UK Shares 4 Conditions To Qualify For Permanent Residency In Just 3 Years Under Innovator Route
- The UK government has outlined the conditions Innovator Founder visa holders must meet before they can apply for permanent residency
- Applicants must have lived in the UK for at least 3 years on an Innovator Founder or Innovator visa and pass the Life in the UK Test
- The application fee stands at £3,226 per person, with a decision expected within 6 months of submission
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The UK government has detailed the requirements that Innovator Founder visa holders must satisfy before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain, the country's form of permanent residency.
Indefinite leave to remain grants holders the right to live, work, and study in the UK without a time limit.
Source: UGC
It also makes them eligible to claim benefits where applicable and opens a pathway to applying for British citizenship.
4 Requirements for Innovator Founder Visa Holders
According to the UK government's official guidance, there are four key conditions an applicant must fulfil.
First, the applicant must have lived in the UK for a minimum of three years on an Innovator Founder visa or the older Innovator visa.
Time spent in the country on any other type of visa does not count towards this period.
Second, applicants must obtain a fresh endorsement confirming that they have met the criteria for growing their business.
This endorsement is a separate step in the process and must reflect active business progress.
Third, applicants between the ages of 18 and 64 are required to pass the Life in the UK Test, a standardised assessment covering British history, culture, and civic knowledge.
Fourth, applicants must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK within any single 12-month period during their time on the visa.
Exceeding this limit could affect eligibility under what the government describes as the continuous residence rule.
When to Apply and What It Costs
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The government advises that applications can be submitted up to 28 days before an applicant becomes eligible.
Submitting too early risks having the application refused, while waiting until the visa expires would require a renewal before the indefinite leave application can be lodged.
Each application costs £3,226. Once submitted, applicants will receive a decision within six months, either after using the UK Immigration ID Check app or after attending a UK Visas and Citizenship Application Services point to provide fingerprints and a photograph.
During the waiting period, applicants must remain within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.
Travelling outside these territories before a decision is reached will result in the application being automatically withdrawn.
The government also noted that some applications may take longer than six months if supporting documents require verification, if an interview is necessary, or if an applicant's personal circumstances, such as a previous criminal conviction, require additional scrutiny.
The Innovator Founder visa replaced the original Innovator visa and is designed for entrepreneurs looking to establish and grow an innovative business in the UK.
Holders of the older Innovator visa remain eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain provided they meet all the stated requirements.
UK lists conditions to sponsor family
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that UK government outlined specific conditions that residents must satisfy before they can sponsor a young relative to join them in Britain.
According to the official guidance, one of the conditions states that the sponsor must be a close relative with protection status.
Source: Legit.ng
