Eligibility Checker

Endorsement Eligibility Checker

Use our free eligibility checker to understand which business-related visa route is right for you, and see your likelihood of being approved for an endorsement before you apply.

Just fill in some basic details, like your name and business idea, and we'll assess your information to check your eligibility.

Don't worry - the eligibility checker isn't connected to a real endorsement or visa application. You can use the checker as many times as you like without it affecting your eligibility to apply for an endorsement or visa. You'll be able to see the feedback you get, but endorsing bodies and the Home Office won't.

We can't guarantee you'll be accepted for any endorsement or visa, but our eligibility checker can give you a good idea of how strong your application is and which visa to apply for.

Your personal details
We need these details to address your feedback to the right person.
Given name(s)*
Your given name is usually your first name. If you have middle names, include these with your given. If your name has a suffix (e.g. Jr), include this with your given name. If you have a patronymic name, include it with your given name.
Family name*
Your family name is the surname shared by your family.

What is your gender?*
- Male
- Female
- Unspecified
Date of birth*
Enter your date of birth as shown on your passport or travel document. For example, 31/03/2020.

DD slash MM slash YYYY

Country of nationality*
Enter your country of nationality or citizenship.

Your qualifications and experience

Endorsing bodies and the Home Office will consider your background, qualifications and career to date when assessing your suitability for endorsement and/or a UK visa.

For both the Start-up and Innovator visas, endorsing bodies often see a lack of qualifications or professional experience as a sign that you don't have the skills, market awareness and resources necessary to successfully run your business.

However, if you're able to evidence relevant qualifications and experience, this can help prove you have what it takes to successfully run your business and endorsing bodies may be more willing to endorse you.

What is the highest level of education that you have received?*
Choose an option from the list below. You may select an option that you are currently studying for.

Have you ever worked in a professional capacity?*

This includes employment at a company or professional freelance work.
- Yes
- No
How many months have you worked in a professional capacity?*

Do you have any experience as an entrepreneur?*
- Yes
- No
How many months have you worked as an entrepreneur?*

Please upload your CV or resume

Uploading your CV or resume is optional, but doing so will enable us to provide more useful feedback on your eligibility for endorsement (max 10MB).

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Your immigration history

Endorsing bodies and the Home Office may ask you about your immigration history or whether you have ever been arrested by law enforcement officials. This includes previous visas for the UK and around the world.

It is important that you answer these questions truthfully when asked as they can have a significant influence on your eligibility to enter and remain in the UK.

For either the UK or any other country, have you ever been:*
- Refused a visa
- Refused entry at the border
- Refused permission to stay or remain
- Refused asylum
- Deported
- Removed
- Required to leave
- Excluded or banned from entry
- Yes - one or more of the above
- No

Have you ever:*
- entered the UK illegally
- remained in the UK beyond the validity of your visa or permission to stay
- breached the conditions of your leave, for example, worked without permission or received public funds when you did not have permission
- given false information when applying for a visa, leave to enter or leave to remain
- breached UK immigration law in any way
- Yes - one or more of the above
- No

Have you previously been endorsed in either the Start-up, Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) or Innovator visa category?*
- Yes
- No

Your business proposition

Please provide a summary of the business idea you wish to set up in the UK.*

Please upload your business plan or pitch deck
Uploading a business plan or pitch deck is optional, but doing so will enable us to provide more useful feedback on your eligibility for endorsement (max 10MB).

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Does this business already exist?*
- Yes - the business is already registered in the UK
- Yes - the business is already registered in another country
- No - the business has not been registered anywhere
Please provide the Companies House number for this business*

Are you involved in the founding of this business?
- Yes - I am the sole founder of the business
- Yes - I am a co-founder of the business
- No - I am an employee of the business
What is your position in the business?*

Funding for your business
You must have at least £50,000 in investment funds to apply for an Innovator visa if you want to set up a new business.

You do not need any funding to apply for a Start-up visa, but many endorsing bodies find it compelling to see you have access to a source of capital.

You'll need to prove where you got your funding from. You do not need any investment funds if either:
- your business has been endorsed for an earlier visa
- you’ve changed your business and already agreed it with your endorsing body

How much funding do you have available to invest in your business?*
Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0.
What is the source of these funds?*
You can select more than one option.
- Funds provided by an endorsing body
- Funds provided by investors in my business
- Personal funds held in my name for at least 3 months
- Personal funds held in my name for less than 3 months
- Funds already invested in my business

Supporting yourself in the UK
To prove you can support yourself in the UK you'll need to have had at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before you either:

apply for an Innovator visa apply to extend your Innovator visa or switch to an Innovator visa if you’ve been in the UK for less than a year

You cannot use either of the following to support yourself:
- apply for an Innovator visa
- apply to extend your Innovator visa or switch to an Innovator visa if you've been in the UK for less than a year
You cannot use either of the following to support yourself:
- money from your investment funds
- money earned while working in the UK illegally
Read the guidance on financial evidence for more information about the money you need and how to prove it.

Do you have sufficient funds to cover your maintenance?
The funding for your maintenance must be in addition to your investment funds and held in your bank account for at least 28 days.
- Yes
- No

Contacting you with your results

We may use email to send our feedback on your submission.

Your information’s safe with us. We’ll never give out your email address or any of the information you submit on this site without your permission.
Contact email address*
Who does this email address belong to?*
- You
- Someone else
What is your relationship to the applicant in question?*

Contacting you by telephone

Where we cannot contact you using the email address provided, we may contact you by telephone to provide our feedback on your submission.
Contact telephone number
Only include numbers, and for international numbers include the country code.

Consent*

By pressing 'Submit' your data will be sent to InvestUK for assessment and to provide feedback on the eligibility of your business proposition and personal details for Start-up and/or Innovator endorsement and visa. By continuing you agree to your data being used in this way.

Your information will be securely processed and secured on our server.

Don't worry - the eligibility checker isn't connected to a real endorsement or visa application. You can use the checker as many times as you like without it affecting your eligibility to apply for an endorsement or visa. You'll be able to see the feedback you get, but endorsing bodies and the Home Office won't.

We can't guarantee you'll be accepted for any endorsement or visa, but our eligibility checker can give you a good idea of how strong your application is and which visa to apply for.

I agree to be contacted by InvestUK with feedback on my submission.
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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Endorsement Eligibility Checker

Your personal details

Your qualifications and experience

Your immigration history

Your business proposition

Funding for your business

Supporting yourself in the UK

Contacting you with your results

Contacting you by telephone

Email*