High Potential Individual VISA UK - Eligibility & Requirements
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High Potential Individual Visa UK – Eligibility & Requirements
The UK High Potential Individual Visa is available to recent graduates of top global universities who wish to work, or look for work, in the UK.

What is the High Potential Individuals Visa
The UK High Potential Individual Visa route does not lead directly to settlement in the UK. However, before your leave expires, you may be able to apply from within the UK to switch into another immigration route which does lead to settlement. Applicants may be joined or accompanied by a partner and dependent children.
General Requirements
To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be aged 18 or over.
- You must have in the last 5 years, been awarded an overseas degree level academic qualification from an institution which appears on the Global Universities List.
- You must be competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0).
- You must have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds.
- You must have not previously been granted permission under the Student Doctorate Extension Scheme, as a Graduate or as a High Potential Individual.
- You must have provided a valid TB certificate, if needed.
Do I need a job offer to apply for this route?
The High Potential Individual route is not a sponsored route. You will not need to have a job offer in the UK from a Home Office approved sponsor. Whether you have a valid job offer in the UK or simply wish to look for work, you may be eligible to apply
As a High Potential Individual Visa holder, can my partner join me in the UK?
Yes, High Potential Individuals may also be joined or accompanied by a partner and dependent children.
High Potential Individual Visa: Global Universities List
This list of universities relates to qualifications awarded between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022.
Alphabetical Rankings Lists 2021 (establishments from Top 50 rankings which appeared on 2 or more lists) | Country |
---|---|
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | USA |
Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | HongKong |
Columbia University | USA |
Cornell University | USA |
Duke University | USA |
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Switzerland) | Switzerland |
ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) | Switzerland |
Harvard University | USA |
Johns Hopkins University | USA |
Karolinska Institute | Sweden |
Kyoto University | Japan |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA |
McGill University | Canada |
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | Singapore |
National University of Singapore | Singapore |
New York University (NYU) | USA |
Northwestern University | USA |
Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University | France |
Peking University | China |
Princeton University | USA |
Stanford University | USA |
Tsinghua University | China |
University of British Columbia | Canada |
University of California, Berkeley | USA |
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | USA |
University of California, San Diego | USA |
University of Chicago US | USA |
University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
University of Melbourne | Australia |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | USA |
University of Munich (LMU Munich) | Germany |
University of Pennsylvania | USA |
University of Texas at Austin | USA |
University of Tokyo | Japan |
University of Toronto | Canada |
University of Washington | USA |
Yale University | USA |
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