UK Innovator Founder and Expansion Worker visas

Amounts, thresholds and processing times quoted on this page are from our earlier guide and change often. We confirm the current figures with the authority before you commit to anything.

The Sole Representative route closed on 11 April 2022 and was replaced by the UK Expansion Worker visa; the Innovator visa became the Innovator Founder visa on 13 April 2023. The guidance below is kept with those changes in mind.

UK Start-Up Visa

To apply for the UK Start- up Visa, you need to be a foreign national outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland. You must have a business plan to set up a business in UK

How do you qualify for this program?

• You must above 18 years of age
• You must meet the English language requirement
• You need to prove your financial stability (a minimum of £945 plus £630 for every dependent)
• Your business idea must be assessed by an approved body
• You must be endorsed by an authorized body (UK Higher education Institution or A business Organization who have been supporting UK Entrepreneurs)
• The whole process takes a minimum of 3 months (it can take anything above that)

This is a 2 year extendable VISA. Your family can accompany you. You are eligible to switch this visa to other visa categories applicable to you. You have the right to take up another job apart from conducting your business.

UK Innovator Visa

This visa is for individuals, who are from countries outside UK, the European Economic Area and Switzerland area. Such individuals with innovative ideas should want to set up or run a business in UK. If you are one of them, then you need to first get your business idea endorsed by an approved body

How do you qualify for this program?

• You need to provide the endorsement letter that is given by the approved body
• You must meet the English language requirement
• You must be a minimum of 18 years of age
• You need to prove that you can support yourself economically
• If you plan to set up a new business, then you must show a minimum of £50,000 in your investment funds. (if yours is already an established business, you don’t have to follow this rule)
• If you are a team of innovators applying, then each of you have to individually prove the availability of £50,000 in your investment funds

This visa takes a minimum of 3 months for processing. You can stay in the UK with this Visa for 3 years. This VISA can be renewed any number of times. Also you can switch over to other VISA to which you are eligible for. You may be eligible for citizenship after 5 years of your stay in the UK.

You can set up any number of legal businesses when in UK. You can take up a job apart from your business with this Visa. You can bring family along with you to the UK.

Sole Representative Visa

Businesses who want to set up a subsidiary or branch office in the UK for the first time, can utilize this Sole Representative VISA. A representative of the business house can be sent to the UK under this VISA program to establish the business’ economic presence

• As a sole representative of your organization, you will be granted an initial 3 or 4 years period of VISA. This visa can be extended for a further 2 more years.
• You must be recruited by a company outside of the UK.
• You must have extensive related experience
• Provable knowledge in the field
• You must be holding a senior position with full decision making powers.
• You can be a replacement for a previously working representative of your company.
• You must demonstrate your language proficiency
• You must also demonstrate economic self-sufficiency to support self and your family

Inward Investment

About UK

United Kingdom is made of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is part of Europe.

UK had conquered most part of the world. Although, currently most countries are not any more part of UK, it still wields a great influence on the world due its connections across the globe. It is the country where the industrial revolution began. It is one of the major trading nations, which provides all the necessary infrastructure required for one’s business.

Market opportunity

The local UK market is very viable due to its rate of consumerism in UK. Business in UK would mean, the whole of European market being open for you. There is limited taxation for goods with in the European Union and preferential trade practices are in place for local goods.

UK is an ideal location for business growth and expansion than any place in Europe. UK has the right skills, people, resources, competitive taxing rates and a transparent regulatory system to make business easier.