Business owners looking to establish operations in the UK face a genuine choice: Self-Sponsorship or Innovator Founder Visa. Self-Sponsorship uses the Skilled Worker route through your own company. Innovator Founder requires endorsement for an innovative business idea. Both work. Neither is easy. The right choice between these routes depends on business structure, capital availability, settlement timeline, and whether the applicant can meet the UK settled Authorising Officer requirement that trips most self-sponsorship attempts.
Route Comparison: Key Differences
| Comparison | Self Sponsorship | Innovator Founder |
| What it is | You form a UK company, get a Sponsor Licence, and employ yourself under Skilled Worker rules | You get an endorsing body to approve your business idea, then apply for the visa |
| The gatekeeper | A UK settled Authorising Officer who is senior in your business and takes legal responsibility for your licence | An approved endorsing body that assesses innovation, viability, and scalability |
| Settlement timeline | 5 years | 3 years |
| Can you work elsewhere | No, only for your sponsoring company | Yes, secondary employment is allowed at RQF Level 3+ |
Eligibility: What Each Route Requires
Self-Sponsorship via Skilled Worker
The Self-Sponsorship pathway is carried out using the Skilled Worker visa system. You establish a UK company, receive a Sponsor licence, and sponsor yourself to a position earning at least 41,700 per annum under the Skilled Worker visa. This job should match the approved occupation code, and the job should involve genuine skilled work. The company must have an Authorising Officer who is a British citizen or has ILR. You must have B1 English and sufficient capital to operate the UK business.
Innovator Founder
An Innovator Founder visa needs endorsement from a Home Office-approved body before you can apply. They assess whether your business is innovative, viable, and scalable. The business must bring something new to the UK market or deliver a unique competitive advantage. The English requirement is B2 level, which is higher than the self-sponsorship level.
Cost Comparison: What You Actually Pay
Self-Sponsorship
- Sponsor Licence application: £536 (small) or £1,476 (large)
- Certificate of Sponsorship: £239 per worker
- Skilled Worker visa: £719 (up to 3 years) or £1,423 (over 3 years)
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year of visa validity
- Legal fees for Sponsor Licence setup: typically £2,000 to £4,000
- Ongoing compliance obligations and record-keeping costs
Total government fees for a small company sponsoring one director are typically in the £5,000–£7,000 range, excluding legal fees and the operating costs of running a genuine UK business.
Innovator Founder
- Endorsement body application fee: varies by body (£1,000 to £3,000)
- Innovator Founder visa: £1,191
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year
- Business plan preparation: often requires professional support (£2,000 to £5,000 if using consultants)
Total initial outlay: approximately £5,000 to £10,000, depending on endorsement body and whether professional business plan support is used.
Settlement Routes: How Fast Can You Get ILR?
Self-sponsorship takes five years to ILR through the standard Skilled Worker path. You stay employed with the company throughout, keep absences under 180 days in any rolling 12 months, and maintain the salary threshold. If the business fails or the role ends, your visa situation changes immediately.
Innovator Founder gets you there in three years if your endorsing body confirms you've met business milestones at the required check-in meetings (at 12 and 24 months). This faster route appeals to people prioritising permanent residence. Settlement depends on demonstrating genuine progress against your original business plan, not just still being in business.
Which Route Suits Which Business Owner
Self-Sponsorship is generally suited to established business owners expanding into the UK through a genuine, active business. It works best where the role is clearly skilled, the business has real substance, and the focus is on long-term stability rather than speed. Settlement follows a five-year route.
In practice, A Y & J Solicitors often see Self Sponsorship struggle where applicants approach it as another visa route rather than a genuine business immigration pathway that demands real business experience and enough capital to go through it.
Innovator Founder is better suited to entrepreneurs with truly innovative ideas. It fits founders building new products, platforms, or technology-led ventures who can clearly demonstrate innovation and are aiming for a faster three-year settlement timeline.
Getting the Structure Right From the Start
The wrong choice creates expensive problems.
A Y & J Solicitors advises business owners on both pathways, from Sponsor Licence applications and compliance visit preparation to endorsement body selection and checkpoint reviews. A short expert consultation prevents expensive course corrections later. Before committing to either route, it is worth confirming which structure truly fits your business and your objectives.