You can apply for an 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

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.

You must also:

• meet the English language requirement
• 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 you want to set up a 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’ll need to prove where you got your funding from.

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

Supporting yourself

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

Read the guidance on financial evidence for more information about the money you need and how to prove it.

Sharing investment funds

You can form a team with other Innovator applicants, but you cannot share the same investment funds.

Your team must have £50,000 for each Innovator applicant. For example, if you have 2 Innovator applicants, your team must have £100,000 to invest.

You can stay for 3 years if you either:

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

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.

If your endorsement is withdrawn

Your visa may be cut short if your endorsement is withdrawn by the endorsing body.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.

You cannot switch to this visa if you have one of the following:

• 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