United Kingdom Business Immigration

What Are the UK's Business and Talent Visa Routes?

The United Kingdom no longer offers a residence-by-investment or 'golden visa' route. Its former investor visa, Tier 1 (Investor), closed to new applicants at 1600 on 17 February 2022 under the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules CP 632; UK Visas and Immigration now only processes extensions, settlement and family applications from people who already held that visa. Today the main UK route for entrepreneurs is the Innovator Founder visa, which requires an endorsed business idea rather than a fixed investment sum, alongside the Global Talent visa for leaders and potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.

The Innovator Founder visa needs endorsement from an approved endorsing body confirming the business is new, innovative, viable and scalable. GOV.UK sets no minimum investment amount for this route: a new business needs proof of adequate funding and its source, but an already-endorsed, established business needs none. Holders can stay 3 years, extend for further 3-year periods with no limit on the number of extensions, and apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) once they have lived in the UK for 3 years using an Innovator Founder or Innovator visa.

The UK's Current Business and Talent Routes

What the Innovator Founder Visa Requires

To qualify for the Innovator Founder visa, applicants generally need to:

• Have their business or business idea assessed and endorsed by an approved endorsing body as new, innovative, viable and scalable.
• Show adequate funding and its source for a new business — no investment funds are required if the business is already endorsed and established.
• Have held at least £1,270 in their bank account for 28 consecutive days before applying; money from investment funds does not count towards this.
• Meet the knowledge of English requirement and be at least 18 years old.

How to Apply

1. Get your business or business idea assessed by an approved endorsing body; if it meets the new, innovative, viable and scalable requirements, you receive an endorsement.
2. Apply for the Innovator Founder visa, providing your endorsement, proof of funds (unless your business is already endorsed and established) and proof you meet the English language requirement.
3. Attend mandatory meetings with your endorsing body at 12 and 24 months to show your business is progressing; losing your endorsement can lead to your visa being cancelled.
4. Extend your visa for a further 3 years when it expires — there is no limit on the number of times you can extend.
5. Apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) once you have lived in the UK for 3 years using an Innovator Founder or Innovator visa and hold a new endorsement showing you have met the requirements for growing your business; time spent on any other visa does not count.

As read on GOV.UK on 25 September 2026, the Innovator Founder visa costs £1,357 per person applying from outside the UK, or £1,693 to extend or switch inside the UK, plus £1,000 for endorsement and £500 for each of the two mandatory endorsing-body meetings, on top of the healthcare surcharge; settlement (indefinite leave to remain) costs £3,226 per person. Trem Global does not guarantee these figures stay current; contact us for the current amounts.

Official source: GOV.UK — Innovator Founder visa

This page follows GOV.UK's Innovator Founder visa, Global Talent visa and Tier 1 (Investor) visa pages, the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules CP 632 (17 February 2022), and GOV.UK's Innovator Founder settlement (indefinite leave to remain) page — all checked on 25 September 2026. The UK's visa rules, routes and fees are set by the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration and can change.