# Innovator Founder visa for Indian applicants

The Innovator Founder visa is for people who will set up an innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK with an endorsement from an approved body. It lasts 3 years, can be extended, and can lead to settlement.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

## 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 The mistake Indian founders make most is applying with an endorsement letter more than 3 months old, which is no longer valid on the application date.

Information only: we do not file this route. Applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.

Related on our sister site: [Innovator Founder guide on Lifeset Overseas](https://www.lifesetoverseas.com/investor-visa/united-kingdom-innovator-founder)

## Timeline
1. **Choose an endorsing body** (Month 1): Compare 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.
2. **Business plan and application to the body** (Months 1 to 2): The 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.
3. **Endorsement decision** (Typically 4 to 12 weeks after submission): The 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.
4. **English and funds** (In parallel with the endorsement): Prove 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.
5. **Tuberculosis test** (Within 6 months before applying): Attend an approved clinic; the certificate lasts 6 months. Dependants need their own certificates.
6. **Online application, fee and surcharge** (Within 3 months of the endorsement letter): Pay £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.
7. **Biometrics and decision** (3 weeks from biometrics at VFS): Priority at £500 aims for 5 working days. The Home Office can still refuse if it finds the plan not credible or the endorsement withdrawn.
8. **Travel, check-ins and settlement** (Grant, then months 12 and 24, then year 3): Enter 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.

## 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.

## 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

## Documents
- 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

## Cost from India
| 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 year | £3,105 | ₹4,10,885 |
| Each dependant: Innovator Founder dependant, each (optional) | £1,357 | ₹1,79,572 |
| Priority service (optional) (optional) | £500 | ₹66,165 |
| Super priority service (optional) (optional) | £1,000 | ₹1,32,330 |
| VFS user-pay centre appointment (optional) (optional) | £76.50 | ₹10,123 |
| Required Home Office charges | £4,462 | ₹5,90,456 |

Fees effective 8 April 2026, verified 2026-10-08; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (2026-10-08). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk.

## Processing time
Standard 3 weeks; priority 5 working days; super priority 1 working day(s). UKVI figures as of 2026-09-09, verified 2026-10-08. Endorsement by an endorsing body comes first and has its own timeline (typically 4 to 12 weeks).

## Refusal reasons
- 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

## Refusal paragraphs decoded (verified 2026-10-08)
### 9.2.1: 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

### 9.3.1: Presence 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

### 9.4.1: Criminality: 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

### 9.7.1: False representations or documents, or failure to disclose (mandatory where deception used)
The Home Office says something in your application was false: a fake bank statement, an edited employer letter, an undisclosed previous refusal, or a document an agent made up without telling you. 'Whether or not to the applicant's knowledge' means you are refused even if the agent did it. Where deception is found, a 10-year ban under 9.8.4 usually follows.
What to fix: get your file: Subject Access Request to UKVI for the verification notes; if a document was genuine, obtain written confirmation from the issuer and a statement from them; if an agent submitted documents without your knowledge, gather the agent's receipts, messages and a police complaint; it does not remove the finding but can matter for later applications; declare every previous refusal anywhere in the world from now on

## FAQ
**Do I need to invest a fixed amount?**
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?**
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?**
Yes. Partner and children can apply as dependants, each paying the fee and the surcharge.

**How long until settlement?**
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?**
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?**
Through the Innovator Founder page on Lifeset Overseas, which handles this route for Indian founders.

## In depth
- [Fees in rupees](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/fees.md)
- [Documents](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/documents.md)
- [Eligibility](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/eligibility.md)
- [Refusal reasons](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/refusal-reasons.md)
- [Processing time](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/processing-time.md)
- [Cost from India](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/cost-from-india.md)
- [FAQ](https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/innovator-founder-visa/faq.md)

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.