Understanding The UK’s new High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa

In a major new development, the UK government as created a new Visa program specifically for applicants who have graduated from top universities outside the UK within the last five years. Applicants under this new plan are eligible regardless of where they were born, and are not required to have an offer of employment in the UK to apply. Instead, in an attempt to attract what the government is calling the “best and brightest,” applicants who have obtained a bachelor's or master's degree will be granted a two-year work Visa, or a three-year Visa if they have earned a PhD. Applicants will also be eligible to transition to other types of employment Visas thereafter.

What may be considered one of the program’s greatest features is that there will be no limit to the number of applicants who can be accepted under the new guidelines

Any potential applicant must have attended a university which appeared in either a) the top 50 of at least two of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, b) the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, or c) The Academic Ranking of World Universities, in their graduation year.

The schools include 20 US universities, such as Harvard, Yale and MIT, as well as 17 other schools, including the University of Hong Kong, University of Melbourne and the Paris Sciences et Lettres University.

While there has been some academic criticism of the program for not including South Asian, Latin American or African universities, the government has responded to these criticisms directly and openly, and still feels it will provide opportunities that will mutually benefit the country and those applicants who are eligible.

The visa costs £715/$893, along with a “immigration health surcharge,” which permits applicants access to the National Health Service (NHS). Applicants may also bring their families under the program if they maintain a minimum account balance of £1,270/$1,586. The program requires a criminal background check and the applicant is required to have at least a B1 Intermediate level of proficiency in English, which is defined under the standard as possessing "fluency to communicate without effort with native speakers".
Under previous plans, students were required to leave the UK after four years, but this program will extend the duration of stay for these students. The UK plans to add new schools to the list of approved institutions and include options for “Graduate, Skilled Worker and Global Talent.”

The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa allows you to remain in the UK for a minimum of 2 years if you have earned qualification from the approved list of universities within the last 5 years.

How to apply

The application process is online only.

How you apply depends on whether you’re:

Living outside the UK and are coming to the UK

Living inside the UK and changing your visa type.

How long until you know if you’ve been approved?

If applying from outside the UK, a decision should be made within 3 weeks.

If applying from inside the UK, the decision should be made within 8 weeks.

The HPI visa allows you to work in most jobs, to look for work, and even be self-employed. Visa holders may even travel outside the UK and return.

It does not allow you to apply for public benefits or the State Pension program, however, and it restricts some forms of work, such as professional sports broadcasting, for example. It also doesn’t allow you to live permanently in the UK via this program alone. This would require another form of visa. 

English level required

You are required to demonstrate a B1 level mastery of the of the English language when you apply, unless you have already done so for another valid visa application.

This means that you must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the scale known as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Ways to prove your English level

Pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider or a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, gained through study at a UK school that you began when you were under 18, or by obtaining a degree-level academic qualification that was conducted in English - if you studied outside the UK, you’ll need to apply through Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) for confirmation that your qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD

Who does not need to prove their knowledge of English?

You are not obligated to prove your knowledge of English if you are a citizen of one of these nations:

·         Antigua and Barbuda

·         Australia

·         the Bahamas

·         Barbados

·         Belize

·         Canada

·         Dominica

·         Grenada

·         Guyana

·         Jamaica

·         Malta

·         New Zealand

·         St Kitts and Nevis

·         St Lucia

·         St Vincent and the Grenadines

·         Trinidad and Tobago

·         USA

What Documents are required to apply for the program?

Before you begin the application process, you are required to pay for Ecctis to check your qualification is valid. You will also need a valid passport or other travel document that shows your identity and nationality along with proof of your knowledge of English,  as we have previously discussed.

You’ll also need to provide the statement Ecctis sends to you when they’ve checked your qualification.

To confirm that your qualification was taught in English, you will need a statement known as an ‘Academic Qualification Level Statement and English Language Proficiency Statement’ which is also known as an ‘Academic Qualification Level Statement’. Just remember that you must apply within 5 years of being awarded a qualification from an eligible university.

Proving your identity and providing supporting documents

Obviously, as part of your application, you’ll be required to validate your identity. The way you will do this will depend on your type of passport and country of origin.

Typically, you will have your fingerprints and photograph taken at visa application center and also use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document and either create or sign into your personal UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

This new visa program is a unique opportunity to bring the best and brightest into the UK and be welcomed via a streamlined process designed to make it easier for you to incorporate into the society and become productive. If you have any questions regarding this program, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to help you achieve your goals.

Contact info@borderlesscounsel.com today!