No Reform of Innovator visa route in the recent Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules

In October 2022 the Home Office published a new Statement of Changes to the UK Immigration Rules outlining a series of changes, the majority of which are due to come into effect on 8, 9, and 30 November 2022.

The changes mainly revolve around clarification and unification of the existing rules. Some notable amendments are the abolition of the police registration requirement for all foreign nationals, and amendments to the evidential requirements for the Global Talent visa category. 

Unfortunately, one of the changes many immigration practitioners and their clients had hoped for was notable for its absence: a new category (or an amendment to an existing category) that would replace the Investor visa category, which was closed in February 2022. 

There was hope that a modification or addition to the Innovator route may allow for investment to be made into existing UK companies, as opposed to actually creating a new company and running it on a day-to-day basis.

If such a change is to be introduced, it will now hardly be before next April, when a new Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules is expected to be released.

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