International students in the UK will soon be able to switch to an Innovator Founder visa without having to leave the country. Major changes in the UK immigration policy have been announced that will enable students in the UK to directly shift to the Innovator Founder visa, without having to leave the country through starting on November 25, 2025.
An Innovator Founder visa allows foreign students to set up and run an innovative business in the UK. It must be different from anything else in the market. Also, the business or business idea should have been endorsed by an approved body, also known as an endorsing body. Further, all other eligibility requirements need to be met.
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New regulations allow students on a Study visa to switch to the Innovator Founder route from within the UK, enabling them to start their businesses while their applications are processed, overcoming previous restrictions that required them to leave the country.
Foreigners can no longer apply for a Start-up visa; instead, they may consider applying for an Innovator Founder visa to set up a business in the UK.
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Paper 2025 had floated the idea to review the Innovator Founder visa to ensure that it supports entrepreneurial talent currently studying at UK universities to move into the entrepreneur visa so that they can build their business and career in the UK.
However, there will be certain conditions to be met before international students can begin their business in UK:
A Student may be self-employed under the Innovator Founder visa, if:
(a) They have applied for permission on the Innovator Founder route
(b) That application is supported by an endorsement from an Innovator Founder endorsing body
(c) The application was made when the applicant had permission as a student
(Source: Financial Express, but headline rejigged)