UK to open high potential individual (HPI) visa for foreign graduates soon

The United Kingdom will be soon open applications for a new short-term work visa called high potential individuals (HPI) visa who pass out of top ranking universities of the world and have potential to benefit the UK workforce.

The applications for the visa will open from May 30, 2022, and if cleared and granted visa, the individual will be able to stay in the UK for 2 years (3 years for those with a PhD) without the need to have a job.

“The new High Potential Individual route will make it as simple as possible for internationally mobile individuals who demonstrate high potential to come to the UK,” Minister for Safe and Legal Migration Kevin Foster said in a statement. “It will enable those who have already demonstrated their potential through academic achievement to come to the UK without a prior job offer.”

The UK government will release a list of universities, whose graduates will be eligible to apply for the visa. The list can be found here.

Conditions apply

The HPI visa will cost £715. The applicant must have gotten a degree equivalent to UK bachelor’s degree within five years of the year of application. (If you are applying in 2022, then your degree should have been awarded in 2018.) The degree would need to be confirmed through Ecctis

Applicants whose degree wasn’t taught in English will need to pass the B1 level of an accepted English language test (ELT). For those whose degree language was English, a certificate from the awarding body or a university transcript will be needed.

Also read: UK’s points-based visa system to attract ‘brightest and best’ from world

They should have the equivalent of £1,270 in their bank account for about a month from applying. For those who have been residing in UK, this might not be necessary.

Once the HPI visa expires, one cannot apply for Permanent Residency. But they can switch to permits under the skilled worker, start up and innovator, exceptional talent, before the expiry of the visa.

Under the HPI visa, people will will be able to bring dependants, such as a partner (spouse) or children under the age of 18.