United Kingdom: High Potential Individual Route Now Open
May 31, 2022
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At a Glance
- The UK government has opened the High Potential Individual route, which allows graduates from a top global university to apply for a two or three-year visa to work in the United Kingdom without company sponsorship.
- Applicants must have graduated from one of the universities listed on the UK government’s Global Universities List within five years prior to submitting an application.
- The High Potential Individual route offers qualifying foreign nationals the flexibility to work and switch jobs or employers in the United Kingdom, and employers a more flexible pool of candidates with a less financially and administratively burdensome visa option, as compared to other immigration routes.
The situation
Following the Statement of Changes published on March 15, 2022, the UK government opened the High Potential Individual route on May 30, 2022.
A closer look
- Eligibility. In order to qualify for the High Potential Individual route, the applicant must have graduated from one of the universities listed on the UK Government’s Global Universities List within five years prior to submitting an application.
- Global Universities List. The Global Universities List consists of institutions that are listed as top 50 on at least two of the following ranking systems: Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings and The Academic Ranking of World Universities.
- No job offers required. There is no job offer requirement to apply for a visa under the High Potential Individual route, unlike other immigration routes in the United Kingdom that require this.
- Validity period. If successful, applicants who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree will be granted a two-year visa and those that hold qualifications equivalent to a PhD will be granted a three-year visa.
- Family members. Applicants are permitted to bring their dependent partner and children under the age of 18 to the United Kingdom with them.
Impact
- Foreign nationals. The route offers foreign nationals in the early stages of their careers a route to come to the United Kingdom temporarily without requiring sponsorship from a company, and flexibility to switch jobs or employers in the United Kingdom.
- Employers. This route provides employers with a more flexible pool of candidates with a less financially and administratively burdensome visa option, as compared to other immigration routes.
Background
The introduction of the new High Potential Individual route is building upon the government’s promises to introduce an unsponsored work route under the Points Based Immigration System, as part of the United Kingdom’s new immigration system.
Looking ahead
The introduction of the High Potential Individual visa demonstrates the government’s commitment to attracting talented individuals from around the world and is in line with the government’s post-Brexit ‘Plan for Growth’.
The introduction of this new immigration route comes ahead of the government’s plan to open the Scale-up Visa route on August 22, 2022.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
