No fixed £50,000 initial investment threshold. A new-business applicant must nevertheless show the endorsing body that there is enough funding for the proposed business and where the funding comes from. This is separate from the £1,270 personal maintenance requirement.
Innovator Founder Eligibility Evaluator
A screening tool only — endorsement and UKVI make the formal decision.
3-Year Innovator Founder Settlement Route
Innovator Founder can lead to settlement after 3 years, but the applicant must obtain a fresh settlement endorsement and satisfy all the relevant settlement requirements. The business must be registered with Companies House, active and trading, sustainable for at least the following 12 months, and the applicant must have an active key role in day-to-day management and development.
In addition, the business must meet at least 2 of the following 7 success criteria:
- At least £50,000 invested in the business and actively spent furthering it.
- Customer numbers have at least doubled during the most recent 3 years and are above the mean for comparable UK businesses.
- Significant research and development activity with a UK intellectual-property application.
- At least £1 million annual gross revenue in the last full year of accounts.
- At least £500,000 annual gross revenue, including at least £100,000 from overseas exports.
- At least 10 full-time jobs for settled workers.
- At least 5 full-time jobs for settled workers, each with mean gross salary of at least £25,000.
The same settlement criterion cannot be counted twice, and Innovator Founder team members cannot simply share the same jobs, investment or IP evidence to create duplicate criteria.
Work, Study and Other Conditions
- You can run one or more businesses and work for your business.
- You can do work outside your business where the job requires at least RQF Level 3.
- Study is permitted subject to any applicable ATAS condition.
- Most public funds cannot be claimed.
- Professional-sportsperson and sports-coach work is not permitted.
Frequently Asked Questions (6)
The Innovator Founder route is for entrepreneurs who want to establish and run an innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK. The business idea must have been generated by the applicant or the applicant must have made a significant contribution to it, and the application must be supported by an endorsement from an authorised endorsing body.
There is no fixed £50,000 personal investment threshold for the initial Innovator Founder route. However, a new-business applicant must satisfy the endorsing body that there is enough funding for the business and provide evidence of the funding and its source. Personal maintenance funds are a separate requirement.
From 8 April 2026, the Home Office application fee is £1,357 per person when applying from outside the UK and £1,693 when extending or switching inside the UK. An endorsement costs £1,000 excluding VAT, and successful applicants must pay £500 excluding VAT for each mandatory contact-point meeting, with at least two meetings during the permission period. The Immigration Health Surcharge is also payable.
Yes, the route can lead to settlement after 3 years, but ILR is not automatic. The applicant must have qualifying Innovator Founder residence, meet the suitability and continuous-residence requirements, obtain a settlement endorsement and satisfy the business-growth criteria, including at least 2 of the 7 specified success criteria.
At least 2 of 7 criteria must generally be met. These include £50,000 invested and spent on the business; a qualifying doubling of the customer base; significant research and development with a UK intellectual-property application; £1 million annual gross revenue; £500,000 annual gross revenue with at least £100,000 exported; 10 full-time jobs for settled workers; or 5 such jobs with each averaging at least £25,000 gross pay.
Yes. Other employment is permitted where the job requires a skill level of at least RQF Level 3. Study is also permitted subject to any applicable ATAS condition. Work as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach, is not permitted, and the route generally has a no-public-funds condition.
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Current 2026 Route Costs
Outside UK£1,357
Inside UK£1,693
Endorsement£1,000*
Contact point£500* each
IHS£1,035/year
*Endorsement/contact-point fees are stated by GOV.UK excluding VAT.
Three years of Innovator Founder permission does not guarantee ILR. Settlement requires a fresh endorsement and the detailed business-growth criteria.
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