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The United Kingdom is on track to introducing yet another visa to attract high potential individuals to the country.

Expected to launch on May 30, the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is aimed at attracting high-skilled foreign university graduates - who will be allowed to work and stay in the U.K. for two or three years, depending on their degree level.

Applicants won't need a job offer or sponsorship and holders of this visa will be free to come to the UK to work, set up as self-employed and volunteer.

“The new High Potential Individual route will make it as simple as possible for internationally mobile individuals who demonstrate high potential to come to the UK,” Minister for Safe and Legal Migration Kevin Foster said in a statement. “It will enable those who have already demonstrated their potential through academic achievement to come to the UK without a prior job offer.”

“The new High Potential Individual route will make it as simple as possible for internationally mobile individuals who demonstrate high potential to come to the UK,” Minister for Safe and Legal Migration Kevin Foster said in a statement. “It will enable those who have already demonstrated their potential through academic achievement to come to the UK without a prior job offer.”

Academic requirements
The first qualifying step for this visa is a degree from a world renowned university. The British government will be releasing the list once a year on the Gov.uk website.

It will include schools that feature on the top 50 in at least two of three renowned rankings:
Times Higher Education World University rankings
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University rankings
The Academic Ranking of the World Universitie 

Also, you must have been awarded the degree within five years of application. The degree can be in any discipline but has to be equivalent to not less than UK bachelor’s degree.

English language requirements
If your degree wasn't taught in English, you will need to pass at least the B1 level of an accepted English language test.

If your degree was taught in English, you will need a certificate from the awarding body or a university transcript. If the degree was awarded outside the UK, you will need confirmation from Ecctis that the qualification meets the required standard of a UK bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree.

How much will the visa cost?
£715

How long can you stay in the UK on the HPI visa?
Graduates with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree will be given a two-year visa. PhD or another doctoral level graduates will get visas valid for three years.

This visa can only be granted once and will not be available to those who have already had Graduate visa.

What happens after your visa expires?
You cannot directly apply for PR.

Instead, before your visa expires, you can switch to permits under the skilled worker, start up and innovator, exceptional talent, or scale up route.

Can you bring your dependants?
You will be able to bring your dependants, such as a partner or children under the age of 18, with you. “Partner” refers to either a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner. However, unmarried partners must show that they have lived together for at least two years, and that their relationship is genuine, according to reports.

Retrieved from：https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/uk-plans-a-new-visa-to-bring-talented-graduates-to-britain/articleshow/91347225.cms (5 May, 2022)

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