As of 30th May the new High Potential Individual (HPI) visa route to the United Kingdom has opened for applicants. This is in line with the Government’s stated aim of attracting the ‘brightest and best’ talent to the UK.
The HPI visa is a short-term work visa for individuals at an early stage of their career, who have shown they have a potential which could benefit the UK. They won’t need to have a job offer to apply. It is available to international graduates and gives permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years. To qualify, applicants must have been awarded a qualification by a prestigious, Home Office approved university in the last 5 years. UK universities are not eligible. Individuals already in the UK on a student visa may be able to apply via the Graduate visa route.
Individuals must be able to meet the English Language requirement and must also show finances of at least £1270. Those applying with partners or children will need to show they have sufficient funds to cover them as well.
Applicants with a Bachelors or Master’s qualification will be issued with a temporary, non-extendable 2-year visa. Those with a PhD or other doctoral level qualification will be granted a non-extendable 3-year visa. They can work for any employer or undertake self-employed work in the UK.
The HPI visa cannot be extended and does not lead to settlement however, should an individual wish to remain, they may switch to another qualifying UK visa category providing the rules are met. Spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners and children under the age of 18 may accompany the main applicant. Unmarried partners are required to demonstrate at least 2 years of cohabitation.
The cost for main applicants and dependants is £715 each. Individuals must also ensure they pay the relevant fee towards the Immigration Health Surcharge – currently £624 per annum for main applicants and dependants. Children under the age of 18 pay £470 per year.
Candidates must apply online, prove their identity and provide documents. They should then usually get a decision within 3 weeks if they are located outside the UK.
In summary
As a temporary immigration route, individuals must ensure they switch to an alternative visa if they wish to remain in the UK after the 2 or 3-year period.
There are concerns this route is fairly restrictive and that North American universities dominate the approved list, over those from Asia or Africa, however the visa may prove popular with employers seeking high quality candidates to cover skill shortages in the post Brexit UK labour market. Employers may initially hire individuals on a HPI visa and then consider sponsoring that individual on a Skilled Worker visa should they wish to retain that employee for the long-term.
