Innovator Founder 70 points explained: where points are won and lost

The Innovator Founder visa is a points-based route, but it does not feel like one. There is no sliding scale, no bonus for a big salary and no extra credit for a strong CV. You either reach 70 points or you do not, and most of those points are decided before a caseworker ever opens your file.

This article walks through the points table as set out in the Home Office caseworker guidance "Innovator Founder" (version 11.0, published 4 August 2026), explains the two routes to the core 50 points, and shows where applications realistically lose them.

The points table at a glance

The structure is simple: 50 from one business option, plus 10 and 10. Because there is no surplus available anywhere, failing any single line means failing the application.

Route A: the new-business 50 points

Most first-time applicants use the new-business criteria. The 30 points for the business plan depend on four things the guidance spells out:

• you generated the plan or significantly contributed to it;
• you will have a day-to-day role in the business;
• you will attend at least two contact point meetings with your endorsing body;
• you are the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team.

The remaining 20 points require the endorsing body to be satisfied that the plan is innovative, viable and scalable. In the guidance's terms that means a genuine, original plan meeting new or existing market needs and/or creating a competitive advantage; a plan that is realistic and achievable given your resources; evidence that you have, or are actively developing, the skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to run it; and evidence of structured planning with potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets.

The endorsing body must state it is satisfied and give a short description of why. For a deeper look at the role requirements, see new business vs same business criteria and the investor-not-founder refusal risk.

Route B: the same-business 50 points

The same-business criteria are for founders continuing a business already assessed by an endorsing body, typically at extension. The 10 points require previous permission on the Innovator Founder, Innovator, Start-up or Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route, during which you were pursuing an endorsed, assessed business.

The 20 points for the business require it to be active, trading and sustainable, with significant achievements against the most recently agreed business plan. A further 20 points need you to be actively involved in day-to-day management. The guidance is explicit that solely having a financial interest is not enough. If your last permission was Innovator Founder, you must also have attended at least two contact point meetings, and the business must be registered with Companies House with you listed as a director or member.

We cover this route in detail in extending Innovator Founder on the same business.

The 20 points every applicant needs

English language: 10 points

You need CEFR level B2 in all four components: reading, writing, speaking and listening, unless you are exempt. A strong overall result with one weak component does not meet the requirement. See the B2 English requirement for how this fits with wider changes.

Financial requirement: 10 points

If you have been in the UK for more than 12 months at the date of application, you automatically meet this requirement. Otherwise, you must show funds held for a 28-day period:

These are maintenance figures only. They are separate from the visa fee, the Immigration Health Charge and the endorsing body's fees.

Where points are realistically lost

Because the business points flow from the endorsement letter, a refusal on those 50 points usually traces back to one of three things.

The letter itself. The guidance lists what an endorsement letter must contain, including the date of issue, which must be no earlier than three months before the application. A letter that has gone out of date fails validity, not just points. Caseworkers verify every endorsement through the Innovator Founder route inbox.

Your role. An applicant who is only investing is refused. If the evidence suggests you were added to a team mainly to bring money, the business plan points are at risk even with an endorsement.

Doubts about information the endorsing body did not have. Caseworkers do not normally re-assess the plan, but they can apply a balance-of-probabilities test where there are specific grounds to doubt it, and they can request more information. See when caseworkers dig into genuineness.

The non-business 20 points are lost in more mundane ways: an English test with one component under B2, or a bank balance that dips below the required amount during the 28-day period.

Points are only part of the decision

Reaching 70 points does not guarantee a grant. The application must also be valid (fee and Immigration Health Charge paid, biometrics, passport, a current endorsement letter, applicant aged 18 or over) and you must pass suitability, which includes the fit and proper person provisions. If you are unsure where your business stands before approaching an endorsing body, you can run a free assessment to test the plan against the innovation, viability and scalability lens.

Sources and further reading

• GOV.UK — Innovator Founder visa
• GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix Innovator Founder
• GOV.UK — Innovator Founder caseworker guidance
• GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix Finance
• GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix English Language

Key takeaways

• You need exactly 70 points: 50 from business criteria, 10 from English, 10 from funds.
• The 50 business points come from either the new-business or same-business criteria, never both.
• Business points depend on the endorsement letter; check its contents and date carefully.
• English must be B2 in all four components, not just overall.
• The funds requirement is automatic after more than 12 months in the UK; otherwise hold the amounts for 28 days.
• Meeting 70 points is necessary but not sufficient; validity and suitability still apply.

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