High Potential Individual Visa
The UK Home Office introduced this visa scheme on 30th May 2022. It is designed to meet the needs
of recent overseas graduates who wish to enter the UK and either take up a job offer or look for work.
It is widely drawn to permit people seeking both employment and opportunities for self-employment.
Applicants need to have graduated from universities recognised by the Home Office as global
institutions of excellence.
It is not a route to indefinite leave to remain or settlement. However, the system permits you to make
an application from within the UK, before the expiry of your visa, to move into one of the other
immigration routes, which does offer the chance to qualify for settlement. Successful applicants must
be joined or accompanied by their partner and dependent children.
Eligibility Requirements
There are six conditions you must satisfy to make a valid application.
- You must be at least 18 years old
- In the past five years, you must have been awarded an overseas qualification at degree level
from an institution recognised by the Home Office as a global university - You must be competent in English to at least CEFR Level B1 or IELTS 4.0
- You must have sufficient funds to support yourself. No public funds will be available
- You must not be the grantee of previous permission to move to the UK under the Student
Doctorate Extension scheme or as a Graduate or High Potential Individual - You must provide a valid TB certificate if requested to do so
The institutions recognised by the Home Office for this visa can be found in the Global Universities
List on the UK government website.
Other Conditions - You do not need to have a job offer before you can apply
- You may apply from within the UK or from abroad
- You may not apply based on a degree-level qualification awarded by a UK university
- If your qualification is from a UK university or you are studying for one at a UK university, you
are advised to use the graduate visa or skilled worker visa schemes
Duration of a High Potential Individual Visa
If you successfully obtain a visa under this scheme, then the period for which you are permitted to
stay in the UK depends on the qualification on which your application is based.
If you have been awarded a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the visa allows you to stay in the UK
for three years.
If you have been awarded any other degree qualification, the visa allows you to say in the UK for two
years.
Global Universities
The High Potential Individual visa is unavailable to most overseas educational institutions graduates.
The UK Home Office has compiled a list of Global Universities from which applicants must have
obtained their qualifications. As of September 2022, there are 37 institutions from 11 countries. The
list is reviewed annually and is made up of institutions that are ranked in the top 50 of at least two of
the following:
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings
The Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Rights of Dependents
The holder of a High Potential Individual visa may be joined or accompanied by a dependent partner
aged over 18 and any dependent children who are under 18.
Extensions
A High Potential Individual visa is limited to two or three years, depending on your level of
qualification and cannot be extended. If you wish to remain in the UK for longer, you should apply
under another visa scheme for which you meet the requirements, such as the Exceptional Talent visa.
Our immigration experts are happy to answer any questions you may have about this scheme. Please
contact us to discuss your needs.