Britain's founder visa: four gatekeepers and a three-year clock
An approved body has to back your new UK company before the Home Office looks at you. Get that, and settlement can come in three years.
This is for Americans who want to build a new company in Britain and run it full time. The rules set no investment minimum, and U.S. passport holders skip the English test. What stands in the way is an endorsement panel, about $7,200 in fees per founder before you land, and business targets you'll need to hit by year three.
The price of getting in, as of September 2026
$1,800
Visa application
£1,357 from outside the UK
$1,320
Endorsement fee
£1,000, paid to the endorsing body
$4,110
Health surcharge, 3 years
£3,105 per adult, paid up front
$660
Each progress check
£500, at months 12 and 24
$1,680
Savings you must show
£1,270, held 28 days in a row
3 weeks
Typical decision from the U.S.
8 weeks if applying inside the UK
Made for founders, useless for freelancers
This visa suits one person: an American starting a new company in the UK and running it. You can be its director or work in it self-employed. Outside work is allowed only in roles skilled to RQF level 3 or above.
The company has to be new. You can't join a business that's already trading, and the route isn't built for buying into one.
If your money comes from a U.S. employer or freelance clients, this is the wrong door. A British job offer points to the Skilled Worker visa. A degree from an eligible university in the last five years opens the High Potential Individual visa, which allows self-employment but doesn't count toward settlement.
The endorsement is the real application
Only four organizations can endorse a new applicant: UK Endorsing Services, Innovator International, Envestors Limited and the Global Entrepreneurs Programme. The last one endorses only founders it has already invited in, so most Americans choose among three. Dozens of older bodies still show up online, but they no longer take new applicants. The official list was last updated in August 2026.
From pitch deck to boarding pass
1. Win the endorsement
The endorsing body judges whether your business is new, innovative, viable and scalable. UK Endorsing Services, for example, asks for a business plan, your CV and three years of financial forecasts, then interviews applicants whose plans pass. You also show enough funding for the business and where it comes from. The fee is £1,000 (about $1,320).
2. Park the savings
Hold at least £1,270 (about $1,680) in your account for 28 days in a row before you apply. Add £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each extra child. There's no English test for you: the USA is on the exempt list.
3. Apply from home
You can't switch from a visitor visa once you're in Britain, so file from the U.S. and verify your identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application center. Decisions usually take three weeks. An endorsement isn't an approval. The Home Office weighs the business on its own; on the old Innovator route, refusals of endorsed applicants rose from 5% to 44% between mid-2021 and mid-2022.
4. Check in twice
You meet your endorsing body at 12 and 24 months, at £500 (about $660) a meeting, to show progress. If it withdraws your endorsement, your visa can be cut short.
To settle after three years, hit two of these seven targets
£50,000 invested
At least £50,000 (about $66,200) invested and actually spent on the business.
Customers doubled
Your customer base at least doubled over three years, and above the average for comparable UK businesses.
R&D with UK IP
Significant research and development, with UK intellectual property protection applied for.
£1 million in revenue
At least £1 million (about $1.32 million) in annual gross revenue.
Exports
£500,000 (about $662,000) in annual revenue, with at least £100,000 (about $132,000) from exports.
10 full-time jobs
At least 10 full-time jobs created for settled workers.
5 better-paid jobs
At least five full-time jobs paying £25,000 (about $33,100) or more each.
Three years of bills, and a rule change in the wings
The two checkpoints bring a founder's three-year total to about $8,560 (£6,462). A partner pays their own visa fee and surcharge, adding about $5,900, and can work in almost any job. Children pay a lower surcharge, £776 (about $1,030) a year.
Staying for good
After three continuous years, with no more than 180 days away in any 12 months, you can apply to settle if the business hit two targets. That application costs £3,226 (about $4,270). Britain allows dual citizenship, so a British passport later doesn't mean giving up your American one.
Here's the catch
Ministers have proposed an earned settlement system with a 10-year baseline. Under the proposal, Innovator Founder holders would take seven years off, keeping three. As of September 2026 it isn't law, and it could apply to people already here.
The IRS still wants its forms
Own more than half of a UK company and you'll likely file Form 5471 every year. Skipping it costs $10,000 per year to start.
People who can help with a UK move
Clearview Relocation
UK Relocation
Clearview Relocation's immigration team advises individuals and companies on UK visas, alongside removals and settling-in help.
Aury Lambert
Attorney Relocation Guide
A New York-licensed lawyer living in the UK who works on international business law and cross-border moves, and advises regulated professionals working abroad.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
U.S. expat tax filing. Worth a conversation before you incorporate, since a UK company you control adds forms to your American return.
Simon Conn
International Mortgage Lending
An overseas mortgage broker with more than 40 years in the business, including commercial mortgages in the UK where there's property to secure against.
Marshmallow
Auto Insurance in the UK
Car insurance for people who've just arrived in the UK.
Innovator Founder questions from Americans
How long until an Innovator Founder can get permanent residence in the UK?
Three years under the current rules, if your business meets at least two of the seven settlement targets and you spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months. The government has proposed a new earned settlement system; as of September 2026 it isn't law.
Can I apply for the Innovator Founder visa while visiting the UK?
No. You can't switch into this visa from a visitor visa, so Americans apply from outside the UK. Decisions from abroad usually take about three weeks.
Can I bring my spouse and children on an Innovator Founder visa?
Yes. A partner and children under 18 can apply as your dependents, and a partner can work in almost any job except as a sportsperson or coach. Each person applies separately, and their visas don't extend automatically when yours does.
Do Americans need an English test for the UK Innovator Founder visa?
No. U.S. nationals are on the list of countries exempt from proving English for this visa. Applicants from non-exempt countries must show English at CEFR level B2.
What happens to my UK visa if my startup fails?
If your endorsing body withdraws its endorsement, the Home Office can cut your visa short, usually after a 60-day period. You can change your business if your endorsing body agrees to the change.
Can I use my existing U.S. company for the Innovator Founder visa?
The route is for a new business. You can't join a business that's already trading, and it isn't designed for investing in an existing company. Ask an endorsing body before assuming a U.S. business or its UK arm will qualify.
Can I work for another company on an Innovator Founder visa?
Only in limited cases. Your main role is running your own business, as a director or self-employed. Work for someone else is allowed only in jobs skilled to RQF level 3 or above, and professional sport is off-limits.
Is there a minimum investment for the UK Innovator Founder visa?
No fixed amount is set in the rules. Your endorsing body has to be satisfied that you have enough funding for the business and where it comes from. Separately, you must hold £1,270 (about $1,680) in personal savings for 28 consecutive days before applying.
Is your business plan ready for a panel?
Talk to an Expatsi advisor about whether this route, or another UK visa, fits your plans.
Why not you?