Got my refusal letter today so I have 14 days to file Administrative Review. Feeling lost and lawyers are quoting a lot of money.
Quick summary:
Came on innovator visa, they then canceled that and made it innovator visa while I was here.
My original endorsed business was a tech platform in the food and hospitality space. The original plan explicitly covered multiple revenue streams — not just one activity. It was always meant to be a broad platform.
Over time the business naturally evolved toward the areas where customer demand was strongest. I’ve invested hundreds of thousands into building this. We’ve now generated over 6 figures in revenue but the Home Office made their decision based on old bank statements from before our peak trading period (because they took 15 months to give me a decision!)
I paid for Priority service and waited 15 months with no response. The only reason they finally replied was because my lawyer sent a Pre-Action Protocol letter threatening Judicial Review. They then called it a "complex case" and issued the refusal shortly after.
Main refusal reasons:
- Said business changed fundamentally from original plan
- Said I'm not a genuine Innovator Founder
My arguments against it:
- Original business plan explicitly covers everything we built — it wasn't narrowed to one activity
- Endorsing body endorsed me twice — caseworker basically overrode an accredited body
- The PAP is what triggered the decision — feels like they rushed it after ignoring us for over a year
My questions:
- Has anyone won AR on Innovator grounds?
- How long did AR realistically take?
- Is it worth paying a lawyer or can a strong personal statement be enough?
Kids are in school here, built a real business, genuinely invested everything into this country. Just want honest experiences from people who've been through something similar. 🙏