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UK INNOVATOR FOUNDER VISA
UK INNOVATOR FOUNDER VISA FOR RESIDENTS OF SWITZERLAND
The UK Innovator Founder Visa route is open to Swiss (and non-Swiss) start-up entrepreneurs and experienced businesspersons residing in Switzerland who wish to establish a business in the UK. Applicants from Switzerland do not need a specific amount of funds to invest, but must have an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea, supported by a business plan and approved by a UK endorsing body.
Applicants from Switzerland must have generated or significantly contributed to their business idea and intend to play a key role in the daily management and development of their business.
Visa Details for Swiss Residents
Valid for 3 years.
Can lead directly to indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Applicants can bring their partner and children under 18 to the UK.
If you are interested in starting a new business in the UK or already own a UK business, you may also be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa via self-sponsorship through your own UK company.
Requirements for a UK Innovator Founder Visa Application in Switzerland
To qualify for a UK Innovator Founder Visa from Switzerland, you must satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:
You are at least 18 years old.
You have an endorsement letter from an approved UK endorsing body confirming:
You are fit and proper for endorsement under the Innovator Founder route.
No concerns about the source of any funds invested in your business.
No suspicion that you or your business benefits from illicit or unexplained wealth.
You have a business plan you generated or significantly contributed to.
You will have a daily role in the business.
You will have at least two contact point meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals.
You are either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.
Your business venture is innovative, viable, and scalable.
Your endorsement letter was issued no more than 3 months before your Innovator visa application.
You are competent in English to at least CEFR Level B2 (equivalent to IELTS 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
If you are outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months, you have at least £1270 to support yourself, plus £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for a first child, and £200 for each additional child.
Your application does not fall under general grounds for refusal.
The exact requirements may vary depending on your personal circumstances. We recommend consulting an immigration lawyer specialising in UK immigration law or a specialist UK immigration law firm for expert advice.
To discuss your UK Innovator Founder Visa application with one of our UK immigration lawyers in Switzerland, contact our UK immigration advisors on +41 21 588 07 70 or complete our enquiry form. |
Who Is the Innovator Founder Visa Suitable For?
The Innovator Founder Visa is for start-up entrepreneurs and experienced businesspersons in Switzerland looking to set up an innovative, viable, and scalable business in the UK.
Applicants typically have a new business idea and the business is not yet established. However, you may join a business after it is registered with Companies House in the UK, provided it has not started trading. The Home Office must be satisfied that you significantly contributed to the business plan.
Innovator Founders can work as sole founders or as part of a founding team, provided they are instrumental members.
If you wish to join an already trading business in the UK, the UK Skilled Worker visa may be more suitable. If you are a senior manager or specialist employee of an overseas business establishing a commercial presence in the UK, consider the UK Expansion Worker visa instead.
Investment Funds Requirement for a UK Innovator Founder Visa Application from Switzerland
Innovator Founder Visa applicants from Switzerland do not need to show a specific amount of investment funds. However, your business idea must be viable and scalable, meaning you need to demonstrate access to sufficient funds to set up and grow your business.
Endorsement Criteria for a UK Innovator Founder Visa Application from Switzerland
New Business Endorsement Criteria
To be endorsed by a Home Office-approved endorsing body, you must meet these requirements:
General Requirements
You are a fit and proper person to receive endorsement.
No concerns about the source of any funds invested.
No suspicion of illicit or unexplained wealth.
Business Plan Requirement
Have a business plan you generated or significantly contributed to.
Demonstrate a daily role in the business.
Confirm at least two contact point meetings with your endorsing body during your permission period.
Be the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.
Innovative, Viable, and Scalable Business Requirement
Innovation: Genuine, original business plan meeting new or existing market needs or creating a competitive advantage.
Viability: Realistic, achievable business plan based on available resources. Possess or develop necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and market awareness.
Scalability: Evidence of structured planning and potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.
Same Business Endorsement Criteria
If you previously had permission on the Innovator, Innovator Founder, Start-up, or Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) route, you may apply for further endorsement:
Business registered with Companies House, listing you as a director or member.
Business is active, trading, and sustainable.
Significant progress against your business plan.
Active in daily management and development.
Attended at least two contact point meetings with your endorsing body.
Approved UK Endorsing Bodies
Approved UK endorsing bodies include:
Envestors Limited
UK Endorsement Services
Innovator International
The Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP)
Legacy Endorsing Bodies may continue to support previously endorsed Innovators until they reach Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Richmond Chambers Switzerland S.A. can introduce eligible clients to endorsing bodies, ensuring direct contact with investment panel members and timely decision-making.
English Language Requirement for Swiss Residents
Innovator Founder Visa applicants from Switzerland must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all four components (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) at least level B2.
Financial Requirement for Residents of Switzerland
Swiss Citizen (and non-Swiss Citizen) applicants from Switzerland must show at least £1,270 in personal funds held for 28 days before the application date.
Applying as Part of a Team
Swiss Nationals (and non-Swiss Nationals) residing in Switzerland can apply for a UK Innovator Founder Visa as part of a founding team, but each applicant must receive their own endorsement from an approved endorsing body.
Switching into the UK Innovator Founder Visa Category
Innovator Founder Visa applications can be made from Switzerland or by switching within the UK, provided you were not last granted permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or outside the Immigration Rules.
Application Fee in Switzerland
£1,191 if applying from outside the UK.
£1,486 if switching within the UK.
£1,000 (ex. VAT) endorsement fee to the relevant endorsing body.
Innovator Founder Visa Validity Period
Initial visa valid for 3 years.
Possible to extend for 3-year periods, subject to re-endorsement.
No maximum time limit in the Innovator Founder category.
Apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 years in the category.
Conditions of Stay
Work for the business you have established.
Permitted secondary employment in a skilled role (at least RQF Level 3).
Contact Point Meetings
At least two contact point meetings with your endorsing body at regular intervals.
Assess progress against your business plan.
Visa may be cancelled if you fail to attend meetings.
Indefinite Leave to Remain as an Innovator Founder
Requirements include:
Endorsement by an approved UK endorsing body, confirming significant achievements, active trading, and sustainability.
Satisfying at least two criteria, such as investment, job creation, customer growth, research and development, or revenue generation.
No more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the 3 years before application.
Sufficient knowledge of English and Life in the UK.
Stages to Obtaining an Innovator Founder Visa
Complete Enquiry Form: Free initial assessment of your suitability.
Eligibility Assessment: Verify general eligibility requirements.
Concept Assessment: Review and advise on your business concept.
Introduction to Endorsing Bodies: Formal introduction to endorsing bodies.
Concept and Business Plan Approval: Consultation and endorsement process.
Full KYC and Due Diligence: Background check and fund source verification.
Visa Application: Prepare and submit application to Home Office.
Approval & Mentoring: Post-approval support and mentoring.
How Our UK Immigration Lawyers in Switzerland Can Help
Through the Swiss office of our UK immigration law firm, we are delighted to offer a comprehensive range of UK immigration legal services to Swiss citizens (and non-Swiss citizens) residing in Switzerland.
Our UK visa and immigration services for Swiss nationals (and non-Swiss nationals) residing in Switzerland encompass expert guidance on all UK visa routes for Swiss residents, along with a fully-managed UK visa application preparation service tailored for Swiss citizens (and non-Swiss citizens) in Switzerland.
Richmond Chambers is recognised as one of the UK’s leading immigration practices for Innovator Founders. Our team assists innovative entrepreneurs from Switzerland with immigration options, guiding them through Home Office rules and policies.
We provide approachable, proactive, and reliable immigration advice to entrepreneurs and businesspersons residing in Switzerland as part of a professional and friendly service.
WE CAN ALSO ASSIST WITH
Applications for Swiss Citizens (and non-Swiss Citizens) residing in Switzerland for Innovator Founder visa endorsement by approved UK endorsing bodies
Before you can apply for an Innovator visa, you will need to be endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body.
Our immigration barristers can assist you to identify an appropriate endorsing body and then formally introduce you to the endorsing body. Our introductory letter will demonstrate how you satisfy the general requirements of the Immigration Rules, the business plan requirements of the rules and why your business idea should be regarded as innovative, viable and scalable.
Innovation: You must have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage;
Viability: Your business plan must be realistic and achievable based on your available resources and you must have, or be actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run your business;
Scalability: There must be evidence of structured planning and of potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.
Our immigration barristers can also assist you to satisfy the endorsing the body that you will have a day-to-day role in carrying out your business plan.
If you are applying to continue the same business venture as in your initial application, our immigration barristers can assist you to prepare a strong application for endorsement which demonstrates that your business is registered with Companies House and you are listed as a director or member of the business, your business is active, trading and sustainable, you have made significant progress against your business plan and you are active in the day-to-day management and development of your business.
Drafting Innovator Founder visa compliant business plans for residents of Switzerland
As part of your Innovator Founder visa application, you will need to have a detailed, genuine and original business plan. You will also need to satisfy the endorsing body that you have either generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in that business plan.
Our immigration barristers can guide you as to the requirements for a successful Innovator Founder visa business plan. We can also assist you to identify a suitably qualified professional business plan writer and then liaise with the plan writer to ensure that your Innovator visa business plan satisfies the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
Credibility assessment interview preparation for Innovator Founder visa applicants from Switzerland
Even if you have obtained an endorsement, you will still need to satisfy the Home Office that you genuinely intend to undertake, and are capable of undertaking, any work or business activity in the UK stated in your application. As part is its credibility assessment, the Home Office may invite you to attend an interview.
Our Credibility Assessment Interview Preparation sessions include:
Advice as to potential interview questions;
One-to-one interview practice with an immigration barrister;
Constructive feedback on all aspects of your performance;
Advice and tips on further preparation and how to improve on any weak areas;
Time for you to ask questions and/or address any other concerns that you have about your credibility assessment interview.
Applications by Swiss Citizens in the UK for extension of stay as an Innovator Founder
In order to qualify for further leave to remain as an Innovator Founder to continue pursuing the same business venture as in your initial application you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you have been endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body that is satisfied that:
Your business is registered with Companies House and you are listed as a director or member of the business;
Your business is active, trading and sustainable;
You have made significant progress against your business plan;
You are active in the day-to-day management and development of your business.
If you have, or last had, permission as an Innovator or Innovator Founder, you will also need to demonstrate that you attended at least 2 Contact point meetings with your endorsing body (or similar checkpoints with a legacy endorsing body) at regular intervals during your period of permission and confirm that you will have at least two Contact point meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals during your period of permission.
You will also need to satisfy and English language and financial requirement.
Applications by Swiss Citizens in the UK for indefinite leave to remain as an Innovator Founder
In order to qualify for indefinite leave to remain as an Innovator Founder you will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration that:
You have been endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body that is satisfied that you have shown significant achievements judged against the business plan assessed in your previous endorsement, you are registered with Companies House as a Director or Member of your business, your business is active, trading and appears sustainable for at least the following 12 months and you have had an active key role in the day-to-day management and development of the business;;
You satisfy at least two of the following:
At least £50,000 has been invested into the business and actively spent furthering your business;
The business has created the equivalent of at least 5 full-time jobs for settled workers, which have an average salary of at least £25,000 a year;
The business has created the equivalent of at least 10 full-time jobs for resident workers with no average salary requirement;
The number of customers has at least doubled within the most recent 3 years and is currently higher than the mean number of customers for other UK businesses offering comparable main products or services;
The business has engaged in significant research and development activity and has applied for intellectual property protection in the UK;
The business has generated a minimum annual gross revenue of £1 million in the last full year covered by its accounts;
The business has generated a minimum annual gross revenue of £500,000 in the last full year covered by its accounts, with at least £100,000 from exporting overseas.
You have spent not more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12 month period during the 3 years prior to the date of application; and
You have sufficient knowledge of the English language and Life in the UK.
Fresh applications, Administrative reviews and Judicial reviews for Innovator Founder visa applicants
If your application for entry clearance or leave to remain or settlement as an Innovator Founder has been refused, our immigration barristers can advise on the merits of making a fresh application or challenging the decision.
If the decision-maker failed to apply the Immigration Rules or Home Office policy correctly, we can bring Administrative Review proceedings to challenge the decision.
If the decision to refuse your application was unlawful, unreasonable or procedurally improper, our immigration barristers can apply for Judicial Review and provide representation at Judicial Review hearings.
WHAT CAN WE HELP YOU WITH?
To arrange a. consultation meeting, call our UK immigration lawyers in Switzerland on +41 21 588 07 70 or fill out the form below.
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