The British government has launched the “high individual potential” visa pathway from May 30, hoping to attract graduates from the world’s top universities to the UK. The program targets graduates from 50 of the world’s top universities outside the UK in the past five years. Applicants can bring eligible spouses and children, and obtain other work visas during the validity period of the high-potential talent visa to obtain permanent residency.
Eligibility for High Potential Talent Visa
The conditions for a high-potential talent visa are very simple. In the year of graduation of a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, the applicant must be in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (Times Higher Education World University Rankings), QS World University Rankings ( Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings) and The Academic Ranking of World Universities (The Academic Ranking of World Universities) 3 World University Rankings, two of which are ranked within the top 50. At the same time, the graduation year must be within the past five years, and the applicant must pass security and criminal record checks, as well as B1 intermediate level in English. Applicants with a bachelor’s or master’s degree can obtain a two-year work visa, and a doctoral degree can obtain a three-year work visa.
For Hong Kong graduates who do not have a BNO passport but wish to develop in the UK, the High Potential Talent visa is attractive to a certain extent. In the list of eligible universities published by the UK government, HKU students who graduated between November 2016 and October 2022 are eligible, while the Chinese University and the University of Science and Technology are eligible in different years.
How to Apply for a High Potential Talent Visa
High Potential Talent visa only acceptedApply online, the applicant applies outside the UK, or applies to switch from another visa to a high potential visa within the UK. Before applying, applicants must obtain academic certification from Ecctis at their own expense; when submitting the application, they need to provide passport, English proficiency certificate and Academic Qualification Level Statement or Academic Qualification Level Statement and English Language Proficiency Statement issued by Ecctis. In addition, the UK government will also require applicants to provide biometric residence permit (BRP)/online proof of residence status, relationship proof of spouse/children, and tuberculosis test results, depending on the situation.
After completing the application, identification and reference documents online, applicants outside the UK can generally obtain a visa within 3 weeks, while those within the UK can obtain a visa within 8 weeks.
High Potential Talent Visa Fees
Before applying for a visa, the applicant must first pay £210 (£252 for applications in the UK). During and following the application, the applicant must pay and prove that the account holds the following required funds:
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High Potential Individual visa application fee: £715
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Healthcare surcharge: £1,248 for a two-year visa, £1,872 for a three-year visa
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Proof of living expenses of the applicant: must hold a minimum of £1,270 in the account for at least 28 days
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Spouse living expenses proof: must be held in the account for at least 28 days at least £285
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Proof of living expenses for minor children: must be held in the account for at least 28 days at least £315, plus £200 for each additional child
Permissions for High Potential Talent Visa
High Potential visa holders can:
High Potential Talent visa holders cannot:
Other UK immigration information
