UK (Tier-1) Innovator Visa - Lead to British Citizenship

This category is for more experienced business people seeking to establish a business in the UK. Applicants will have an innovative, viable and scalable business idea which is supported by an endorsing body.

The UK Innovator Visa is one of the fastest and most secure ways of gaining permanent residency into the UK – in just Three Years!

You can apply for a (Tier-1) Innovator 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

Eligibility

Before you apply you need to have your business or business idea assessed by an endorsing body. They will provide you with an endorsement letter if your business is eligible and you must also:

• meet the English language requirement (CEFR B2 Level)
• be at least 18 years old
• be able to prove that you have enough personal savings to support yourself while you’re in the UK

If Want to Set up New Business

You must have at least £50,000 in investment funds to apply for an Innovator visa if you want to set up a new business. You will need to prove where you got your funding from but you do not need any investment funds if either:

• your business is already established and has been endorsed for an earlier visa
• you’ve changed your business and already agreed it with your endorsing body

Business with Team

If the business venture has one or more other team members who are applying for, or have been granted, leave in the Innovator category, they cannot share the same investment funds. There must be at least £50,000 investment funds available for each Innovator team member. These additional funds are not needed for team members who are resident workers or who have leave under another category of the Immigration Rules, which allows them to engage in business.

Maintenance Requirements

You need to have had at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you either:

• apply for an Innovator visa
• apply to extend your Innovator visa or switch to an Innovator visa if you’ve been in the UK for less than a year

You cannot use either of the following to support yourself:

• money from your investment funds
• money earned while working in the UK illegally

Knowledge of English

You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to a level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. You can prove your knowledge of English by:

• passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider
• having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English gained through study at a UK school that you began when you were under 18
• having a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English - if you studied abroad, you’ll need to apply for confirmation through Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) that your qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD

Documents Required

When you apply you need to provide an ‘endorsement letter’ to show that an endorsing body has assessed your business or business idea. You also need to provide:

• a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
• bank statements showing you’ve had at least £1,270 in savings in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you apply
• proof that you meet the English language requirement
• evidence of your investment funds (if you’re setting up a new business)
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
• If your documents are not in English or Welsh you’ll also need to provide a certified translation
• You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances

Spouse and Dependants Children

Your partner and children can apply to join you or to stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they are eligible. If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours. A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependant
• You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply

Switch to this Visa

You may be able to apply to change (‘switch’) to an Innovator visa if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa and your partner or children will need to apply separately if they live with you in the UK but you Cannot Switch to this Visa if you are in the UK on the following visa categories:

• a visit visa
• a short-term student visa
• a Parent of a Child Student visa
• a seasonal worker visa
• a domestic worker in a private household visa
• immigration bail
• permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds

Length of Stay

You can stay for 3 years in the UK after switching to an Innovator visa and there is no limit on the number of times you can extend your visa.

Healthcare Surcharge

You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. You can Check how much healthcare surcharge you will have to pay before you apply.

Key Advantage of Innovator Visa

UK Residency Card upon Arrival:
The UK Innovator Visa allows you to live and work anywhere within the UK for the duration of the visa.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (Permanent Residency)

After 3 years, Innovators visa holder in the UK can apply to extend their stay for a further 3 years or to settle permanently in the UK depends upon the prevailing UK Immigration rules.

Bring Your Family

UK Innovator Visa allows you to keep your family together. You can bring your spouse and any children under the age of 18 with you to the UK.

Free Education

Under UK Innovator Visa, your dependent children will have access to the UK educational system.

Free Medical

Under UK Innovator Visa, you and your family will have access to the UK's NHS free healthcare system.

Favourable Economic Conditions

After a period of generally disappointing growth in 2011 and 2012, the UK economy has shown clear signs of recovery during 2013 which is expected to continue in 2018-19. The good news is that this is spread between all major industry sectors and regions which are all now showing positive growth trends.

The Home Office will carefully scrutinise an application for any long term or temporary work visa. If it does not consider that the visa application is a genuine or if it considers that any of the other requirements have not been met, the application will fall for refusal. It is therefore essential that the application is prepared thoroughly and carefully.