Eligibility
Applying for the Innovator Founder visa with a co-founder
More founders now come to me as a pair: two friends, a husband and wife, a parent and child with complementary skills. A team can make a business case stronger. It also adds questions an assessor will ask about each of you.
Updated · 3 min read
Check the rules for teams first
How co-founders apply, and whether each needs their own endorsement, is set by the official rules and the endorsing body. Confirm the current position on the official pages and with a regulated immigration adviser before you plan around it.
Each founder needs a clear, real role
An assessor will ask why this business needs both of you. Define who owns product, who owns customers and sales, who owns operations. If one founder's role looks thin or ceremonial, that weakens the whole case.
One story, told the same way
Inconsistency is a common problem with teams. Both founders should be able to explain the innovation, the market and the numbers in the same terms. Practise answering questions separately, then compare.
Use the mix of skills as evidence
- Show how each founder's background covers a gap the other has
- Point to past work together, if any
- Agree ownership and decision-making in writing early