- Prepare evidence and lettersUsually the longest partWeeks to months
- Apply online to the Home OfficeEndorsement fee£561
- Endorsing body decidesDepends on the endorsing body2 to 8+ weeks
- Apply for the visa£205 visa fee plus healthcare surchargeWithin 3 months
Step 1
Check that your idea meets the four tests
GOV.UK says your business must be new, innovative, viable and scalable. New means you cannot join a business that is already trading. Innovative means an original business idea that is different from anything else on the market. Viable means it has potential for growth, and the Immigration Rules add that you must have, or be actively developing, the skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to run it. Scalable means planning that includes creating jobs and growing into national and international markets.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder visa Innovative, viable, scalable: what each test meansStep 2
Choose an endorsing body that is taking new applications
The GOV.UK list, last updated on 7 August 2026, names four business endorsing bodies that can issue Innovator Founder endorsements: UK Endorsing Services, Innovator International, Envestors Limited and the Global Entrepreneurs Programme. The Global Entrepreneurs Programme endorses only founders it has already invited onto its programme. Every other organisation on the list is a legacy endorsing body that no longer accepts new applications.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder and Scale-up visas endorsing bodies Innovator Founder endorsing bodies in 2026Step 3
Prepare your business plan and evidence
The business plan is the centre of the application. It should explain the problem, what is new about your answer to it, the market and competitors, how you will reach customers, three years of financial forecasts, the jobs you plan to create and your own role. You must also show the endorsing body that you have enough funding for the business and where it comes from. Every figure should come from a named source or from your own records.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder eligibility What to put in an Innovator Founder business planReading the rules is one thing. Knowing how they apply to your own evidence is another.
Book a free 30-minute callStep 4
Apply for endorsement and pay the fee
You apply to the endorsing body directly. GOV.UK states that the endorsement costs £1,000 per person, paid to the endorsing body. If you are endorsed, you receive an endorsement letter, which you need for the visa application.
GOV.UK: endorsing bodies and feesStep 5
Apply for the visa, then meet your endorsing body
With the endorsement letter, you apply to the Home Office for the visa. GOV.UK lists the application fee as £1,357 from outside the UK and £1,693 to extend or switch inside the UK, plus the healthcare surcharge. After you arrive, you must meet your endorsing body at least twice during your permission, and each contact point meeting costs £500. We help with the endorsement stage only; for advice on the visa application itself, please speak to an immigration solicitor.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder visa feesRelated guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
The UK Global Talent visa: what it is and how Stage 1 endorsement works
The Global Talent visa needs no job offer or sponsor and lets your family join you. Stage 1 is the endorsement application, where an endorsing body decides whether you are a leader or a potential leader in your field.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement requirements: what each endorsing body asks for
Each endorsing body sets its own Stage 1 tests, so the requirements for a software founder, a researcher and a theatre director are very different.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement documents: a checklist for each endorsing body
Each endorsing body has its own document rules, from page limits to who can write your letters.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. Facts for founders preparing an Innovator Founder endorsement, checked against GOV.UK on 22 October 2026.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
Who can help me with an Innovator Founder endorsement application?
Tier 1 Global Talent Visa, led by founder Mihir Thaker, works only on the endorsement stage. For the Innovator Founder route, we test your idea against the four requirements, help you choose an endorsing body that takes new applications, and help you build a business plan that is your own, from your idea, your words and your figures. We do not write the plan for you and we do not give immigration advice. The first call is free and lasts 30 minutes.
How much does the Innovator Founder endorsement cost?
GOV.UK states £1,000 per person for the endorsement, paid to the endorsing body, and £500 for each contact point meeting. You must have at least two meetings during your permission. The visa application fee and the healthcare surcharge are separate. Figures checked on GOV.UK on 22 October 2026.
Do I need investment funds?
GOV.UK does not set a minimum investment amount, but you must prove to your endorsing body that you have enough funding for the business and where it comes from.
Can I join a business that is already trading?
No. GOV.UK says the business must be new and that you cannot join a business that is already trading.
Can you guarantee endorsement?
No. The endorsing body makes the decision. We help you prepare a clear, honest application, but no one can promise an outcome.
Innovator Founder
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