Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Closed: Your Options in 2026

The Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa closed to new applicants on 29 March 2019, and the route has now ended entirely: extension applications ceased on 5 April 2023 and the final settlement deadline passed on 5 April 2025. In 2026 no further applications of any kind are possible under this category. This guide explains what the closure means for former Tier 1 Entrepreneur migrants, which business immigration routes remain open, how the Innovator Founder visa compares, and the settlement pathways still available to entrepreneurs building a future in the UK.

Understanding the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Closure in 2026

The Tier 1 Entrepreneur route once served as the principal gateway for overseas nationals investing £200,000 (or £50,000 from approved funding sources) in United Kingdom businesses. Persistent concerns about low-quality investments, marginal job creation and widespread abuse led the Home Office to close the category to new applicants in March 2019, replacing it initially with the Start-up and Innovator routes and, from 13 April 2023, with the current Innovator Founder visa.

The closure followed a carefully staged timetable. Understanding where you fall within that timetable determines which options remain realistic in 2026, because every internal deadline has now expired and the route exists only for people who already secured indefinite leave to remain through it.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Closure: The Complete Timeline

The Home Office wound the route down in three stages. New applications ended on 29 March 2019. Existing visa holders could apply to extend their leave until 5 April 2023, provided they continued to meet the investment, job creation and genuine business activity requirements. Finally, settlement applications under the route closed permanently on 5 April 2025.

Entrepreneurs who secured settlement before the deadline are unaffected by the closure. Their indefinite leave to remain continues indefinitely, and time spent as a Tier 1 Entrepreneur still counts towards the residence requirement for British citizenship applications.

Options After the April 2025 Settlement Deadline

The practical consequences of the closure depend on your current immigration position, and the distinctions matter enormously.

If You Obtained Settlement Before 5 April 2025

Your status is secure. Indefinite leave to remain does not lapse with the route that produced it, although it can be lost through absences of more than two consecutive years. Former entrepreneurs in this position typically focus on naturalisation, which usually requires twelve months holding settlement, five years of qualifying residence and compliance with the absence limits.

If You Missed the Settlement Deadline

Migrants whose Tier 1 Entrepreneur leave expired without a settlement application needed to switch into another category before their permission ended. In 2026 the realistic options include the Innovator Founder route for those continuing a qualifying business, the Skilled Worker route where a licensed sponsor employs you, and the ten-year long residence route for those who have accumulated a decade of continuous lawful residence across categories. Anyone who allowed leave to lapse without switching should take urgent advice, because overstaying breaks continuous residence and can trigger re-entry bans.

The Innovator Founder Route in 2026

The Innovator Founder visa replaced both the Start-up and Innovator categories in April 2023 and remains the closest successor to the Tier 1 Entrepreneur route. It removed the fixed £50,000 minimum investment requirement, focusing instead on whether an approved endorsing body considers the business innovative, viable and scalable.

Applicants must secure endorsement before applying, at a standard fee of £1,000 paid to the endorsing body. Following the 8 April 2026 fee changes, the application fee is £1,274 from outside the UK or £1,590 when switching in-country, alongside the immigration health surcharge of £1,035 per year. Endorsed founders must also attend contact point meetings with their endorsing body at twelve and twenty-four months, typically charged at £500 each. The English language requirement sits at CEFR level B2 across reading, writing, speaking and listening, applied in strengthened form to applications made from 8 January 2026 onwards.

Unlike the Tier 1 Entrepreneur route, the Innovator Founder visa leads to settlement after only three years, making it one of the fastest business routes to permanent status. The eligibility framework and closure background are examined in detail in our innovator visa closure guide.

Comparing Alternative Business Immigration Routes

Former Tier 1 Entrepreneurs rarely fit a single mould, and the right route in 2026 depends on capital, business maturity and personal circumstances. The main alternatives compare as follows.

The Skilled Worker route deserves particular attention, because founders who structure their own UK company correctly may be sponsored through it, while the Global Talent route suits established entrepreneurs with recognised achievements in technology, science or the arts. Wider reforms announced in the Government’s 2025 immigration white paper continue to reshape sponsorship thresholds, as analysed in our white paper implementation review.

Settlement Pathways for Former Tier 1 Entrepreneurs

Time already spent in the UK is not wasted when a route closes. Continuous lawful residence across different categories counts towards the ten-year long residence route to settlement, provided no single gap broke the continuity rules. Entrepreneurs who switched into the Innovator Founder route qualify for settlement after three years where their business shows the required growth achievements, while Skilled Workers follow the conventional five-year pathway.

Common Transition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Three errors dominate the refusals we see. First, applicants assume endorsing bodies will accept an existing business without fresh evidence of innovation, when in reality the assessment is forward-looking and demands a credible growth plan. Second, founders underestimate the financial documentation rules, particularly the requirement to hold funds for twenty-eight consecutive days. Third, migrants leave switching applications until their leave has almost expired, losing the protection of section 3C and any margin for correcting defects. Early preparation, realistic route selection and professionally reviewed evidence remain the most reliable safeguards, and the Immigration Rules should always be checked against the current statement of changes before submission.