High Potential Individual (HPI) visa

Aimed at individuals who have graduated from a top global university; the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa will grant you permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years or 3 years if you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification.

You must have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university in the last 5 years. The Home Office has published a list of the eligible universities.

Under the HPI visa, you are not linked to a specific sponsor, and it was designed to attract the ‘the brightest and the best’. You can be employed or self-employed, and this route also allows you to be accompanied by your dependants.

This is also a great option to UK businesses looking to offer work opportunities without going through the challenges of sponsoring a migrant.

Acceptable qualifications

You must have been awarded an overseas degree level academic qualification which Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC ) confirms meets, or exceeds, the recognised standard of a UK bachelor’s or UK postgraduate degree. 

The degree:

• Must have been awarded in the 5 years immediately before the date of the application (the award date is the date confirmed by Ecctis); and
• The awarding institution must appear on the Global Universities List in respect of the date the application was awarded the degree. 

We have been helping talents and companies alike with their immigration requirement successfully since 2009.  Contact us.