INTRODUCTION TO THE HIGH POTENTIAL VISA ROUTE AND AN OVERVIEW OF THE REQUIREMENTS
The High Potential Individual route is a relatively new immigration route introduced by the UK government as part of its post-Brexit strategy to attract highly skilled individuals to live and work in the UK. Launched in May 2022, the High Potential Individual category aims to attract global talent to the UK by targeting graduates from the top international universities.
This immigration route is designed to enhance the UK’s competitiveness and innovation by enabling talented individuals to work, live, and contribute to the UK economy without needing a job offer or sponsorship. Unlike traditional types of work visas, the High Potential Individual route is not tied to a specific employer or job role, providing greater flexibility and freedom for the holder. This is the main distinguishing factor between this immigration route and some of the earlier ones.
Overview of the High Potential Individual Route
The primary eligibility criteria is that an individual needs to have graduated from a top global university within the last five years. The route is intended for individuals who have been awarded a qualification which is the equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s Degree or higher, in the last 5 years from an eligible international university. The University must be one on the Global Universities List (GUL). This list of Universities is available on the UKVI web site and is updated annually.
In broad terms, this category enables successful applicants to enter the UK or remain in the UK for a period of 2–3 years, depending on the level of qualification that they have and further enables them to undertake or seek work without having a prior job offer or sponsor. There is no minimum income threshold to meet. Furthermore, there are minimal restrictions placed on the applicants within this route. Importantly, partners and dependents are also eligible to apply, subject to meeting the requirements.
When assessing whether this is the appropriate route for an applicant, it is important to consider that the High Potential Individual route does not lead to settlement in the UK on its own. As such, it may not be a suitable route for some applicants.
However, as I will address later in this guide, an applicant may be able to switch into another route from the High Potential Individual route, which may then lead to settlement in the UK.
The application process for this route is designed to be straightforward and simple, with several key steps which can be broken down in the following way:
Preparation of supporting documentation
Applicants should collect all necessary documents, including their Degree certificate, proof of their English language proficiency and financial evidence.
Completion of the online application form
The application must be completed online and is accessed from the UK government’s official visa and immigration website.
Application fee
The visa application fee must be paid in order for the application to be valid.
An applicant will also need to provide their biometric information (fingerprints and photographs) at the visa application centre or via the UK Immigration: ID Check app, depending on their location and their application method.
Challenges and other considerations
Despite the many advantages, there are some issues worthy of further consideration.
Eligibility restriction
This immigration route is limited to graduates from a select list of top international universities, which is published. As a consequence, this excludes other highly skilled individuals who cannot meet this strict criteria.
Furthermore, there is no extension of leave to remain available within this immigration route. Significantly, the High Potential Individual route does not lead to settlement.
Financial threshold
There are costs associated with the visa application which are addressed within this guide, including the additional health surcharge. There are even further costs for those who wish to apply for dependents to join them in the UK.
Uncertainty
As there is not a direct path to settlement, applicants will need to plan their future in the UK carefully, considering their options for switching to other routes if they wish to remain in the UK afterwards. I have addressed three additional immigration routes within this book as they may be of interest to potential applicants looking ahead.
The requirements that an applicant must meet within the High Potential Individual route are split into three sections which I will cover in detail. These fall under the following broad headings:
- Validity
- Suitability
- Eligibility
An overview of the requirements
Validity: HPI 1.1–1.7 of Appendix High Potential Individual
The validity requirements are those that an applicant must meet in order for the application to be deemed to be a valid one and therefore, lead to an application being considered and assessed rather than rejected. If an application is not valid, then it is likely to be rejected rather than refused. An example of a validity requirement would be the requirement to use the correct form when completing the application.
Suitability: HP1 2.1–2.2 of Appendix High Potential Individual
The suitability requirements involve consideration as to whether an applicant is suitable for a grant rather than an assessment of whether they are eligible for it. An example of suitability would be an assessment of whether the applicant has ever breached the immigration rules and overstayed in the UK in the past. The suitability assessment is undertaken in line with Part 9 (General Grounds of Refusal) of the Immigration Rules, which deal with general grounds of refusal. Importantly, if an application is refused on suitability grounds this can lead to a mandatory refusal of an application.
Eligibility: HPI 3.1–7.4 of Appendix High Potential Individual
The eligibility requirements are the ones that an applicant must fulfil in order for the application to be granted. If an applicant does not meet all of the eligibility requirements then the application will be refused. An example of this is the international academic award that an applicant must have, which is contains in a published list. I will review this in more detail later in this guide.
Summary
Therefore, there are 3 main parts to the application: validity, suitability and eligibility. All three parts must be fulfilled in order for the application to be successful.