The Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa is closed. It stopped accepting new applicants on 6 July 2019 and no longer exists as a route into the UK. If you are a graduate with a business idea, or you searched for this visa expecting to apply, the modern equivalent is the Innovator Founder visa, alongside a small number of other routes that can suit founders and recent graduates.
What was the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa?
The Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa let talented graduates stay in the UK after their studies to develop a business idea. It was aimed at recent graduates rather than established investors, and it was built around an endorsement rather than a large sum of capital.
To qualify, an applicant needed an endorsement from a UK Higher Education Institution or from UK Trade and Investment, confirming that they had a genuine and credible business idea and the skills to develop it. Applicants also had to meet English language and maintenance requirements. The visa was usually granted for a short period, with a limited option to extend, and it acted as a stepping stone to other business routes rather than leading directly to settlement.
What replaced the Graduate Entrepreneur visa?
The Graduate Entrepreneur visa was replaced first by the Start-up visa and then, from April 2023, by the Innovator Founder visa. The Innovator Founder visa is now the main dedicated route for people who want to build a business in the UK.
The Innovator Founder route keeps the endorsement-led approach that the Graduate Entrepreneur visa pioneered, but opens it up beyond recent graduates to any founder with a strong idea. Instead of a university endorsement, you obtain endorsement from a Home Office approved business endorsing body, which assesses whether your idea is innovative, viable and scalable.
What are the current UK visa options for graduate entrepreneurs?
If you would once have applied for the Graduate Entrepreneur visa, several current routes may now suit you, depending on your situation. The best choice depends on whether you want to run your own business, work in your field, or stay on after graduating.
The main options are the Innovator Founder visa for founders with an original, scalable business; the Global Talent visa for leaders and potential leaders in fields such as technology, academia and the arts; the Skilled Worker visa, sometimes used through a self-sponsorship structure where your own UK company sponsors your role; and the Graduate visa, which lets eligible graduates stay in the UK for a set period after their course to work or look for work.
Innovator Founder visa: the main route for founders
The Innovator Founder visa is the closest modern equivalent to the Graduate Entrepreneur route and the natural first choice for most founders. It is designed for people setting up a new, innovative, viable and scalable business in the UK, and it can lead to permanent settlement.
There is no fixed minimum investment to apply, which removes the capital barrier that used to define the Tier 1 routes. You must first secure an endorsement from a Home Office approved endorsing body, then apply online within three months. You also need to meet the English language requirement at level B2 and, in most cases, hold £1,270 for 28 days as maintenance. The visa is granted for three years, can be extended without limit, and can lead to indefinite leave to remain after three years if your business meets the growth criteria.
Since November 2025, students who have completed their course can switch into the Innovator Founder route from inside the UK, which makes it a practical destination for graduates who previously looked to the Graduate Entrepreneur visa.
How do the current routes compare?
Each replacement route suits a different type of applicant, so the right one depends on your business idea and your background. The table below gives a high-level comparison to help you narrow the options before taking advice.
| Route | Who it suits | Leads to settlement |
| Innovator Founder visa | Founders with a new, innovative and scalable business | Yes, after 3 years |
| Global Talent visa | Leaders or promising talent in tech, academia, arts and culture | Yes, after 3 or 5 years |
| Skilled Worker visa | Graduates in a role a UK employer or their own company can sponsor | Yes, after 5 years |
| Graduate visa | Recent graduates who want to work in the UK after studying | No, but can switch to other routes |
How can Sterling Law help?
Sterling Law advises graduates, founders and business owners on every current UK business immigration route.
We typically support clients through the following stages:
- an eligibility assessment across the Innovator Founder, Global Talent, Skilled Worker and Graduate routes;
- choosing the right route for your business idea and long-term plans;
- refining your business idea and preparing a business plan for endorsement;
- managing the endorsement stage with an approved endorsing body;
- preparing and submitting the Home Office application and dependant applications;
- planning ahead for extensions and settlement.
We help clients present their business clearly, avoid common application errors, and prepare evidence that meets the standard the Home Office and endorsing bodies expect. We also advise on related steps, from setting up a UK company to sponsor licences and, in time, British citizenship. If you were looking at the Graduate Entrepreneur visa, contact Sterling Law to discuss your idea and the route that now fits your plans.
