Is The New UK Innovator Visa for You? Learn All About It Now

The new UK Innovator Visa 

The UK Innovator Visa is for people who want to set up and run an innovative business in the United Kingdom. The business has to be something that is very unique and different from what everybody else is doing. The business has to be approved on endorsed by an endorsing body and you must meet all the eligibility requirements. 

Eligibility for the Innovator Visa

• You need to have your business or business idea assessed and endorsed by an endorsing body. Click here for the link to the innovator and doors and bodies.
• You must meet the English language proficiency requirements
• You must be 18 years or older
• You must have proof of funds to show that you are capable of taking care of yourself and supporting yourself while you’re in the United Kingdom.

Eligibility for setting up a new business 

•  You need to have at least £50,000 in investment funds to apply for a little bit of visa if you want to set up a business 
• You will need to provide proof of where you got your funding from 
•  You do not need any investment funds if you’ve changed your business and already agreed with your endorsing body or your business is already established and has been endorsed for an earlier visa

Proof of funds eligibility

• You will need to have at least £1,270 In your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you can apply for your innovator visa or apply to extend your innovative visa or switch to an innovative visa if you have been in the UK for less than a year.

It is important to note that you cannot use money from your investment funds and money that you earn while leaving and working in the UK illegally as proof of funds or supporting yourself.

Knowledge of English 

 One of the requirements for the innovator visa is proof of your language proficiency. Click here to learn more about language proficiency.

You need to prove that you can speak, read, understand English, and write to a level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale

There are certain countries that do not need to prove their knowledge of English and these countries are Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Australia, Canada, Malta, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Granada, the British overseas territories.

Documents Needed for your Innovator Visa

• The first document that you will need for your Innovator Visa is the endorsement letter from the endorsing body to show that your business is endorsed.
•  You will need a valid international passport or any other documents that show your nationality and identity. Click here to read about how to go about getting your Nigerian international passport.
•  Proof of funds in your bank statement that shows you have had at least  £1,270 In your bank account for 28 consecutive days before your application 
•  You need to provide proof of your English language requirement proficiency test 
• Another document to provide is evidence of your investment funds that is if you’re setting up a new business,
•  Tuberculosis test results 

If you are applying for the Innovator Visa from outside the United Kingdom, you will need to apply online and have the documents listed above ready for your application. You also need to prove your identity and supply supporting documentation for that.

Depending on the type of passport that you have you either have to; 

•  Have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre – This is to get a barometric residence permit
• Use the UK immigration: ID checkup to scan your identity document.
• you also need to create or sign into your UK visa and immigration (UKVI) account.
• You will get further information on the next steps after you apply 
•  If you are in need of an appointment, the centre may need to keep your passport and document while they process your application and you may have to travel to get to the nearest visa application centre.

Application wait time 

 Once your application is done online and you have proved your identity and provided all the documents demanded of you, the wait time is usually within 3 weeks.

If your application will take longer, you will be contacted 

These are some of the reasons why you might be contacted; 

• You might be contacted if some of your supporting documents need to be verified 
• You might be contacted if there’s a family member that you are applying with who needs an appointment 
• You might be contacted if due to personnel come stances you have a criminal conviction
• And you might be contacted if you need to attend an interview.

 Can I relocate with my family on the Innovator Visa?

 Yes, you can. Your children and partner can apply to join you or to stay in the United Kingdom as your dependants if they meet the necessary eligibility criteria. The visa will end on the same date as yours if their application is successful. 

People covered under the dependant relationship

• A dependant can be your wife, husband, unmarried partner or civil partner
• A dependant can be your child that is under the age of 18
• A dependant can also be your child that is over the age of 18.

Please note that you will need to provide evidence of your relationship with them when you apply.

• For your partner, you will need to be able to prove that you’re in a civil partnership or marriage with them and that it is one that is recognised in the United Kingdom. Or you need to prove that you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years after the time you apply.
• For children that are over the age of 16, they must live with you unless they are in a boarding school, university or college. They must be financially supported by you and they must not be married or in a civil partnership or have any children.
• To prove your relationship with your child you will need to provide two of the following documents that confirm the address 
•  A driver’s licence, credit card bills, a bank statement, unofficial letter from their college or university.

Proof of funds for dependants 

• Apart from the  £1,270, to support yourself, your dependants which are your partner and children who also need funds to support themselves.
• You will need  £285 for your partner 
• £215 for one child 
• And £200 each for an additional child.

It is also important to note that these funds will need to have been in your account or your dependants bank account for at least 28 consecutive days before application. 

Click here to start your application