High Potential Individual Visa UK (HPI)

The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa allows Filipino citizens that have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university the opportunity to stay in the UK for at least 2 years.

If you have a PhD or doctoral qualification, the duration of stay extends to 3 years.

With this visa, you are entitled to work (except as a professional sportsperson), look for work, be self-employed, live in the UK with your partner and children (as long as they are eligible), do voluntary work, and finally, you may travel abroad and return to the UK.

You do not need a job offer to apply for this visa.

Page Contents

• High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa: An Overview
• Eligibility Requirements for a High Potential Individual Visa
• Required Documents for High Potential Individual Visa
• How to apply for a High Potential Individual Visa
• Duration and Extension of High Potential Individual Visa
• Processing Time and Cost for High Potential Individual Visa
• Settlement on the High Potential Individual Visa Route
• Dependents of High Potential Individual Visa Applicants
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Before you apply, you’ll first need to pay for Ecctis to check the validity of your qualification. Once they’ve checked your qualification, they’ll send you a confirmation statement that you must submit as part of your application. You’ll also need to provide the following:

• Valid passport or travel document that shows your identity and nationality
• Proof of your knowledge of English

Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to provide the following supporting documents:

• Proof of your relationship with your partner or children (if applying with dependents)
• Tuberculosis test results
• Your biometric residence permit (BRP) or proof of your immigration status, if you are switching to this visa from another one

• Ensure that you meet all of the eligibility requirements for this visa category and gather all of the necessary supporting documents for your application
• As part of your application, you will need to prove your identity. To do this, you’ll either need to provide biometric information at a visa application centre or use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document. You’ll also need to create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• The next step is to complete the visa application. Applications for the High Potential Individual visa take place online and require that you submit all of the relevant information and documentation for your visa category, as well as pay the associated application fee
• If your visa application is successful, you’ll receive a biometric residence permit or a digital immigration status, depending on how you applied

As mentioned previously, the duration of a High Potential Individual visa is 2 or 3 years, depending on the level of your qualification. You cannot extend a HPI visa, however, you may be able to switch to a different visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, if you want to stay longer in the UK.

Processing Time

Filipino citizens applying for the High Potential Individual visa from outside of the UK can expect to wait around 3 weeks for a decision on their application. This processing time extends to around 8 weeks when applying from inside the UK.

The processing time of your application can take longer than expected depending on the specific circumstances relating to your case. For example, if your documentation needs to be verified, or if you have a criminal record, you will likely experience delayed processing times.

Fees

The visa application requires that you have enough money to pay for the following:

• £880 application fee
• £1035 healthcare surcharge per year, per person (if applying with dependents)
• £210 for Ecctis to check the validity of your qualification (£252 if applying within the UK)

There is no direct route to settlement with the High Potential Individual visa. Filipinos that wish to settle in the UK will need to switch to another visa category that offers a route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR), such as the Skilled Worker visa or the Global Talent visa.

Once you have switched to a visa that is eligible for ILR, it is vital that you fulfil all of the necessary requirements in order to qualify for settlement in the UK. You typically need to have lived in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years.

Note that time spent on the HPI visa may not count towards the 5-year qualifying period for ILR under most settlement routes. You’ll also need to pass the “Life in the UK” test, as well as meet the English language requirements.

It is possible for Filipino citizens applying for a High Potential Individual visa to bring dependents with them to the UK, provided that fulfil all eligibility requirements. Dependents can include your spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, children under 18, or children over 18 currently in the UK as your dependent. You’ll be required to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependent(s) when you apply.

If your partner or children are outside of the UK, they will have to complete a separate application, applying as a partner or as a child. If your dependents are inside the UK, they will have to extend or switch their visa before their current visa expires. The minimum funds that you must demonstrate as part of your application will increase if you add dependents to your application.

Dependents on a HPI visa are entitled to work (except as a sportsperson or coach), study, and travel abroad and return to the UK. However, they cannot access most public funds or the State Pension.