UK Students to Switch Directly into Innovator Founder Visa from November 25
New in-country switch allows international students to apply for the Innovator Founder route without returning overseas
International students in the United Kingdom will soon be able to transition directly from a Student visa to the Innovator Founder visa from 25 November 2025. Under the updated immigration rules, students who have completed their course can apply to switch while still in the UK, enabling them to launch an entrepreneurial venture without leaving the country.
The Innovator Founder route is designed for individuals with credible business ideas that are innovative, viable and scalable.
To qualify, applicants must secure an endorsement from a Home Office-approved endorsing body, meet English-language requirements at B2 level and demonstrate sufficient funds to support their business plan.
With the new policy, students are also permitted to begin self-employment while their Innovator Founder application is pending, provided they have submitted their switch application before their Student visa expires.
Previously, most Student visa holders were required to return to their home country to apply under the Innovator or Start-up routes.
The reforms close that gap and provide a smoother pathway from academic study to business creation in the UK. They reflect the government’s objective of retaining high-potential talent and strengthening the country’s position as a hub for graduate entrepreneurs.
The government has clarified that students on short-term student visas, visitor visas, or under immigration bail will remain ineligible for this switch.
Those admitted under the Student route must have completed the course for which their visa was issued, or, for PhD students, have completed at least twenty-four months of full-time study.
The update is set out in Appendix ST6 of the Statement of Changes HC 1333 and will take effect on the specified date.
Legal advisers and immigration analysts say the change offers a significant boost for international students with business ambitions, although they emphasise that assembling a robust endorsement-approved business plan and adhering to Student visa restrictions until the switch is granted remain critical.
The transition underscores the UK’s wider immigration strategy to align study, innovation and enterprise.
The Innovator Founder route is designed for individuals with credible business ideas that are innovative, viable and scalable.
To qualify, applicants must secure an endorsement from a Home Office-approved endorsing body, meet English-language requirements at B2 level and demonstrate sufficient funds to support their business plan.
With the new policy, students are also permitted to begin self-employment while their Innovator Founder application is pending, provided they have submitted their switch application before their Student visa expires.
Previously, most Student visa holders were required to return to their home country to apply under the Innovator or Start-up routes.
The reforms close that gap and provide a smoother pathway from academic study to business creation in the UK. They reflect the government’s objective of retaining high-potential talent and strengthening the country’s position as a hub for graduate entrepreneurs.
The government has clarified that students on short-term student visas, visitor visas, or under immigration bail will remain ineligible for this switch.
Those admitted under the Student route must have completed the course for which their visa was issued, or, for PhD students, have completed at least twenty-four months of full-time study.
The update is set out in Appendix ST6 of the Statement of Changes HC 1333 and will take effect on the specified date.
Legal advisers and immigration analysts say the change offers a significant boost for international students with business ambitions, although they emphasise that assembling a robust endorsement-approved business plan and adhering to Student visa restrictions until the switch is granted remain critical.
The transition underscores the UK’s wider immigration strategy to align study, innovation and enterprise.
