Nearest route: Innovator Founder visa
Open69Tier 1 Investor visa closed 17 Feb 2022; earned-settlement reform (10-year baseline ILR) proposed Nov 2025, implementation not confirmed as of Oct 2026 (Innovator Founder expected to keep a 3-year path)
- Minimum
- No minimum
- What counts
- No minimum investment; needs an endorsement (GBP 1,000) from an approved body for an innovative, viable, scalable business, with check-ins at 12 and 24 months
- Processing
- usually 3 weeks from outside the UK, 8 weeks inside
- Permit
- 3 years, renewable (3-year extensions, no limit)
- Time you must spend there
- none for the visa; ILR needs continuous residence
- Path to a passport
- Citizenship possible after about 5 years, permanent residence after 3.
- Family
- partner and children
- Tax
- residence-based: since 6 Apr 2025 the remittance basis is replaced by a 4-year foreign income and gains regime for new arrivals, then worldwide taxation
Official source · Second source · checked 2026-10-20




























