The British government recently announced plans to expand the current “High Potential Individual visa” (HPI) scheme. In the future, the list of qualified institutions will be expanded from the current approximately 40 institutions to include the top 100 higher education institutions globally. This will allow more individuals, including graduates from universities in Hong Kong such as the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the City University of Hong Kong, to reside and work in the UK without the need for a job offer in advance.
The HPI visa allows holders to enter the UK freely without a job invitation and engage in various industries, search for positions, start their own businesses, volunteer, among other activities. Currently, applicants must have graduated from globally recognized institutions specified by the British government in the past 5 years, with their qualifications equivalent to a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in the UK. Those with a doctoral degree can receive a 3-year visa, while other degrees are granted 2 years.
The current list of qualified institutions includes around 40 universities, such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Tsinghua University, Peking University, the University of Hong Kong, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, among other world-renowned institutions. The expansion will include more top 100 ranked institutions, with a maximum annual quota of 8,000 visas. The British government predicts that the number of HPI visa holders will increase from 2,000 to 4,000 after the implementation of the new policy.
The list of qualified institutions is based on several international authoritative rankings, such as the “Times Higher Education World University Rankings,” “QS World University Rankings,” and “Academic Ranking of World Universities,” and is updated annually. Applicants must confirm that their institution is on the qualified list based on the year and month of obtaining their qualifications.
The UK Home Office recently announced that starting from January next year, they will raise the English language requirements for visas, including the HPI visa, to a B2 level, approximately equivalent to an A-level standard.
In addition to educational requirements, applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support themselves while living in the UK. If an applicant has held a valid visa for the past 12 months to reside in the UK, they do not need to provide financial proof again.
It is noteworthy that individuals who already hold the UK “Graduate Route visa” or the “Doctorate Extension Scheme” visa will not be eligible to apply for the HPI visa to prevent the duplication of benefits from different immigration pathways.
Another major attraction of the HPI visa is the simplified application process. Overseas applicants typically complete the application form online and submit the required documents, receiving approval as quickly as 3 weeks. If converting from another visa to the HPI visa within the UK, the processing time is usually around 8 weeks.
Once approved, applicants can bring their spouse and eligible children to live in the UK. While the visa cannot be directly extended upon expiration, individuals can apply to switch to other visas, such as the “Skilled Worker visa,” to further continue their residence and work in the UK.