Innovator Visa: Extension, Switching and ILR for Existing Holders
The Innovator visa closed to new applicants in April 2023. If you already hold one, our solicitors help you extend, switch to Innovator Founder or settle after 3 years.
The UK Innovator visa closed to new applicants on 13 April 2023 and was replaced by the Innovator Founder visa. If you already hold Innovator permission, you can still stay in the UK. You extend or switch under the Innovator Founder rules, and you may qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after 3 years.
Adam Bernard Solicitors advises Innovator visa holders, their families and their endorsing-body contacts on what to do next: renewing an endorsement, switching routes, or applying for settlement. Our SRA-regulated immigration solicitors work from High Holborn and Upton Park and offer free video consultations by Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp or Skype.
Call 0207 100 2525 (24/7) or book a free consultation.
Starting a new business? The Innovator visa is no longer open to new applicants. See our Innovator Founder visa solicitors page for current requirements, the endorsement process and 2026 fees.
What happened to the Innovator visa?
On 13 April 2023 the Home Office merged the Innovator and Start-up visas into a single route, the Innovator Founder visa. The rules are set out in Appendix Innovator Founder of the Immigration Rules.
The main differences for founders are:
| Old Innovator visa | Innovator Founder visa (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Open to new applicants? | No, closed 13 April 2023 | Yes |
| Minimum investment | £50,000 | None. £50,000 investment is now one optional settlement criterion. |
| Outside employment | Not permitted | Permitted in skilled roles (RQF Level 3 or above) |
| Endorsing body checkpoints | 6, 12 and 24 months | At least 2 meetings (12 and 24 months), £500 each |
| Route to ILR | 3 years | 3 years |
| English level | B2 | B2 |
Source: GOV.UK – Innovator Founder visa.
I hold an Innovator visa. What are my options?
Existing Innovator visa holders cannot renew “as an Innovator”. Further applications are made under the Innovator Founder rules, and you must apply before your current permission expires. There are three paths.
1. Extend (switch) under the Innovator Founder rules
You can apply for a further 3 years if your business is still active and an approved endorsing body issues a new endorsement letter for the same business. The rules accept endorsements linked to your earlier Innovator permission (INNF 5.1 and 7.1).
- Fee: £1,693 per person to extend or switch inside the UK
- Endorsement fee: £1,000, paid to the endorsing body
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per adult per year
- Decision time: usually 8 weeks from inside the UK
The endorsing body that originally endorsed you may no longer take new clients. You may need to move to a currently listed endorsing body. We help you prepare a business update and progress evidence that meet its criteria.
2. Start a new business as an Innovator Founder
If your original business has failed or pivoted, you can apply for an Innovator Founder visa with a new, innovative, viable and scalable business idea. This needs a fresh endorsement. Your time in the UK on the new venture will be assessed on its own merits.
3. Apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR)
You can apply for ILR after 3 continuous years in the UK if an endorsing body confirms your business has met at least two of seven settlement criteria. We check your full permission history against the qualifying-period rule (INNF 18.1) before you apply, including how your earlier Innovator leave is counted.
Innovator visa ILR: the seven settlement criteria
To settle, your endorsing body must confirm that you meet at least two of the following (Appendix Innovator Founder, INNF 17.1):
- At least £50,000 invested in the business and actively spent furthering the business plan
- Customer numbers at least doubled in the most recent 3 years and higher than the mean for comparable UK businesses
- Significant research and development activity, with intellectual property protection applied for in the UK
- Annual gross revenue of at least £1 million in the last full financial year
- Annual gross revenue of at least £500,000, with at least £100,000 from exports
- The equivalent of at least 10 full-time jobs for settled workers
- The equivalent of at least 5 full-time jobs for settled workers, each paying a mean salary of at least £25,000 a year
Points that often cause refusals:
- Jobs must have existed for at least 12 months and average 30+ paid hours a week (INNF 17.4).
- Co-founders applying for ILR cannot use the same evidence. If two founders each rely on the 10-jobs criterion, the business must have created 20 jobs (INNF 17.3).
- The same criterion cannot be counted twice (INNF 17.2).
Other ILR requirements:
- Continuous residence, with no more than 180 days’ absence in any 12-month period
- Life in the UK Test and English language (B1 for settlement)
- ILR fee: £3,226 per person
For the full settlement process across all routes, see our Settlement and Indefinite Leave to Remain page.
Earned Settlement reform: The Home Office has consulted on an “earned settlement” model that would change ILR qualifying periods for many routes. Under the published proposals, Innovator Founder and Global Talent holders would keep an accelerated 3-year path. As of October 2026 these changes are not yet in the Immigration Rules. We will confirm the position on the date you apply.
Can my family stay with me?
Yes. Your partner and children under 18 can extend or switch as your dependants, and can apply for ILR alongside you once they meet the requirements. New dependants applying from outside the UK must show maintenance funds held for 28 days: £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child (INNF 29.3). They are exempt if they have lived in the UK for 12 months or more.
What if my Innovator visa is curtailed, or my extension or ILR is refused?
If your endorsement is withdrawn, the Home Office can cut your permission short. You will usually be given a short period to switch, leave, or challenge the decision. Refusal options depend on the decision:
- Administrative Review, for caseworker errors on extension or ILR refusals
- Judicial Review, where there is no right of appeal or administrative review
- Immigration appeal, where a human rights claim has been refused
If the business is no longer viable, other routes may fit better: the Skilled Worker visa, the High Potential Individual visa, or the UK Expansion Worker visa for overseas companies opening a UK branch.
How Adam Bernard Solicitors can help
- Option review: we assess whether you should extend, switch to a new venture, or apply for ILR now, and which settlement criteria your business already meets.
- Endorsement preparation: business plan updates, financials, payroll and job-creation evidence prepared to endorsing-body standards.
- ILR applications: criteria evidence, absences calculation, Life in the UK and English checks, and dependant applications filed together.
- Refusals and curtailment: urgent advice on administrative review, judicial review and alternative routes.
Adam Bernard Solicitors has acted for more than 15,000 clients over 15 years. Our solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and listed on the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor directory.
Speak to our solicitors today: call 0207 100 2525 (24/7) or book a free consultation.
Innovator Visa FAQs
Is the Innovator visa still open?
Can I extend my Innovator visa?
Do I still need £50,000 to invest?
How long does an Innovator visa holder need to wait for ILR?
Can I work for another company on an Innovator visa?
What happens if my endorsing body withdraws my endorsement?
How long does an Innovator Founder extension take?
This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Fees and rules last checked against GOV.UK on 8 October 2026.
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