Talent Visa Journey is not an official service. This page is general information written from the official pages listed below. It does not say whether you qualify, and it does not estimate anyone’s chances. The official page is always the authority; read the current version before you rely on anything.
Common questions about the Innovator Founder visa
What is the Innovator Founder visa?
It is a UK visa for people who want to set up a new business and whose business or idea an approved endorsing body has endorsed.
Who decides whether my business idea is good enough?
An approved endorsing body assesses the business or the idea. The Home Office keeps the list of bodies; Talent Visa Journey does not name, rank or suggest any of them.
How is it different from Global Talent?
Global Talent looks at the person’s talent in a field. Innovator Founder looks at a new business idea. Each has its own page.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
Fees and decision times change over time. The GOV.UK page lists the current ones.
Can my family come with me?
A partner and children have their own applications. The GOV.UK page explains the rules.
Can I settle in the UK later?
The GOV.UK settlement page sets out the rules in force today. Rules announced for the future are not described here.
Where can I talk it through with other founders?
In the Talent Visa Journey community, where members talk through this route in the open. The list of questions members ask about it is public.
What the GOV.UK page says
GOV.UK wording: your business or business idea has been endorsed by an approved body, also known as an endorsing body
.
The page says the business or business idea must be endorsed by an approved body, and that the visa application comes after the endorsement. Talent Visa Journey does not name, rank or suggest an endorsing body; the Home Office keeps the list.
In Talent Visa Journey, preparation goes in two steps: first the file for the endorsing body, then the visa application. Talent Visa Journey does not prepare or file anything for you.
Innovator Founder: the criteria headings
- The business is new: you are not joining a business that is already trading
- The business idea is original and different from anything else on the market
- The business is viable, with potential for growth
- The business is scalable: there is evidence of planning for jobs and growth into national and international markets
Every one of these is needed. Source: GOV.UK, Innovator Founder visa: the endorsing body assesses that the business idea is new, innovative, viable and scalable
.
Headings only, as the regulation names them. Whether your evidence meets one is a judgement for USCIS, and for a lawyer or an adviser authorised to advise.
What this page does not establish
- Fees, funds, English levels, decision times and dates are not reproduced here. They change; each one is on the GOV.UK pages with its source.
- Whether a business idea meets the endorsing body’s assessment is that body’s judgement; this page does not make it.
- Settlement (ILR) rules are shown only as they are in force today. Announced changes are tracked separately and are not described here.
Official sources
- GOV.UK · Innovator Founder visa https://www.gov.uk/innovator-founder-visa
Editorial status
Written by Talent Visa Journey from the official pages listed on this page, using route record version 2026-09-12.3. It has not been reviewed by a lawyer or a regulated immigration adviser.