visa. The Innovator Visa provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to establish a business in the UK and contribute to the country’s economy. It is also a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to bring family members to the UK.

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Innovator Founder visa UK

The innovator founder visa category is for experienced businesspersons and entrepreneurs seeking to establish a business in the uk..

In most cases, applicants will need to have access to at least £50,000 to invest in their business (or have already invested £50,000 in their business), but certain exceptions apply.  Applicants also need to have an innovative, viable and scalable business idea which is approved and supported by a licenced endorsing body.

Download our Innovator Founder visa routes brochure to find out more.

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Includes an in-depth explanation of the visa and how we can help

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Who is the Innovator visa suitable for?

The Innovator visa category is suitable for experienced businesspersons and entrepreneurs looking to set up a new business in the UK that is innovative, viable, and scalable.  Applicants are expected to present a new business idea.  Generally, the business will not already exist; however, where it does, the new company should not yet have fully started trading.

Up until 2019, the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa would have been the most suitable route for entrepreneurs, but the Innovator visa route has since replaced this.

Applicants can work on their own as a sole founder or as part of an entrepreneurial team, provided that each applicant is an original and significant member of the founding team.

The business idea may relate to any sector, provided the business idea is sufficiently innovative, viable and scalable. Applicants can develop other businesses and their main business idea but are not permitted to undertake employment outside of their business ventures. For example, the restriction on companies mainly engaged in property development under the previous Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa category does not apply.

If you are a senior employee of an overseas business looking to establish a commercial presence in the UK, you may consider the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa instead of the Innovator visa.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To apply for the UK Innovator visa, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You are at least 18 years old;
• You have at least £50,000 available to invest in your UK business or have already invested £50,000 in your UK business (this requirement is waived if switching from the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur or Start-up category to pursue the same business venture or extending as an existing Innovator to follow the same business venture and, in both cases, you have shown significant achievements judged against your business plan);
• If applying to set up a new business venture, you have been endorsed by an approved UK supporting body that has positively assessed your business idea for innovation, viability and scalability and is satisfied that you will spend your entire working time in the UK on developing your business venture;
• You have an endorsement letter that must be issued no more than three months before the date of your Innovator visa application;
• You genuinely intend to undertake, and are capable of undertaking, any work or business activity in the UK stated in your application;
• You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking);
• If you are outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months, then you have at least £1270 to support yourself, plus £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for a first child and £200 for each additional child.

How much do I need to invest under the Innovator visa category?

You will usually need to have at least £50,000 available to invest in your UK business or have already invested £50,000 in your UK business. You may rely on money of your own or funding provided by your endorsing body.

The requirement to have a ‘viable’ and ‘scalable’ business idea means that, in practice, you may need to have more than £50,000 available to invest. Some endorsing bodies require an additional level of funding as a condition of endorsement.

The investment funds required for an Innovator visa are waived for applicants switching from the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur or Start-up category to pursue the same business venture or extend as an existing Innovator to follow the same business venture. However, applicants will need to demonstrate that their business is financially sustainable and that they have made significant achievements judged against their business plan.

There is also an initial application fee of £1,036 if applying from outside the UK, or £1,292 if applying to switch into the category from within the UK. You’ll also need to prove that you have enough money (known as ‘maintenance funds’) to support yourself and any dependent family members while in the UK. For the Innovator visa, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have £1,270 available for this purpose.

How quickly can I get a response after applying for an Innovator visa?

The time it takes for a decision to be made on your application depends on several factors, including where you made the application from, where any information is outstanding and whether you have purchased a priority service.

When applying from within the UK, you will usually receive a response within a shorter period of time than from outside the UK. Response times vary from a few weeks to months, and since you must first receive endorsement from an endorsing body, the process can take longer. The response time can be sped up by applying for a priority service, which is available to customers in many countries.

What else does the Innovator visa allow me to do?

With a UK Innovator visa, you can stay in the UK for three years, with no limit on its extension.

As outlined above, the Innovator Visa also allows you to bring dependent family members with you to the UK — meaning that they can also benefit from local amenities such as healthcare and education. This could be a spouse, a civil partner or unmarried partner, a child under 18 (or over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependent).

If you’re applying with your partner as a dependent, you and your partner must be able to provide evidence of a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK.

If applying with a child aged 16 or over, they must live with you unless in full-time education at a boarding school, college or university. They cannot be married , in a civil partnership or have children , and you must financially support them. You will also need to provide documents confirming their address if they live with you.

In some cases, UK Innovator Visa holders will be eligible to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain status after three years of running their business in the UK, provided that they meet the requirements Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship.

To obtain this after three years of residency, all of the following conditions must be met:

• The applicant has shown significant achievements, judged against the business plan assessed in their previous endorsement;
• The applicant’s business is registered with Companies House and the applicant is listed as a director or member of that business;
• The business is active and trading;
• The business appears to be sustainable for at least the following 12 months, based on its assets and expected income, weighed against its current and planned expenses;
• The applicant has demonstrated an active key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business.

In addition to the above, at least two of the following criteria must be met:

• At least £50,000 has been invested into the business and actively spent furthering the business plan assessed in the applicant’s previous endorsement;
• The number of the business’s customers has at least doubled within the most recent 3 years and is currently higher than the mean number of customers for other UK businesses offering comparable main products or services;
• The business has engaged in significant research and development activity and has applied for intellectual property protection in the UK;
• The business has generated a minimum annual gross revenue of £1 million in the last full year covered by its accounts;
• The business is generating a minimum annual gross revenue of £500,000 in the last full year covered by its accounts, with at least £100,000 from exporting overseas;
• The business has created the equivalent of at least 10 full-time jobs for settled workers;
• The business has created the equivalent of at least 5 full-time jobs for settled workers, which have an average salary of at least £25,000 a year (gross pay, excluding any expenses).

After 12 months of holding an Indefinite Leave to Remain, you can apply for British Citizenship.

There are, however, some conditions attached to the Innovator Visa. As an Innovator Visa holder, you must work on your business full-time and are forbidden to take on outside employment.

This means another company cannot employ you. You also cannot work as a doctor or dentist in training, work as a professional sportsperson, or receive public funds such as benefits and housing assistance.

How do I get my business proposal endorsed for an Innovator visa?

For your business proposal to be endorsed, you will need to receive a letter of endorsement from a UK Government-approved endorsing body. Endorsing bodies are selected UK higher education institutions or business organisations with a history of supporting UK entrepreneurs. An approved endorsing body will need to be satisfied that your business idea meets all of the following criteria:

• Innovation: You have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage;
• Viability: You have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to run the business successfully;
• Scalability: Your business plan shows structured planning and potential for job creation and growth in national and international markets.

The endorsing body will need to be satisfied that you will spend your entire working time in the UK on developing business ventures.

How can InvestUK help with my Innovator visa application?

Our multi-lingual business consultancy team is highly experienced in helping international businesspersons and entrepreneurs to develop Innovator visa-compliant business plans that meet the criteria of being innovative, viable and scalable and are highly optimised for the UK market.

In addition, our visa consultancy team can help you with all the necessary documentation to apply to a range of suitable endorsing bodies and assist in the process of making a visa application to the UK Home Office.

Our team has helped many entrepreneurs successfully obtain Innovator or Start-up visa endorsement and Entry Clearance into the UK.

InvestUK has a 5-step process to help you apply with peace of mind. Our team will support you in areas such as;

• Assessing your needs and evaluating your ideas against the required criteria;
• Assisting with optimising your business ideas for the UK market;
• Helping you plan and prepare for the later steps of the application process;
• Confirming your successful application and supporting you with the formation and opening of bank accounts;
• Continued support for you and your new business even after you have received your Innovator visa.

InvestUK will support you with more than simply an Innovator visa application: our Innovator Advance Programme also provides optional business support services for your business once you have obtained a visa.

As well as a business mentoring service, InvestUK can provide you with lifestyle planning services during your time in the UK including wealth, tax management and education consultancy services.

Whatever stage you’re at, we’re ready to help you with your UK business and Innovator Visa

Book a free consultation with our multi-lingual team to discuss what’s available to you and how to apply for an Innovator visa today.

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Need a Business Plan for an Innovator Founder Endorsement or Visa Application?  

From 13 April 2023 onwards, the start-up and  innovator visas introduced in March 2019 will effectively merge into one scheme, dubbed the Innovator Founder route.  The Innovator Founder visa combines many of the best features of the two previous visa schemes: 

• No Minimum Investment Requirement - Founders will no longer be required to invest (or have invested) at least £50k in the business as was the case for the Innovator visa. This is one reason why there is no longer a need for the Start-up route which had no minimum investment funds requirement. This will offer greater flexibility to applicants. However, some applicants will need to show that they have sufficient funds to establish their business as part of the requirement to show that the business plan is viable. If the business idea is one which requires significant investment, then the Endorsing Body may wish to see evidence of how the applicant proposes to fund this.
• Secondary Employment is Permitted - Secondary employment will be permitted while the visa holder is developing their start-up buiness.  Under the Innovator route, applicants were excluded from working for any other business other than the business that they have established, though this was permitted for Start-up migrants. The Innovator Founder route is much more flexible in that it allows employment outside of the applicant’s business. Innovator Founders can take up secondary employment provided that the employed role is at least RQF Level 3 (equivalent to A-levels). This is, of course, is another reason why the Start-up route is no longer required. Study is also permitted in certain circumstances. 

The Home Office has also greatly simplified the endorsement process.  Under the old system, founders looking to apply for start-up and innovator visas had to get a letter of endorsement from one of more than 50 private UK endorsing bodies, or one of a few dozen UK universities.  However, Home Office officials have seen over the course of the last four years that this system did not work well either for the founders or for the Home Office. 

• Bad for Founders - The old way endorsement was arranged didn't work well for founders for whom endorsement was typically only granted after they signed up for an expensive programme of business support (up to £10K per year) or after relinquishing equity in the business to the endorsing body (10% - 20% of the company in many instances).  Meanwhile, young entrepreneurs who were able to be endorsed as a graduate or alumni of one of the Universities didn't typically have to pay for ongoing business support but generally received very limited support from academic staff with limited entrepreneurial experience.    
• Bad for Home Office - The fact that there were so many different endorsing bodies made it incredibly difficult for the Home Office to maintain a uniform interpretation of the criteria for a project to qualify for the start-up or innovator visa (i.e. innovative, viable, and scalable).  This disparity between the Home Office's interpretation of the criteria and the interpretation of many of the endorsing bodies culminated in an explosion of refusals in 2022 for applicants that had been endorsed by one of the endorsing bodies but who were subsequently refused by the Home Office at the visa stage.  The refusal rate for the innovator visa, for example, increased from 5% in Q2 of 2021 to 44% in Q2 of 2022.  This refusal rate subsequently fell slightly as many endorsing bodies adopted an interpretation of the visa criteria that was more in line with Home Office expectations, but the refusal rate for both start-up and innovator visas remains high.       

To address both of these issues, the Home Office has decided to reduce the number of endorsing bodies from more than fifty to just three - Geminus Innovation (t/a Innovator International) , Envestors , and the newly established UK Endorsement Services . Applicants still must have a business idea that has been assessed by one of the three newly approved endorsing bodies as being innovative, viable, and scalable. However, the Home Office will now ensure that these endorsing bodies deeply understand what the Home Office is looking for from Innovator Founder visa applicants and will ensure that the endorsing bodies apply the criteria for endorsement uniformly regardless of which of the three endorsing bodies receives an application.  It will no longer be possible, as was previously the case, to "shop around" the various endorsing bodies to find someone that was willing to support a business idea after having been rejected by one of them as not meeting the visa criteria.  

The endorsing bodies will be looking for the following from business projects used as the basis of an Innovator Founder visa application:   

• Innovation — The project must either be unique in the UK market or sufficiently different from the industry incumbents for the business to enjoy a significant competitive advantage over its competitors.  The innovation must be related to the core function of the business - it cannot be a "bolt-on" innovation that has only been added to a traditional business for the purposes of meeting the innovation requirement (e.g. a traditional business that offers an app of some description to customers).  Endorsing bodies are especially wary of projects where a few innovative buzzwords (e.g. AI, machine learning, Web 3, and blockchain) are added to an otherwise unremarkable business idea.  Unless the innovative technology is central to the project, it is unlikely to be endorsed.  There must also be a credible development plan for the technology/innovation if the applicant is a non-technical founder.    
• Viability — There must be strong evidence that this innovation is not just "innovation for innovation's sake" but that it is a solution to a genuine pain point that is widely acknowledged by potential customers.  Endorsing bodies have a strong preference for primary research over secondary desk research in establishing the demand for this innovation.  They are ideally looking for evidence of conversations with potential customers who have expressed a willingness to pay to solve a problem that they acknowledge exists and that they would like to address.  They will also assess whether or not the applicant has, or is actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and market awareness to successfully run the business.  The founder must also demonstrate to the satisfaction of the endorsing bodies that they have the financial resources available to launch and develop the business to the point where it is cash flow positive.     
• Scalability — Endorsing bodies will assess the strength of the "go to market" strategy, with a special emphasis on the detailed plan for the business to secure its first ten to twenty customers. Given that the initial customer acquisition work is likely to be carried out by the founder(s) themselves, they will also assess the founder's experience, existing contacts to whom they could sell, and their general sales and marketing skills.  Endorsing bodies will also assess for evidence of structured planning and of potential for job creation and growth into national markets. 

The changes announced alongside the new Innovator Founder visa are positive in many ways but will also create new challenges for applicants.  With only three endorsing bodies approved to issue endorsements after 13 April 2023, each endorsing body will receive a much large number of applications.  This will have the effect of increasing competition for endorsements whilst the increased volume of applications will slow down the endorsement process unless they make quick decisions based on their first impression of the project.  Endorsing bodies are unlikely to be able to provide extensive feedback about projects as many have heretofore been able to do.  Applications that have critical failure points will likely be rejected with no further conversation available.  Whilst applicants will be free to re-apply with the same project, it is unlikely that a different endorsing body will see things differently and will be assessed with a heightened degree of caution by the same endorsing body given the initial failure points. 

Our Services 

Now more than ever, it will be critical to get the plan right the first time. 

Given the competitive nature of the UK Innovator Founder route and the uncertainty inherent in the process as the new rules and guidelines are put into practice and tested, you may need to lean on our expertise in order to maximise the chances that your attempts to secure an endorsement are successful. We can help prospective Innovator Founder Visa applicants in the following ways:

1.  We can help you identify and develop an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea.

Unlike previous UK business visa schemes such as Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), a strong business plan which is viable and able to expand within the UK market may not satisfy the conditions of the new Innovator Founder Visa route. In order to secure a visa endorsement, your business idea will need to be deemed innovative, viable, and scalable by one of the endorsing bodies.

• Innovative - Prospective applicants need to develop a business plan that brings something new to the UK market rather than a "me-too" business that merely competes with other similar businesses. Depending on the endorsing body you are targeting, it is possible that a more cost-efficient model or one with a superior but similar product or enhanced customer service may not be deemed sufficiently innovative. We will help you to take your idea and co-create with you points of differentiation and competitive advantage that will make your business truly unique. We will also help you find the necessary clarity to accelerate execution.
• Viable - The endorsing body will be looking to support business plans that the entrepreneur and their team can actually deliver and that have a clear and credible pathway to profitability. We will also demonstrate that you and your team have the skills, knowledge, experience, and market awareness to deliver on your business plan or develop a clear plan whereby they can be developed. We can help you to establish your funding requirements for the three-year period of the Innovator Founder visa, identify the most suitable source of start-up funding and map out what needs to be done in order to firmly establish your business as a viable venture.
• Scalable - Scaling a business is an often misunderstood concept. It does not simply mean that the business is capable of getting bigger. That would be true of almost every business. A business can only truly be said to be scalable if it has operating leverage. If additional revenue requires relatively smaller and smaller additions to operating costs, you have operational leverage and your business can accurately be said to scale. However, a business that adds revenue and operating costs at an equal rate or even adds costs at a greater rate than it can add revenue cannot be properly said to scale, even if the business could get a lot larger in terms of both its revenues and gross profitability. We can help you verify that your business idea is truly scalable by carrying out the detailed financial modelling necessary to map out the relationship between revenue and operating costs in your business.

We would start by assessing the business ideas that an applicant may already have in the first instance to ensure that it meets the endorsement criteria and is likely to be warmly received by an endorsing body. If necessary, we will work with the applicant to refine these ideas until we have a business idea that meets the criteria that the applicant is excited to pursue. If a client does not have any clear ideas at this stage, we can help generate three ideas based on their CV and personal interests that are likely to meet the visa criteria which the applicant can review as a starting point for the idea generation and selection process. We will then work with the applicant to further research and expand upon their preferred business idea. We will not move forward to the next phase until we have a business idea that meets the visa criteria that is both likely to be endorsed and is a project to which the applicant is committed to pursue in the UK for the next 3 years.

2.  We can help you validate demand for your innovative, viable, and scalable business idea.

Setting up a new small business will likely be the greatest investment of time, energy, and money that most people will ever make. Most people would never dream of buying a car without first taking it for a test drive.  Similarly, the Home Office assumes that business visa applicants would never move with their family to the other side of the world to pursue a business idea that had not at least been subject to some basic tests.  Consequently, endorsing bodies are unlikely to take a project seriously that has not spent at least some time actively validating their business idea. 

Over the last decade of working with entrepreneurs from the UK and all around the world, we have developed a process via which an applicant can validate their business ideas without significant costs. Our idea validation process is designed to give both the applicant and the endorsing body reasonable certainty that this business will have a sustainable, growing, paying audience in a matter of weeks, rather than wasting months or years building a final product nobody will pay for.  The process is designed to highlight who the first paying customers are likely to be and to lay a solid foundation for growth in the first 6-12 months of the business.

Our process for validating a business idea can be boiled down to 7 simple steps:

• Create an Early Feedback Group
• Have One on One Conversations With the Target Market
• Revise Idea Based On Initial Conversations to Ensure a Strong Competitive Advantage
• Develop an E-Mail List of Potential Customers
• Create Proof of Concept Goals
• Create and Launch a Pre-Order Offer to E-mail List
• Continue Building and Iterating Based Upon Feedback 

We will support clients through each step of the product validation process.  The more of this process that can be completed prior to submitting the endorsement application, the better.  However, we recommend that clients complete steps 1-4 as a minimum. 

Following this business idea validation process is not a guarantee of success and it most certainly isn’t easy. It’s not as simple as putting up a waiting list and hoping people miraculously discover your offering & fork over their hard-earned money for something that doesn’t exist yet. It will take work to build confidence, inspire trust and convince a community that you’ll be able to deliver enough value in exchange for the price you’re asking.      

3.  We can review or write the business plan for your endorsement and visa application

Since its inception in 2012, Continuous Business Planning has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs from all over the world that needed a business plan in support of their visa application.  With over a decade of experience working with direct clients, immigration lawyers, and immigration consultants from all around the world, we are amongst the most knowledgeable and experienced consultants in the UK when it comes to supporting business-related immigration to the UK.  As far as business plans are concerned, we assist clients in two ways - by providing a detailed, professional review of a self-produced business plan or by writing the entire business plan for the client.  

Visa Business Plan Review

For those people that have already written their own business plan but need advice as to whether this is an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea that meets the start-up visa criteria and want a recommendation as to which Endorsing Body they should approach, we offer our comprehensive visa business plan review service. The result is an actionable report with recommendations for improvement of the business model in terms of the degree to which it satisfies the visa criteria and also improvements in the content of the plan itself.

Visa Business Plan Writing

If you would prefer to outsource the writing of the business plan to our team, we are happy to take on the task.  Once we have ensured you have a properly validated business idea, we will produce a visa-compliant business plan to present to the endorsing bodies. This will be extremely detailed (typically 35 – 40 pages) and will include everything that the endorsing bodies typically want to see. We will review the full draft together and make sure you know the business plan thoroughly so that you can pitch this idea to the endorsing bodies with confidence and expertise. 

4.  We Can Advise on Selecting the Most Suitable Endorsing Body for your Business and Act as an Introducer 

Once they have a fully formed business idea that meets the Innovator Founder visa criteria, the next consideration for prospective applicants is to select the most appropriate endorsing body for their business idea.  The application process for each endorsing body is different, payment terms are different and the support network in place with each endorsing body is different.  We will help applicants to identify which of the endorsing bodies would be most suitable for their business idea and will make the necessary introductions so that they can get started with qualifying for an Innovator Founder visa endorsement.  The endorsing bodies give extra weight to projects that have been introduced by a trusted partner as this helps them to screen out projects that have no chance of endorsement which they would need to spend time reviewing if received via direct application.

Finally, unlike many business plan writers, we will not abandon you during the endorsement process. The endorsing body may ask questions that you won’t feel fully comfortable answering, at which point you can simply reach back out to us, even if it is months after we finished the business plan and we’ll help clarify anything that comes up.

If you are considering starting a business in the UK and are interested in the Innovator Founder Visa, please reach out today for a free, no-obligation initial consultation.     

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UK Innovator Founder Visa

Start up your business in the UK with the Innovator Founder visa. We are specialist UK immigration advisers to entrepreneurs and business owners.

If you’re an overseas entrepreneur looking to start a business in the UK, you may need to apply for the new innovator founder route.

What is the UK Innovator Founder Route?

The innovator founder visa opened in April 2023 for non-UK residents to come to the UK to set up a business. 

It effectively replaces the Innovator route and Start up visa , and is now the primary visa category for foreign entrepreneurs looking to set up a business in the UK. 

The innovator founder visa could be seen as offering the most attractive parts of both of its predecessor routes, including:

• No £50,000 minimum investment requirement
• Reduced ‘check in’ requirement with endorsing body – only two, down from 3 under the start up rules
• Secondary employment permitted in certain conditions
• Path to UK settlement – time spent in the UK under this route can count towards indefinite leave to remain residence requirement

To be eligible, the business must be endorsed by proving it is based on an innovative, viable and scalable idea that the applicant has either generated or significantly contributed to.

Self-Sponsorship as an Alternative to the Innovator Founder

For entrepreneurs, a popular alternative to the Innovator Founder route is self-sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa. 

Find out more in our detailed guide to self-sponsorship for business owners. 

What does the innovator founder visa allow?

The innovator founder route allows successful applicants to come to the UK to put their business plans into practice. 

As an innovator founder visa holder, you’ll be permitted to work for the business that you have established, and undertake additional employment, provided that employment is in a role that requires a skill level of not less than RQF Level 3, equivalent to UK A Levels. 

You will also be allowed to undertake a course of studies alongside running your business.

Innovator founders are initially granted permission to live and work in the UK for a maximum period of 3 years, at which stage, provided you meet the relevant requirements, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain , otherwise known as settlement.

Your immediate relatives can also accompany you or follow on and join you in the UK under a dependant visa. This includes your partner and any dependent children. As dependants, your family members will be permitted to undertake any type of work during their stay, including self-employment and voluntary work, except as a sportsperson or coach. They can also pursue any studies.

How to apply for the Innovator Founder visa

As with an application for either a start-up or innovator visa, under the new innovator founder route the applicant must have been issued with an endorsement letter by an authorised body no more than 3 months before the date of application. This letter, together with any other documentation, must be submitted in support of an online application.

As such, the application process for the new innovator founder route does not depart too much from the previous start-up and innovator routes, although the endorsement letter must confirm that the applicant’s business idea or business meets the new requirements, including a requirement to state there are no concerns over legitimacy of source of funds.

Innovator Founder endorsement

The first stage of the application process for the innovator founder route is to secure endorsement from an authorised body. 

Only organisations authorised by there Home Office can provide the required endorsement. These organisations, as listed on the Home Office website, are: 

• Envestors Limited
• UK Endorsing Services
• Innovator International
• The Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP)

The previous Innovator route endorsing bodies, known as legacy endorsing bodies, can continue to endorse applicants who entered the innovator visa scheme before 13 April 2023. However, they will only endorse applicants for the same business idea used in a previous application.

Innovator Founder visa requirements

To be granted an innovator founder visa, the applicant must be awarded 70 points in total, of which 50 must be under the new or same business criteria, but not both. The remaining 20 points will be awarded for meeting an English language and a financial requirement.

The different criteria are as follows:

New business criteria

• 30 points: awarded for the applicant’s business plan
• 20 points: awarded if the new business venture is innovative, viable and scalable.

In relation to the business plan for innovator founders, the applicant must:

• have a business plan, where they have generated or at least made a significant contribution to the ideas contained within that plan;
• show that they will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan;
• confirm that they will have at least 2 contact point meetings with their endorsing body at regular intervals during their grant of leave (where a contact point meeting is essentially a checkpoint assessment between the applicant and endorsing body to assess progress against the applicant’s business plan), and;
• be either the sole founder or, instead, an instrumental member of the founding team.

In the context of the requirement for the business venture to be innovative, viable and scalable, the applicant must meet all of the following requirements:

• have a genuine and original business plan that meets either new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage in the UK;
• that plan must be both realistic and achievable based on the applicant’s resources;
• the applicant must have, or be in the process of actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run their business, and;
• there must be evidence of structured planning, as well as the potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

Same business criteria

• 10 points: awarded for holding previous permission in the innovator founder, innovator, start-up or Tier 1 (graduate entrepreneur) routes and the applicant is pursuing a business assessed by an endorsing body either for the previous endorsement or at a contact point
• 20 points: awarded if the business is active, trading and sustainable, demonstrating significant achievements against the business plan
• 20 points: awarded if the applicant is active in the day-to-day management and in the development of their business.

If the applicant is applying under the same business criteria, to be able to score the necessary points, they must have or have last had permission on one of the relevant routes ‘and’ the letter of endorsement must confirm that they meet the following requirements:

• the applicant’s business must be a business that has previously been assessed by an endorsing body or a ‘legacy endorsing body’ while the applicant had permission under a previous relevant route (where ‘legacy endorsing body’ means an organisation previously approved to endorse an applicant under the innovator or start-up routes but is not permitted to endorse a new individual or business under the innovator founder route);
• if the applicant has or last had permission as an innovator founder, they must demonstrate that they have attended at least 2 contact point meetings with their endorsing body at regular intervals during their grant of leave, or similar regular checkpoint assessments with their legacy endorsing body, and confirm that they will have at least 2 meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals during any further leave.

When it comes to the business being active, trading and sustainable, the applicant must be able to show that they have made significant progress against their business plan. They must also be able to show that the business is registered with Companies House, where the applicant must be listed as either a director or member of that business.

Finally, in the context of the day-to-day management requirement, the applicant must be involved in the daily management and development of their business.

Mandatory criteria for both new and same businesses

• 10 points: awarded for satisfying the English language requirement, where the applicant must be able to show English language ability in reading, writing, speaking and listening to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;
• 10 points: awarded for satisfying the financial requirement by showing funds of at least £1,270 for a 28-day period, unless the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has lawfully been in the UK for 12 months at the date of application.

Innovator Founder visa costs

The innovator founder visa application costs depend on where you are applying from.

Main applicants applying from overseas must pay £1,191, or the cost is £1,486 if applying from within the UK to switch or extend status.

Each applicant will also be liable to pay the immigration health surcharge  per year of stay. This is to allow applicants to be able to access the UK’s National Health Service. 

In addition, most Innovator Founder visa holders will also have to pay a £500 charge for each contact meeting with their endorsing body. Limited exemptions apply, including those with limited leave to remain under Appendix Innovator, Appendix Innovator Founder or Appendix Start up.

Can I apply to settle under the Innovator founder route?

Yes, innovator founder visa holders can become eligible to settle in the UK. Time spent in the UK under the Innovator Founder route can be used to count towards the indefinite leave to remain residence requirement.

Can family members join me?

Yes, qualifying partners and dependent children of an innovative founder can join you in the UK as dependant migrants .

What if your Innovator Founder application is refused?

Applications can be refused for many different reasons. It will be important to understand what the grounds are for refusal to determine your next steps. If your application is denied, either at the endorsement or Home Office stage, we can advise on your options.

Need assistance with an Innovator Founder application? We can help

Contact our UK immigration specialists for advice on any aspect of the Innovator Founder visa application process. 

UK Innovator founder visa FAQs

What is the innovator founder route.

The innovator founder route has replaced the innovator and start-up routes for non-UK resident entrepreneurs and business owners to come to the UK to set up and run a UK-based enterprise.

What visa do I need to start a business in the UK?

To start a business in the UK you will usually need to be granted an innovator founder visa. Alternative routes could include self-sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa. Take professional advice on your options to ensure you are applting for the most appropriate route for your circumstances.

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UK Innovator Founder Visa

What is uk innovator founder visa.

A UK Innovator Founder visa has replaced two UK business visas: a UK Innovator visa and a UK Start-up visa .

This immigration route is designed for overseas entrepreneurs who plan to set up and run their businesses in the United Kingdom.

A UK Innovator Founder visa is ideal for the following applicants:

• Business people with an innovative business idea who want to set up a UK company.
• Experienced entrepreneurs who have been running a business outside the United Kingdom for many years and wish to expand it to the UK.

Your business idea must be innovative. An endorsing body must confirm this as well as the viability and scalability of your business venture.

You can establish a company in the UK either alone or with a business partner. To obtain a UK Innovator Founder visa, you must invest in a new business which means it is not allowed to invest in an existing one.

A UK Innovator Founder visa allows you to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and UK citizenship. Once your business idea is endorsed, all you have to do is establish your business, take an active part in its development in the UK and other markets, ensure its growth, increase profits, and create jobs. It is crucial to follow your initial roadmap and meet the targets you declared in your first application for a UK Innovator Founder visa.

You will be eligible for a UK Innovator Founder visa if:

• Your business idea is innovative. In other words, you are going to produce, supply, or sell in the UK something considerably different from existing products;
• Your business idea is endorsed by a relevant body;
• As a potential innovator founder, you meet all the requirements;
• You can prove to an endorsing body that you have enough funds to implement your business idea, and they are legally sourced.

Advantages of UK Innovator Founder Visa

A UK Innovator Founder visa will give you access to the booming UK market. It is your chance to increase the number of customers worldwide, generate high profits, and contribute to the local economy by creating jobs. An initial visa is issued for three years and can be extended any number of times, and every time you can set up a new company. You can also apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also called settlement, if you have stayed in the country for three years and achieved your targets.

What Can I Do On UK Innovator Founder Visa?

• Set up one or several businesses.
• Work to develop your UK business by being employed as a director, or self-employed as a partner in a business partnership.
• Work for another company if your occupation is from the eligible occupations list for the UK Skilled Worker visa or requires at least a level 3 qualification .
• Bring your spouse and children to the UK.
• Travel abroad and return to the UK without any restrictions.
• Apply for UK ILR in three years, provided your business has been developing ahead of plan.

Apart from this impressively wide range of opportunities you will have in the UK as an innovator founder, there are other advantages for the applicant and their family:

• As an innovator founder, you can relocate to a welcoming and safe European country with a stable political system and well-developed economy.
• The entire family will have access to the UK healthcare system with its cutting-edge technologies.
• Your children will be eligible to apply to universities and other educational institutions, which is a perfect way to ensure their future.

What Can I Not Do On UK Innovator Founder Visa?

• Work as a sports coach or a professional sportsperson, because there is a special visa category for this.
• Apply for public benefits.

Requirements For UK Innovator Founder Visa

All the requirements imposed by the Home Office can be divided into two categories: those concerning an applicant and those concerning their UK business.

The application process for a UK Innovator Founder visa consists of two stages:

• Getting an endorsement. You need to prepare the documents, develop a business plan, submit your application to an endorsing body, and pay an application fee. This stage takes two to three weeks.
• Applying for a UK Innovator Founder visa with an endorsement letter. Without an endorsement, it is impossible to apply for this immigration route.

Requirements For UK Innovator Founder Visa Applicants

Apart from the relevant education and experience in running a business, applicants must fulfil the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years old;
• Have an endorsed business idea;
• Draft a valid business plan;
• Hold enough funds to invest in the business;
• Be able to support themselves and their dependants;
• Speak English to at the B2 level;
• Be of good health;
• Have clean criminal and immigration records.

Requirements For Businesses

1. Endorsement letter

Before applying for a UK Innovator Founder visa, you need to have your business idea endorsed by one of the relevant bodies authorised by the UK Home Office to evaluate the ideas of foreign entrepreneurs. There is an updated list of endorsing bodies on the official  government website . Note that your endorsement letter must be issued not more than three months before you apply for a UK Innovator Founder visa.

To make the right choice, you must do your research or get the support of experienced immigration advisors. Imperial & Legal can help you choose an endorsing body,  draft a business plan  for your future company, and get an endorsement letter.

You have a very good chance of getting a UK Innovator Founder visa if your business idea meets the following criteria:

• New – You are not allowed to invest in an existing UK company.
• Innovative –It is all in the name; you cannot copy anything that already exists on the UK market. You must be able to offer a truly unique product or service that targets new or existing customers. And, of course, you must demonstrate your competitive advantage.
• Viable – You must show that you will be able to develop your idea into a real business that is robust and future-proof. To do this, you will need a relevant skill set, qualifications, and experience, combined with profound knowledge and a great understanding of the current market.
• Scalable – Your business must have growth potential. While it is developing, you must never stand still. Your business must be able to create jobs and expand both in the UK market and abroad.

2. Investment

You need to prove to your endorser authorised by the Home Office that you have enough funds to invest in your UKbusiness. Your funds will be evaluated against two criteria:

• Is the money legally sourced?
• How much money have you already spent or plan to spend on the development of your UK business?

You do not need to invest anything if:

• Your UK business is already established, and you are switching to the UK Innovator Founder visa from another visa category, for example, the UK Start-up, UK Innovator, or UK Graduate Entrepreneur visa routes, all of which have been closed.
• You have introduced innovations into your existing business and already have the approval of a relevant British endorsing body.

How To Apply For UK Innovator Founder Visa?

There are three ways to apply for a UK Innovator Founder visa:

• From outside the UK, followed by relocation to the country;
• From inside the UK, if you are switching from a different visa category;
• From inside the UK, if you are extending your current UK Innovator Founder visa.

The majority of overseas entrepreneurs apply for a UK Innovator Founder visa online from their home country using a special electronic form. However, to have your application approved, you will have to submit supporting documents and go to a visa application centre in person to have your fingerprints and photo taken for your biometric residence permit.

Documents Required To Apply For UK Innovator Founder Visa

• An endorsement letter proving that an endorsing body has approved your business idea;
• A valid passport with a blank page for your visa;
• A bank statement showing you have had at least £1,270 in savings in your bank account for at least 28 consecutive days before you apply; these are required to support you after you relocate;
• Proof that you can read, write, speak and understand English to level B2. As a rule, an applicant has to pass a special English language test or prove that they have a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English at a university recognised in the UK;
• Proof that you have enough investment funds to set up a new business;
• A negative tuberculosis test results (for nationals of some countries).

All the documents mentioned must be in English or accompanied by a certified translation.

How Much Investment Is Required To Get UK Innovator Founder Visa?

To get your UK Innovator Founder visa, you will have to pay an application fee upon submission of the application, and the healthcare surcharge. The sum you pay before application depends on whether you apply for a UK Innovator Founder visa from within or outside the UK: 

• If you apply from outside the UK for the first time, you and your family members will have to pay £1,036 per person;
• If you apply from within the UK (extending your current UK Innovator Founder visa or switching from another category), you and your family members will have to pay £1,292 per person.

The immigration healthcare surcharge depends on how long you are going to stay in the UK and the number of dependants: you will have to pay £624 per person per year.

To calculate precisely how much you will have to pay to apply for a UK Innovator Founder visa, get in touch with Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors. Reliable legal assistance in this process is crucial because if your visa is refused, you will not get your money back.

Validity and Extension of UK Innovator Founder Visa

A UK Innovator Founder visa gives you the right to stay in the UK, run a business, and be employed as a skilled worker (occupation from the Skilled Worker eligible occupation list or requiring at least a level 3 qualification) for up to three years. If for any reason, your endorsement letter has been withdrawn, you must get an endorsement letter from another approved body or leave the UK.

If three years later you still meet all the requirements, you can apply to extend your stay for another three years. Your dependants must apply for their residence permit extension together with you.

There is no limit on the number of times you can extend your UK Innovator Founder visa, but the majority of foreign nationals prefer to apply for ILR as soon as they are eligible to do so. If your business shows an outstanding growth rate, you will have the right to apply for ILR once you have been in the UK for three years.

Applying For Indefinite Leave To Remain

You can apply for ILR three years after the first entry on a UK Innovator Founder visa. Your application will have to be supported by your endorsing body. A foreign entrepreneur must submit a report to an endorsing body showcasing the development of their company after 12 and 24 months of the company’s being operational. If the Innovator Founder’s business meets two out of seven criteria, the approved body will issue an endorsement letter giving them the right to apply for ILR.

Endorsement Criteria

• In the last three years, you have spent at least £50,000 on developing the business;
• Your company is involved in science and technology research which resulted in patents (patent applications);
• You have doubled the number of customers in three years of operation of your company, and this number is higher than the average for similar businesses;
• You have made £500,000 in revenue in the last full year covered by accounts, with £100,000 of this from overseas exports;
• You have made at least £1 million in revenue in the last full year covered by accounts;
• You have created at least 10 jobs for UK citizens and settled people;
• You have created at least five jobs for UK citizens with a gross salary of £25,000 a year.

Other Criteria for ILR

• You have spent less than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months since your first arrival to the UK on a UK Innovator Founder visa.
• If you are over 18 years old, you must pass a B2 level English language test as well as the Life in the UK test.

Your spouse, children under 18, and even children over 18, provided they came of age while staying in the UK, can apply for ILR with you.

UK Citizenship and British Passport

Your family members and you can apply for UK citizenship in 12 months after ILR is granted provided you have stayed in the UK for at least five years. It usually takes 4–6 weeks to get a decision on your application. All the applicants must meet the following criteria:

• In the five years before applying for citizenship, you have not spent more than 450 days outside the UK and more than 90 days in the last year;
• You must have clean criminal and immigration records;
• You must speak fluent English;
• You have passed the Life in the UK test.

Applying For UK Innovator Founder Visa With Imperial & Legal

Our immigration advisors have been successfully helping future British entrepreneurs for years. Legal support from Imperial & Legal will save you time and money, and our experienced immigration advisors will do their best to make sure you get your UK Innovator Founder visa. With Imperial & Legal, you are only four simple steps away from your UK Innovator Founder visa.

Success Stories on UK Innovator visa

FAQ About UK Innovator Founder Visa

Why do I need a business plan?

A business plan is one of the fundamental requirements for this visa category. Besides, a business plan would be your main argument in favour of endorsement.

What is the UK point-based immigration system and how many points do I have to get to have my UK Innovator Founder visa application approved?

To make an unbiased decision for every application, the Home Office uses the point-based immigration system. To get a UK Innovator Founder visa, you will need to score 70 points. The criteria depend on your business plan and immigration status and are as follows.

Which family members can apply for ILR together with me?

As has been mentioned, only your immediate family can apply for ILR together with you:

• An unmarried partner (you will have to prove that you have had a common household for at least two years).
• Children under 18, including those who were born in the UK.
• Children over 18, provided they are your dependants, and they came of age while in the UK.

What are the UK Innovator Founder visa maintenance requirements for an applicant with a spouse and children?

In addition to the £1,270 for the main applicant, you must have:

• £285 for your spouse or partner.
• £315 for one child.
• £200 for each additional child.

So, to relocate to the UK on a UK Innovator Founder visa, a family of two adults and two children will need £1,270 + £285 + £315 + £200 = £2,070 in their bank account.

Looking for expert immigration lawyers?

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As the leading UK Visa Business Plan writers, we offer a 100% "no-win, no-fee" service for our VIP clients, and a limited refund policy for our "full package" clients.  

"Genuine Applicants with Genuine Projects"

Our expert UK Visa Plan Writers are always up to date with the newest rules and changes in relation to UK Immigration Matters. As well as preparing the business plan, we can also help guide you through the endorsement process and ultimately obtaining an Endorsement Letter as part of our package service. 

We are able to assist  you  with  getting  your UK Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan  idea pre-approved within 3-5 working days. The new Innovator Founder Visa is a great route to settlement for you and your family. 

The Innovator Founder route is for a person seeking to establish a business in the UK based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea they have generated, or to which they have significantly contributed. 

Some key benefits to the Innovator Founder Visa Route: 

• Minimum funds requirement of £50,000 for Innovator visas to be abolished, meaning that the Start-Up route, which did not carry such a funds requirement, has become redundant and will close on 13 April 2023 (with the exception of endorsements issued before this date).
• Innovator Founder visa holders will be allowed to take up secondary employment alongside the running of their own business provided that the secondary employment meets a minimum skill level of RQF Level 3 (broadly A-Level and the same skills threshold as for the Skilled Worker category), providing more flexibility and making the revised route potentially more attractive to some applicants.

Our Services

There are two core  services we provide that  will  benefit  potential Innovator Founder visa applicants  seeking an Endorsement Letter from an Official UK Endorsing Body:  

1)  Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan Writing Service, including Pre-Approval and Endorsement Application 

For  applicants  who  wish  to  have  the  best  chance  of  success,  you  will  be  instructing our expert team of plan writers  who  have  decades  of  experience  with  all  UK  Visa  Business  Plan  matters.  

Stage  1:  Pre-approval  -  We  will capture the initial business concept,  highlighting  the  innovation,  scalability  and  viability  of  your idea  and  present  it  to  the  Endorsing  Bodies. Within  3-5  working  days,  we  will  know  whether  or  not  they  are  interested.  If  so,  we  move  onto  the  next  stage.

Stage  2:  Business  Plan  Writing  -  In  10 - 15  working  days,  we  draft  a  fully  bespoke  and  tailored  UK  Visa  Business  Plan  that  reflects  all  the  UK  immigration  rules  requirements  for  the  Innovator  Founder  Visa.  All our business plans include all the necessary market research, analysis and financial forecasting.  

Once  you  receive  the  draft,  you  will  be  able  to  come  back  to  us  with  any  amendments/changes  you  would  like  us  to  make  as  part  of  our  fixed  fee.  After  which,  we  will  send  you  a  PDF  and  Word  version  in  case  you  wish  to  make  any  minor  adjustments  yourself  nearer  the  time  of  submission.  Once  you  have  received  the  final  version  of  the  business  plan,  we  move  onto  the  last  step.   

Stage  3:  Formal  Endorsement  Application  and  Interview  -  We  will  help prepare a  formal  application for you to submit  to  the  Endorsing  Body  for  a  UK  Endorsement  Letter.  After  the  submission,  the  Endorsing  Body  will often  invite  you  for  an  online  meeting. Prior  to  the  endorsement or UK  Visa  Interview,  we  will  ensure  you  are  fully  prepared  and  confident  by  giving  you  some  tips  and  advice  on  ensuring  the  meeting  goes  as  smoothly  as  possible.  

Assuming  everything  goes  well,  the  Endorsing  Body  will  make  an  offer  and  if  you  accept  it,  the  Endorsement  Letter  will  be  issued  accordingly  for  you  to  apply  for  your  UK  Innovator  Founder  Visa.  

We have worked with Endorsing Body requirements and guidelines from the start. Our business plans are designed to  ensure that they meet their stringent requirements. We will then review the full draft together and make sure you are familiar with the business plan so you are prepared in the event of an interview with the Endorsement Body.  

2)  Innovator Founder Visa Business Plan Review 

Our  professional  review  service  is  aimed  at  potential Innovator  Founder  Visa applicants who already have a draft of their business plan, but need advice as to whether the document meets the visa criteria.  The service  will  provide  you  with  a tailored and actionable report with detailed recommendations for the improvement of your  UK Innovator  Founder business plan.

Information  about  the  UK  Innovator Founder Visa?

The changes announced by UKVI in the latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules combine the best aspects of the Start Up and the Innovator Visa categories into the new Innovator Founder route.  

While business plans still need to be endorsed by an appropriate endorsing body, there is no requirement to show the initial capital to invest in the business and individuals can undertake additional work.

A viable UK Visa Business Plan will need to be endorsed by an appropriate Endorsing Body. 

The good news is that, unlike the Start-up visa, time spent in the UK under this route counts towards qualifying for indefinite leave to remain, so this new visa is much more helpful on a route to Indefinite Leave to Remain.

What should entrepreneurs consider about the closure of the Start-up and  Innovator  visa route due to  the  new  Innovator  Founder  visa  category?

Prospective applicants who wish to apply under the Start-up/Innovator  visa  route must have an endorsement issued by an endorsing body before 13 April 2023, but anyone who is considering this route may wish to consider waiting for the new Innovator Founder category to open on 13 April 2023 in order to benefit from the new provisions.

Existing foreign entrepreneurs who have an endorsement under the Start-up/Innovator  visa route which issued before 13 April 2023 should note that the final date for applications under the Start-up/Innovator category will be 12 July 2023.

Foreign nationals who currently hold leave to remain under the Start-up/Innovator visa category may be able to switch to the Innovator Founder visa if they meet the necessary requirements. They should also be looking switching well in advance and certainly before their visa expires.  In order to do so, the applicant would need to meet requirements around the performance of their business against their original endorsed business plan.  

Any  applicant  seeking  UK  immigration  advice  and looking  to  make  a UK  Visa  application  should  consult  with  a  specialist  UK  Immigration  Solicitor  or  Advisor  who  is  regulated  by  the  Solicitors  Regulation  Authority  (SRA),  Office  of  Immigration  Services  Commission  (OISC)  or  relevant  regulatory  body.

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Australia’s Innovation Visa to replace Global Talent and Business Visas

Australia to introduce a new national innovation visa to attract exceptionally talented migrants..

The Australian government has implemented a number of new initiatives to address immigration and the enrollment of foreign students, particularly with regard to their housing and accommodation requirements. Australia’s government unveiled the Federal Budget 2024–25 on May 14, 2024 listing out the measures to be undertaken for the benefit of international students and migrants.

The Government is reforming Australia’s migration system to drive greater economic prosperity and restore its integrity, implementing actions outlined in the Migration Strategy. This Budget supports skills in demand, with around 70 per cent of the permanent Migration Program allocated to skilled visa categories.

The Government will also introduce a new National Innovation visa to attract exceptionally talented migrants and replace the Global Talent visa and the Business Innovation and Investment visa. These actions complement reforms being developed for the points test used for certain skilled visas.

Government actions are estimated to reduce net overseas migration by 110,000 people over the forward estimates from 1 July 2024. Net overseas migration is forecast to approximately halve from 528,000 in 2022–23 to 260,000 in 2024–25. Going forward, net overseas migration is forecast to be 235,000 in 2026–27 and 2027–28.

The Government will set the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program planning level at 185,000 places and allocate 132,200 places (around 70 per cent) to the Skill stream.

From 2025–26, the Government will extend the planning horizon for the permanent Migration Program from one year to four years. Maintaining around 70 per cent of places for the Skill stream will help address Australia’s long-term skill needs. Extending the planning horizon for the permanent Migration Program from one year to four years will enable better cross-government planning in the future.

The Government will also provide $1.8 million to deliver streamlined skills assessments for around 1,900 migrants from comparable countries to work in Australia’s housing construction industry .

International Students

As part of the response to the Australian Universities Accord, the Government will work with universities to increase the availability of student housing, by limiting international student enrolments based on factors including how much student accommodation they provide. The new commitment towards this is $2.1 million over four years from 2024-25.

The Government will implement regulatory requirements to ensure universities deliver more purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). This will increase the level of housing supply and help to ensure that increases in international student numbers do not put pressure on the domestic housing market .

Following consultation with the sector, the Government will set limits for how many international students can be enrolled by each university based on factors including how much student accommodation they provide.

The Government will require universities to establish new, purpose-built student accommodation should they wish to increase their international student enrolments above their initial allocation. Any new accommodation built will be available to both local and international students. This reform will build more student housing, reduce pressure on house prices and rents in our cities and ensure universities continue to benefit from the overseas student market.

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General election latest: Conservatives attack Starmer's 'stamina' as PM shuns football team to campaign; Labour hit back over Tory's pub visit

The home secretary outlined a surprising major Tory proposal to reintroduce National Service on Sky News this morning. Party insiders think the plan has been "under wraps for some time". Elsewhere, the PM will not watch his football team at Wembley as he continues to campaign.

Sunday 26 May 2024 19:30, UK

• General Election 2024

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General election called for 4 July

• PM vows to introduce National Service  | But no threat of jail time  | Pledge 'start of election campaign proper
• Tory defence minister criticised national service last week
• Tories attack Starmer over lack of campaigning
• Labour pledges to reignite Sunak's proposed smoking ban
• Sunak not going to Southampton's playoff final
• Davey launches Lib Dem battle bus
• Farage challenged on 'offensive' comments about British Muslims
• Live reporting by Tim Baker and  Brad Young

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Five days into the general election campaign, the battle for the right-wing vote is already playing out in full view.

Bringing back a form of National Service is a policy targeted squarely at traditional Tory voters and crucially those who are thinking of backing the party’s right-wing rival – Reform UK.

Broadbrush polling on the concept shows many in this group approve.

That said, dig into the detail and the picture is more complex – as one pollster put it "you wouldn’t bet your house on polling like this, particularly if your house was Number 10 Downing Street".

What’s not in doubt is that this eye-catching announcement has changed the campaign conversation after a bumpy start for Rishi Sunak.

But just as the prime minister starts to get on the front foot, a reminder of the threat he faces from the right.

Entering the election in a characteristically controversial way, Reform president Nigel Farage offended many with suggestions that many Muslims did not agree with “British values”.

The ex-UKIP leader is not chasing a parliamentary seat this time round, but this intervention shows he’s not afraid to roll the pitch for his party colleagues in the most inflammatory fashion. 

There have been numerous responses to the government's National Service pledge - but one minister and Tory MP has been "liking" a series of posts on X which are very critical of it.

Steve Baker, the MP for Wycombe, previously was a member of the RAF.

Among his likes are one post calling the idea of National Service "totally moronic", another highlighting Downing Street previously denying such plans existing, and one about a "devastating takedown" of National Service last week by a defence minister - you can see more in the 3.12pm post.

He also reposted an X post highlighting the same defence minister's words.

Rishi Sunak has posted a TikTok video - the first his party have put on the short-form video platform.

In it, Mr Sunak explains his proposed National Service policy to younger voters, addressing those who tend to use the platform.

However, this comes despite calls within the party to ban the TikTok platform from this UK.

The likes of Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Alicia Kearns, and Tim Loughton have all raised concerns about TikTok due to its association with China and concerns about what is being done with users' data.

It was only last week that a Tory MP and government minister was criticising the concept of National Service.

And yet it is now a policy his party wants to introduce.

Responding to a written question in the House of Commons, defence minister and Conservative MP Andrew Murrison said on Thursday: "If potentially unwilling National Service recruits were to be obliged to serve alongside the professional men and women of our Armed Forces, it could damage morale, recruitment and retention and would consume professional military and naval resources.

"If, on the other hand, National Service recruits were kept in separate units, it would be difficult to find a proper and meaningful role for them, potentially harming motivation and discipline.

"For all these reasons, there are no current plans for the restoration of any form of National Service."

defence and security correspondent Deborah Haynes heard from one Ministry of Defence insider: "This is a policy surprise to me. I haven't seen it discussed in the Ministry of Defence."

It is worth pointing out at this point there is a difference between the Minister of Defence and the government machine, and the political campaign being run by the Conservative Party.

Yesterday, Rishi Sunak came under attack for his lack of campaigning - as he held meetings in his Yorkshire constituency before flying to London and campaigning there.

Today, the Tories have turned fire on Sir Keir Starmer - with the Labour leader not being seen at all in public today.

Rather, shadow cabinet members Liz Kendall and Rachel Reeves were seen out and about.

Mr Sunak was campaigning in North London, meanwhile, although he did not give any interviews.

A senior Conservative party source said: "Yesterday the PM hit the campaign trail two hours before Sir Keir surfaced.

"Today there is no sign of Starmer whatsoever and we are just four days into the campaign. 

"Campaigns are tough, tiring things and it's understandable that he may be weary. But being prime minister is a 24/7 job which requires stamina."

A Labour spokesperson hit back: "Keir and the Labour Party are working round the clock, enjoying taking our message of change to the country. 

"We were out speaking with voters across the country within half an hour of the election being called. 

"Meanwhile the PM has been holed up with his aides at his house, the Tory Party chair spent yesterday afternoon at a pub in Westminster and the cabinet appear to have completely disappeared."

Sky political correspondent Darren McCaffrey is in South Cambridgeshire, covering the Liberal Democrat's election campaign.

He points that the party's battle bus - Yellow Hammer one - is going to be used to "break down the Blue Wall", which is the area in the South of England in which many Conservative MPs currently sit.

Darren says this campaign is very different to 2019, when the Lib Dems claimed they would win 200 seats in the wake of Brexit.

"This is a much more considered campaign, a much more targeted campaign, of trying to win seats like South Cambridgeshire," he says.

It is a seat which has been "rock-solid" Conservative for a long time, but boundary changes mean the Lib Dems reckon they're in with a chance.

Darren says this seat - and similar ones in areas like Surrey - are the ones Sir Ed will be targeting in the next six weeks.

They will do this using a message known as ABC - anyone but the Conservatives - where they will encourage people to vote the Tories out.

This is being done in the hopes that supporters of parties like Labour and the Greens will back them in areas where the Lib Dems are the main challengers.

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is launching his party's general election campaign battle bus in Cambridgeshire.

Sir Ed reveals the bus is called "Yellow Hammer 1".

He then tells campaigners that the election is the opportunity to "kick this out of touch Conservative government out of office" - and a chance "to elect great Liberal Democrat MPs".

The Liberal Democrat leader says people "are struggling with the cost of living with high energy bills, with mortgages and high rents with high food bills".

He adds: "And they're fed up of the Conservatives not helping them. 

"They're worried about loved ones waiting for hours for ambulances, days and weeks for a GP appointment, months for urgent cancer treatment. 

"And they're fed up of the Conservatives having plunged our NHS and care into crisis.

"They're angry with the water companies being allowed to pump their filthy sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches. 

"And they're fed up with Conservative MPs voting to allow that to continue. 

"And they want change, and they want the Conservatives out."

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, has been doing a campaign visit from West Yorkshire this afternoon.

She gives what will shortly become her recognisable stump speech - commenting on how it is "time to turn the page on 14 years of chaos and decline" with the Conservatives.

She adds that economic growth is "on its knees" - but Labour has a plan "to turn things around".

Ms Reeves highlights there have been five prime ministers, seven chancellors and 12 plans for growth since 2010.

The Labour front bencher adds that she will create a national wealth fund to invest in jobs and industry, with a "modern industrial strategy that businesses can get behind".

She pledges to "never play fast and loose with the public finances".

Sky News has been speaking to people from across the political spectrum about the announcement today on National Service plans being proposed by the Conservatives.

Paul Goodman, the former editor of the Conservative Home website, says: "Well, this is the start of the election campaign proper.

"I think we're now getting to the point where the two parties will begin to unveil their policies - and I would expect more from the Conservatives this week."

On the policy itself, Mr Goodman suggests there is a lot of support for some form of National Service, and this was researched by a former thinktank director who is now in government.

This suggests it has been "under wraps for some time" as a plan.

Meanwhile, Tom Belger, the editor of Labour List, says the plan is an "unfunded gimmick". 

He adds that the government has had 14 years to come up with ideas.

But he conceded that Labour should not be ruling out a version of the pledge "per se" - but maybe should be "pushing back" on the "fixation of the armed forces".

Rishi Sunak grew up in Southampton and supports the city's football team.

He went to his team's play-off semi-final as they fight for promotion from the Championship.

But he will not be at Wembley today as the Saints take on Leeds United, with the final slot in the Premier League next season up for grabs.

Instead, it is understood that he will be meeting voters in the South East, the PA news agency has been told.

Sources close to the prime minister said he will still be paying attention to the score of the match, which kicks off at 3pm.

Pictures showed Mr Sunak was campaigning in North West London, within a few miles of Wembley Stadium, on the Sunday. 

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