Founder and Talent
Innovator Founder visa for Indian applicants
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
Home Office fee
£1,357
about ₹1,79,572 at 132.33 INR/GBP, effective 8 April 2026
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Health surcharge
£3,105
Immigration Health Surcharge, 3 years at £1,035 a year; about ₹4,10,885
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Processing time from India
3 weeks
Priority 5 working days, super priority 1
Verified 8 October 2026
Our filing price
Information only
Referral to a regulated adviser for applicants in the UK
Verified 8 October 2026
Summary
In short
The Innovator Founder visa fee is £1,357 for applications from 8 April 2026, plus an endorsement fee of £1,000 excluding VAT paid to the endorsing body and the health surcharge of £1,035 a year, £3,105 for the 3-year grant. The core test is the endorsement: an approved body must judge the business innovative, viable and scalable, and you must hold £1,270 for 28 days and show English at CEFR B2. Endorsement takes about 4 to 12 weeks and the visa decision 3 weeks from biometrics. The mistake Indian founders make most is applying with an endorsement letter more than 3 months old, which is no longer valid on the application date.
Step by step
Timeline
From the first document to the decision, in the order Indian applicants actually do it.
Step 1: Choose an endorsing body
Month 1Compare the bodies on the gov.uk list, their fees and the sectors they back. The Lifeset Overseas guide lists them with current fees and handles enquiries for Indian founders.
Step 2: Business plan and application to the body
Months 1 to 2The plan must show innovation, viability and scalability with funding that fits it; there is no fixed investment sum since 2023. Expect an interview with the body's assessors.
Step 3: Endorsement decision
Typically 4 to 12 weeks after submissionThe endorsement letter is valid for 3 months, so do not request it until the rest of the file is ready. Pay the £1,000 endorsement fee plus VAT as the body invoices it.
Step 4: English and funds
In parallel with the endorsementProve B2 in all four skills by a SELT, a UK degree or an Indian degree with an ECCTIS English confirmation. Hold £1,270 for 28 consecutive days on a statement no more than 31 days old.
Step 5: Tuberculosis test
Within 6 months before applyingAttend an approved clinic; the certificate lasts 6 months. Dependants need their own certificates.
Step 6: Online application, fee and surcharge
Within 3 months of the endorsement letterPay £1,357 for the main applicant, £1,357 per dependant, and the surcharge at £1,035 a year for 3 years, £3,105 each for adults. Upload the endorsement letter and the plan as submitted to the body.
Step 7: Biometrics and decision
3 weeks from biometrics at VFSPriority at £500 aims for 5 working days. The Home Office can still refuse if it finds the plan not credible or the endorsement withdrawn.
Step 8: Travel, check-ins and settlement
Grant, then months 12 and 24, then year 3Enter inside the vignette dates and set up the eVisa. Attend the endorsing body's check-in meetings at 12 and 24 months; settlement can follow after 3 years if the business meets the growth criteria, subject to any change from the earned-settlement consultation.
Home Office data
How Indian applicants fare
This is a specialist route that depends on winning an endorsement, not on a document checklist. Lifeset Overseas, our sister site, already publishes the full guide and handles enquiries, so we keep this page short and send you there. If you are already in the UK on another visa and want to switch, you need an adviser regulated in the UK, and we refer you.
The rules
Eligibility
- Endorsement from an approved endorsing body for a new business idea that is innovative, viable and scalable
- You are a founder with a significant role in the day-to-day management
- English at CEFR B2
- £1,270 held for 28 days unless you have been in the UK for 12 months
- Check-in meetings with the endorsing body at 12 and 24 months
Checklist
Documents, named the Indian way
- Endorsement letter issued within the last 3 months
- Business plan as submitted to the endorsing body
- Bank statement for the maintenance funds
- English test or degree evidence
- Tuberculosis certificate
In rupees
Cost from India, in rupees
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Innovator Founder, main applicant (entry clearance) application fee | £1,357 | ₹1,79,572 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, 3 years at £1,035 a yearCharged for the full grant length up front; refunded only if the visa is refused. | £3,105 | ₹4,10,885 |
| Required Home Office charges | £4,462 | ₹5,90,456 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Risk
Why Indian applications are refused
- Endorsement withdrawn or expired before the decision
- Business plan judged not innovative or not viable at the Home Office stage
- Maintenance not held for 28 days
Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation.
Decode 9.3.1Criminality: custodial sentence of 12 months or more, persistent offender, serious harm
A mandatory refusal for a prison sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, or for repeat offending or serious-harm offences. Sentences under 12 months are considered under 9.4.2 to 9.4.5 (discretionary, with time limits for visitors).
What to fix: always declare convictions; non-disclosure leads to a 9.7.1 deception finding on top; for shorter sentences, show the time elapsed and rehabilitation evidence; get the court record and sentence length in English.
Decode 9.4.1Free tools
Tools for this route
Questions
Questions Indian applicants ask
Do I need to invest a fixed amount?ShowHide
No. The old £50,000 requirement was removed in 2023. The endorsing body judges whether your funding is enough for the plan.
Who are the endorsing bodies?ShowHide
A small list on gov.uk, each charging its own fee and running its own assessment. The Lifeset Overseas guide lists them with current fees.
Can my family come?ShowHide
Yes. Partner and children can apply as dependants, each paying the fee and the surcharge.
How long until settlement?ShowHide
3 years on this route if the business meets growth criteria, which is faster than most routes. Settlement rules may change after the earned-settlement consultation.
Can I apply from inside the UK?ShowHide
Yes from most visas, but anyone in the UK should use an adviser regulated there. We inform and refer.
Where do I get help from India?ShowHide
Through the Innovator Founder page on Lifeset Overseas, which handles this route for Indian founders.
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Dataset dates: fees 8 October 2026. This page is information, not advice.