New High Potential Individual Route

A new visa for people to come and work in the UK without a job offer is coming to the UK on 30 May 2022

The main requirements of Appendix High Potential Individual are:

HPI 5.1. The applicant must, in the 5 years immediately before the date of the application, have been awarded an overseas degree level academic qualification which Ecctis confirms meets, or exceeds, the recognised standard of a UK bachelor’s or UK postgraduate degree.

HPI 5.2. The institution at which the applicant was awarded the degree in HPI 5.1 must appear on the Global Universities List in respect of the date the applicant was awarded the degree.

HPI 5.3 The date the applicant was awarded the degree will be the date as confirmed by Ecctis. 

“Global Universities List” is defined as:

the list of universities published by the Home Office on the Gov.uk website, which is compiled on an annual basis and consists of all non-UK institutions that are ranked in the top 50 of at least two of the following ranking systems:

1. Times Higher Education World University Rankings; and

2. Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings; and

3. The Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Other key features include:

• English language ability is required (level B1 in speaking, listening, reading, writing)

• A maintenance requirement applies for anyone applying for entry clearance, or permission to stay where they have lived in the UK for less than 12 months (£1,270 held for 28 days)

• If the qualifying degree is a PhD, the applicant will be granted three years of permission; in all other cases, it is two years

• Partners and children can be sponsored as dependants 

Despite being previously advertised as a route to settlement, this route does not, in fact, lead to settlement.