UK Innovator Visa

How to Get a UK Innovator Visa from Pakistan?

The Innovator Visa is meant for entrepreneurs and business people seeking to establish a business in the UK.

You can apply for this visa from Pakistan if you have at least £50,000 in cash funds to invest in your business. You must also have your business proposal approved by an endorsing body in the UK to be eligible for the visa.

An Innovator Visa can help you move towards permanent settlement in the UK. This particular visa lasts for 3 years, and you can seek another extension of 3 years. By the time you have been living in the UK for a total of at least 5 years, you are also eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Being a leading UK visa consultant in Pakistan, the BIIP visa consultants at Adam Bernard can help you file an application for an Innovator Visa UK. Our Tier 1 Innovator visa lawyers also offer comprehensive advice on other UK visas and immigration routes.

General Requirements for an Innovator Visa

You must fulfil certain requirements to qualify for an Innovator Visa UK from Pakistan. Here is a look at these:

  • Age: You must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Endorsement: You must have received a formal endorsement from an approved body for your business idea. This endorsement must be valid at the time you submit your visa application.
  • Investment: You must a minimum amount of £50,000 for investment into your business once you are in the UK.
  • Financial Resources: You must meet other financial obligations to prove that you can support yourself once you arrive in the UK.
  • English Language Proficiency: You are required to demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency as a part of your visa requirements.

You need to meet specific requirements in each area noted above. The details of these requirements are provided below.

If you are not sure about any requirements, you can consult our Tier 1 Innovator visa lawyers. You will receive detailed help and guidance from our Innovator Visa settlement consultants, not just on your Innovator Visa UK application, but for other UK visas and immigration options as well. Being a reputable UK visa consultant in Pakistan, we offer tailored help suited to the specifics of your case.

Financial Requirements

The financial requirements for an Innovator Visa are distinct from the investment funds you require for the visa. The financial requirements specifically pertain to your own individual cost of living once you are in the UK.

You are required to show that you have cash funds of at least £945 at the time you apply for the visa. You must have held this amount for at least 90 consecutive days immediately before your application submission.

An easy way to meet this requirement is to have this minimum amount in your bank account for at least 3 consecutive months leading up to your visa application.

You will need to meet additional financial obligations if any dependents are joining you on your Innovator Visa. In the case of dependents, you must show the availability of cash funds of at least £630 per dependent. This amount must have been in your possession for at least 90 consecutive days.

If you are not sure of your financial obligations for the visa, you can consult our BIIP visa consultants. Our experts will help you understand the exact amount of cash funds you require for your visa. You can also understand other expenses you must bear for the visa with the help of our Tier 1 Innovator visa lawyers.

Endorsement from an Approved Body

A critically important part of your Innovator Visa application is to get an endorsement from an approved body.

To do so, you must first review the list of endorsing bodies. You can choose any entity from this list, although it is always a good idea to choose an endorsing business or organization that is relevant to your business idea.

The next step is to send a formal business proposal to this endorsing body. The endorsement body will review your proposal and see if it meets the following three criteria:

  • Innovation: Your business idea must bring some innovation to a new or existing market by offering genuinely valuable products or services.
  • Viability: You must have the requisite skills and background to pull off the idea and run the business in the long term.
  • Scalability: You must demonstrate that your business idea has the potential to scale and grow over time, leading to the creation of new jobs in the UK.

If the endorsement body finds that your idea meets these three key requirements, it will likely approve your proposal. An endorsement letter will then be dispatched to the Home Office noting your details. The Home Office will consider this letter when deciding whether or not to approve your application.

If you need help with identifying the right endorsement body to seek approval, you can consult our Innovator Visa settlement consultants.

Being a leading UK visa consultant, our Tier 1 Innovator Visa lawyers help you choose the right endorsing body to maximize your chances of success. Our BIIP visa consultants also offer advice and guidance for other UK visas and immigration routes.

Applying Visa for Dependents on an Innovator Visa

Your dependents can join you in your application for an Innovator Visa. However, a separate visa application must be filed for each dependent which may be a spouse, partner, or child.

When applying for a visa for dependents, you must prove the nature of your relationship. If you are applying for a spouse from Pakistan, for instance, you may need to provide a marriage certificate. For children under the age of 18, a birth certificate listing you as a parent may serve as relevant evidence.

You can get detailed guidance from our Innovator Visa settlement consultants on how to file a visa application on behalf of your dependents. Being a leading UK visa consultant in Pakistan, our UK visas and immigration experts also help you understand the eligibility requirements for the dependents.

How to Apply?

You must submit an online application to apply for an Innovator Visa. You can apply up to three months before your intended date of arrival in the UK. In general, it is best to apply as early as possible. This allows you to respond to any Home Office requests for more information or handle possible rejections.

You must have the relevant documentation on hand when applying for the visa online. Here is the list of documents you will need:

  • Valid travel identification. This can be a passport or any other travel document.
  • Endorsement letter. You must have received your endorsement letter when you start submitting your visa application. The endorsement letter must also be valid and no more than 3 months old on the day you submit your application.
  • Evidence of investment funds. You must have a valid form of financial documentation to ascertain that you have the minimum required funds of £50,000.
  • Bank statement. The bank statement will confirm that you have had at least £945 for 90 consecutive days to support yourself if you are granted a visa.
  • English proficiency test results. You must provide the reference number of your English language test results to prove that you meet the minimum proficiency requirements.
  • TB test certificate. If you are applying from Pakistan, you must also provide a tuberculosis test certificate.

It is important to provide all the relevant and required documents at the time you submit your application. Any omissions or errors in your application may cause the Home Office to request the details, delay a decision, or simply reject the application.

In general, you can expect the Home Office to decide on your application within 3 weeks. If you submitted your application from inside the UK, the processing time may be up to 8 weeks.

If you are not sure about any step of the application process, it is best to consult our Innovator Visa settlement consultants. With the help of our BIIP visa consultants, you can avoid mistakes on your visa application. As a reputable UK visa consultant in Pakistan, Adam Bernard also offers help with other UK visas and immigration options.

Fees and Duration

The basic application fee for an Innovator Visa for Pakistani applicants is PKR 273,683. You must pay the same fee for each dependent who may accompany you on your visa.

In addition to this basic fee, you may also have to pay other expenses. If your documents are not in English or Welsh, you will need to have these translated for a fee.

Similarly, you will need to schedule an appointment with your nearest visa centre in Pakistan to have your biometric details collected. This will cost an additional fee.

As a part of your visa application, you must also pay an annual healthcare surcharge. This is charged by the year and depends on the duration of your Innovator Visa UK.

Once you receive your visa, you are allowed to stay in the UK for 3 years. You can seek a visa extension at the end of these 3 years, which grants you leave to stay in the UK for another 3 years. However, you must meet all the eligibility requirements to seek an extension.

By the time your extension period comes to an end, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This earns you permanent settled status in the UK, ultimately leading to full citizenship.

Being a leading UK visa consultant, we can help you explore other UK visas and immigration options if you have already received an Innovator Visa.

Why Adam Bernard?

Adam Bernard is a well-recognized UK visa consultant in Pakistan. Our BIIP visa consultants help you along every step of the Innovator Visa UK application process.

With the help of our Tier 1 Innovator Visa lawyers, you can avoid the common mistakes that lead to visa delays and rejections. We also help you explore other UK visas and immigration options, such as the Start-Up Visa UK that may better suit your case.

Call us today at +92-3041112026 to book a free session with our Innovator Visa settlement consultants.

0304 111 2026
Adam Bernard