Setting up a tech company in the UK offers a real, clear path to permanent residency. Through the Innovator Founder route, ambitious founders get to launch their business while locking down a way to settle in just three years.
Here is what you need to know about the basic criteria, expected costs, and ground rules before sending off your application.
Core Eligibility Criteria
To get approved, an official endorsing body has to evaluate and back your business concept. They run major checks on your plan:
- New: You don’t just purchase an existing business or become a partner. You are the first stop for the business. Your product or service should be something that is really new, not just another go at what’s already out there.
- Viable: You need a realistic business plan with sound math behind your growth projections.
- Scalable: You must provide real evidence of having considered local hiring and growth into national or international markets.
- English Language: You will need to prove you can speak, read, write, and understand English with ease.
Important Visa Rules and Employment Conditions
- Duration & Settlement: Your initial visa is valid for 3 years. You can then make a direct application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). You can keep extending the visa as many times as you like if you’re not ready to apply to settle.
- Endorsement Check-Ins: You will have formal progress check-ins with your endorsing body at the 12-month and 24-month marks. If they pull their sponsorship while the checks are in place, your visa can be cancelled before the expiry date.
- Secondary Work Allowed: Not only can you run your primary business, but you can also seek a job elsewhere. The only condition is that the job requires skills at RQF Level 3 or above (around A-level).
- Dependants: Your partner and eligible children can move with you.
Fee Breakdown
- Visa Application Fee: £1,357 per applicant if you’re applying from outside the UK. If you’re extending or switching from inside the country, it costs £1,693 per person.
- Endorsement Fees: You pay £1,000 directly to your approved endorsing body for the original endorsement. On top of that, each progress meeting costs £500 (you will have at least two of these).
- Healthcare Surcharge: You’ll need to pay the standard Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) upfront when applying.
- Processing Times: Expect about 3 weeks for an answer if you apply overseas. If you’re applying from within the UK, it usually takes up to 8 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I join an existing UK business under this visa? No. Your business concept has to be brand-new. You cannot jump into a company that is already actively trading.
- Am I allowed to work another job while running my startup? Yes, as long as that secondary job requires an RQF Level 3 qualification or higher.
- How long does it take to get permanent residence (ILR)? You can apply for settlement after three years’ continuous residence, if you have met your endorsement targets.
- What happens if my endorsement is withdrawn? Your visa will probably be shortened. You will need to get a new endorsement or change to another valid visa route to remain if this happens.
The Innovator Founder route is a great flexible route if you have a market-ready idea and want to grow a tech company in the UK. Staying on top of your growth goals for those 12- and 24-month evaluations is what keeps you on track for permanent UK settlement.
Helpful eMigr8 Resources
Free Visa Assessment: See how your background and business concept stack up against current UK immigration rules.
Free Community: Connect with thousands of other tech builders, founders, and skilled pros navigating global visa routes.
Free Open Day: Book your place at a future live session to discuss endorsement strategies with expert coaches.
One-to-One Free Coaching Session: Book a 1:1 strategy call with an eMigr8 advisor to help develop your long-term roadmap.