Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 7 March 2019 on Immigration Rules given by the Minister for Immigration on 7 March 2019, HCWS1388, what criteria his Department plans to use to determine the suitability for (a) an extension of an existing visa and (b) accelerated settlement.

Extensions and settlement in the Innovator category will be based on further assessment by an approved endorsing body

Endorsement for extension applications will assess whether applicants have made significant achievements against their business plans, and whether their businesses are trading. Applicants whose original business ideas do not succeed may re-apply, with a new business idea, for endorsement under the criteria for initial applications

Endorsements for settlement applications will be made against a range of criteria – covering investment, innovation, business growth and job creation – which applicants may choose from in order to qualify for settlement. Applicants may apply for accelerated settlement as soon as their businesses satisfy at least two of these criteria, providing they have spent at least three years in the category.