The UK has recently announced a new visa category named High Potential Individual (HPI) route as part of their ‘Plan for Growth’ measures. Plan for Growth sets out the UK’s plans to support growth through investment in skills, innovation, and infrastructure.
Benefits of the High Potential Individual visa route
Immigrants on the HPI route will not require sponsorship from any of the certified visa sponsoring organisations in the UK. This implies that you do not need to have secured a job in the UK before you are allowed entry. Once you are successful in securing this visa, you can move to the UK for two or three years, no questions asked, during which you can apply to any job at any skill level, work full time, and live in the UK.
On the HPI route, you are also allowed to be self-employed if you choose to. HPI visa-holders will also have the option of moving to the UK with their families.
Who can apply for the High Potential Individual visa?
Applicants eligible to apply to the HPI route are individuals who have a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or a PhD degree from any of the eligible international universities in the 5 years immediately before the application is made. This implies that it should not be more than 5 years from the time you graduated to the time you make an application for this visa. For example, if you are applying for this visa in June 2022, then you must have graduated after June 2017. If you graduated before June 2017, then you are not eligible to apply.
Another requirement is that you must have graduated from a top global non-UK university in the year that you graduated. Since universities move up and down the global university ranks each year, the UK has published lists of the selected top-ranked universities for each year for the last 6 years. Applicants must therefore have their university appear on this list corresponding to the year that they graduated. You can check this list here.
How long does the High Potential Individual visa last and what happens after?
The HPI visa grants 2-year visas to applicants who have a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree, and 3 years to applicants who have PhD degrees from eligible institutions.
The HPI visa is not a direct route to permanent settlement in the UK. However, visa holders can switch to other immigration routes such as the Skilled Worker visa or Global Talent visa. It is therefore important for visa holders to start making plans early enough if they are interested in remaining in the UK for longer.
What funds are required for the High Potential Individual visa application
The cost of the HPI visa is £715 per applicant. Applicants will also be required to pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS) for the number of years they are granted the visa. The cost of IHS as of 7th May 2022 is £624 per year.
When can you apply for the High Potential Individual visa?
Further details of how to apply for the High Potential Individual route is expected to be released by the UK Home Office from 30th May 2022.
References
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-potential-individual-visa-global-universities-list
- https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-03-15/hcws680