High Potential Individual
High Potential Individual visa, which came into force with the guidance of 30 May 2022, offers the opportunity to live in the UK according to your diploma status. In order to apply for this route, you must have a graduation certificate from one of the 50 universities on the prestige list in the last 5 years.
In this route, where the duration of your stay varies according to your graduation status, people with a University and Master’s degree get the right to reside for 2 years, while those with a PhD diploma can get a residence permit for up to 3 years. During this period, you can look for a job in line with your skills, education and experience, and work in the jobs you find.
Unlike the newly enacted visa types, the High Potential Individual route, which does not require a sponsor or job offer, allows you to work or start your own business. Although it is not possible to apply for an extension in this type of visa, you can switch to permanent residence visas if you find a suitable job for yourself. For detailed information, you can review our /Skilled Worker Visa page or contact us.
Eligibility & Key Criteria
One of the most important requirements for this route is to be able to prove that you can read, write, speak and understand English at B1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
In addition to the language criterion, you must have completed an education equivalent to a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate in the UK from one of the 50 universities listed by the Home Office.
Before proceeding on this route, you must submit your savings account statements to the Home Office to prove that you can sustain your life in the UK for minimum of 12 months.
The detailed list of top 50 universities for the last 5 years: https://www.gov.uk/high-potential-individual-visa/eligibility
Visa Duration & Rights
The duration of the visa varies according to the degree you graduated. Undergraduate and postgraduate graduates can stay and work in the UK for up to two years on a graduation visa. For individuals with a doctorate degree, this period is three years.
It is not possible to apply for an extension at the end of your graduate visa. However, you can switch to the most suitable visa for you through the institution/company you work for during your graduate visa.
Furthermore, you can find a job in a company and work for a salary, or you can set up and manage your own business.
If you have family members/dependants, they can apply and live with you in the UK while you apply for the Elite Graduate route. If your application is successful, the time your family members will be granted will be the same as your expiry date.
Application Cost
- Amount to be paid as visa application fee to the British Government
The application cost for the Expansion Worker Visa by Home Office for 2022 is £259.
- Additional fee for medical services payable to the British Government
This fee is set at GBP 624 for each year of stay. For example, if you are applying for a 3-year visa, you must pay 624 x 3 = £1872 in healthcare. To complete your visa application, you must complete the health payment stage.
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- The third article is the amount that you have to declare in your bank account to show that you can support yourself in the UK.
The minimum amount decided by the Home Office is 1270 GBP. If your family members are also included in the application, in addition to 1270 GBP; £285 for your spouse/partner, £315 for your first child and £200 for each additional child must be shown in the bank statements.
Test your eligibility!