The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is similar to the Graduate visa but was introduced to allow individuals from eligible overseas universities to live and work in the UK following the successful completion of a course of study equivalent to UK bachelor’s degree level or above.

To be eligible, the applicant:

• must have been awarded their qualification within the last five years and the awarding institution must have been listed on the global universities list at the time the qualification was awarded
• must apply to Ecctis to verify that their qualification is valid and at the right level
• must prove their knowledge of English
• must have enough personal savings to support themselves in the UK, unless they’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months

Applicants do not require a prior job offer to qualify and will be permitted to work in the UK without the need for a sponsor for the duration of the visa. The visa will give the applicant permission to stay in the UK for two years if they been awarded an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, and three years if they have obtained a PhD. The visa cannot be extended, but a holder can switch in the UK into another visa route, as long as they are eligible for that route.

The HPI visa cannot be held by someone who has previously held permission under the Graduate route or its predecessor, the Doctorate Extension Scheme.