The Home Office’s new “High Potential Individual” visa route is expected to launch on 30th May 2022. The High Potential Individual visa is specifically intended for those who have graduated from a top overseas university and wish to work or look for work in the UK. Here we will take a closer look at who can apply for the High Potential Individual visa, the eligibility criteria, and what High Potential Individual visa holders can and cannot do.
The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is geared toward foreign nationals who, within five years of applying, gained an overseas degree-level academic qualification. The “statement of changes in immigration rules” published by the Home Office on 15th March 2022 includes the details of the visa and states,
“This route is for recent graduates of top global universities, who want to work or look for work in the UK, following the successful completion of an eligible course of study equivalent to UK bachelor’s degree level or above. The study must have been with an institution listed on the Global Universities List. The High Potential Individual route is an unsponsored route”.
This clarifies that applicants do not require a job offer in order to submit an application for a High Potential Individual visa, but they must have a suitable qualification from a top-level education establishment on the Global Universities List.
Applicants for a High Potential Individual visa must:
As this route is points-based, applicants must score at least 70 points; this is met as follows:
The Global Universities list is published on the Home Office’s website and contains all non-UK educational institutions ranked in the top 50 of at least two of the following ranking systems:
The list is updated each year based on the revised rankings in each system.
Applicants for the High Potential Individual visa must have been awarded an overseas degree-level academic qualification no more thatmn five years before the date of their application. The course must be confirmed by Ecctis as meeting or exceeding the academic standards of a UK bachelors or UK postgraduate degree. The rules also state, “The date the applicant was awarded the degree will be the date as confirmed by Ecctis”.
High Potential Individual visa applicants must meet the English language requirements. This is CEFR Level B1 or above in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Depending on their country of origin, some applicants may be exempt from the English language requirement.
High Potential Individual visa applicants who have been in the UK for less than 12 months at the date of application must show they have at least £1,270 in available funds to support themselves. This money must have been held by the applicant for at least 28-day before the date of application. If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, there is no need to meet the financial requirement.
If your application is successful, the amount of time you can stay in the UK will depend on the level of your qualification. Those with a PhD or other doctoral-level qualification will be able to stay for up to three years. Those with any other level of degree will be able to stay for up to two years.
High Potential Individual visa holders will be permitted to live, study, work and seek work for the duration of their stay. “Work” includes self-employment and voluntary work, but work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach) is not permitted. Visa holders are not eligible for public funds (e.g. benefits).
Importantly, High Potential visa holders cannot apply for settlement (ILR) after a qualifying period. Instead, once in the UK, they will need to acquire a different visa type that provides a direct route to settlement, such as a Skilled Worker or family visa.
The new High Potential Individual visa goes live on the Home Office website at 9am on 30th May 2022. If you need any further details on the new scheme, to check if you are eligible, or for assistance with your application, it is advisable to speak to an immigration Solicitor as early as possible.
For assistance with your immigration law matter, phone us on 0121 777 7715 to make an appointment with one of our SRA Regulated Immigration Solicitors based in Birmingham and London.
Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice.
With the promise of warmer weather on the way, we are also expecting a number of key changes to the immigration rules in Spring 2022 that UK employers and international workers should be aware of. Here we will take a closer look at some of these changes to immigration policy, including digital right to work checks and two new schemes.
In December 2021, the government announced its intention to allow employers the ability to use digital identity service providers to carry out identity checks on their behalf. The government has now published updated guidance entitled, “Employer right to work checks supporting guidance”, which outlines a new process for right to work checks for biometric cardholders, which comes into force on 6th April 2022. This confirms that from this date, BRC, BRP and FWP holders will have to evidence their right to work using the Home Office’s online service. It also confirms that employers will no longer be permitted to accept physical BRC, BRP or FWP cards when carrying out right to work checks. In line with this new policy, BRCs, BRPs, and FWPs are being removed from the list of acceptable documents for manual right to work checks. Where an employer ignores this guidance and uses one of these cards as a form of verification when carrying out a right to work check, they will no longer have a valid excuse against a civil penalty if an individual does not have the right to work in the UK. Employers will not be required to carry out retrospective checks, however, if physical biometric cards were used to check a person’s right to work before 6th April 2022.
In addition, from 6th April 2022, employers will be able to use a new online system called “Identity Document Validation Technology” (IDVT) to check the right to work of British and Irish nationals with a valid passport. Checks are carried out by approved Identity Service Providers (IDSP) and can be used for right to work and pre-employment DBS checks. It will remain the employer’s responsibility to check that the IDSP used is suitably certified and that the digital check is carried out in accordance with the requirements. As of the date of writing, the government website states, “there are currently no IDSPs certified. Employers, landlords, and other relevant organisations interested in procuring a certified IDSP should engage directly with those IDSPs once a list is available”. Once the scheme is up and running with IDSPs, it is expected that employers will pay a fee for each check carried out.
In August 2021, the government announced, “The new Global Business Mobility route for overseas businesses seeking to establish a presence here or transfer staff to the UK will be launched in Spring 2022 under the existing sponsorship system”. The new category is expected to replace several existing visas and place them under a single category, including the following:
The aim of this new route (and hence the common theme between the visas being merged together) is the establishment and expansion of overseas businesses in the UK. The new category has five individual routes:
The new High Potential Individual route goes live on 30th May 2022. The High Potential Individual Visa is aimed at recent graduates from highly ranked international universities who plan to work (or seek work) in the UK. It is important to note that this visa does not lead directly to ILR in the UK, but it will be possible to switch to another visa that will. Applicants will need to meet the following eligibility requirements:
The new right to work check changes will require employers in the UK to review their policies, procedures, and training to ensure their ongoing compliance. Whether you are an employer or employee and require assistance to navigate any of the new immigration rules and visa changes for Spring 2022, it is advisable to seek the guidance of an immigration Solicitor.
For assistance with your immigration law matter, phone us on 0121 777 7715 to make an appointment with one of our SRA Regulated Immigration Solicitors based in Birmingham and London.
Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice.
Recent Comments