The UK Home Office has announced that holders of the Innovator Founder visa can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after just three years of residence in the country. This makes it one of the shorter pathways to permanent residency available under British immigration law. ILR grants holders the right to live, work, and study in the UK without time restrictions, access benefits where eligible, and pursue British citizenship if they choose to do so.
The Innovator Founder visa replaced an earlier product known simply as the Innovator visa, though individuals who held the original version remain eligible to apply for ILR under the same conditions. Only time spent in the UK on one of these two visa types counts towards the three-year residency requirement. Time accumulated on any other category of visa is not recognised for this purpose.
Travel history is a central factor in determining eligibility for ILR. Applicants must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK within any single 12-month period during their qualifying residency. Once an application for ILR has been submitted, the applicant must remain within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until a decision is issued.
Fees for the application are £3,226, and the Home Office advises that processing typically takes up to six months from the date the application is submitted or from the date biometric information is provided at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services centre. Applications involving a criminal conviction, pending document verification, or a required interview may take considerably longer to conclude.
The Home Office has warned applicants against allowing their current visa to expire before they become eligible for ILR. Anyone in that situation would be required to renew their visa before reapplying, which adds both time and additional cost to the process. Applications may be submitted up to 28 days before the eligibility date, but submitting ahead of that window carries the risk of an outright refusal.
The UK Home Office's decision to offer a faster path to permanent residency for Innovator Founder visa holders may attract more entrepreneurs and innovators to the country. Ghanaian citizens, like those from other countries, can apply for this visa and potentially benefit from the shorter residency requirement.
To be eligible for ILR, applicants must meet strict travel and residency conditions during their three years before they become eligible to apply. The UK's immigration policy aims to balance attracting talent with maintaining the country's immigration rules.
Key points
- Applicants must meet strict travel and residency conditions during their three years before they become eligible to apply
- Only time spent in the UK on one of these two visa types counts towards the three-year residency requirement
- Each application carries a fee of £3,226 and can take up to six months to process
