UK High Potential Individual Visa

To qualify for the High Potential Individual visa, you must have received degrees from universities on the list of authorized world universities. You must have received the qualification within the previous five years.

Your university’s eligibility will depend on the month and year that you received your diploma. Not all global universities may be eligible for all years because the list of global universities is based on academic ranking lists for that particular year. However, the qualification you obtained must be on par with any of the following:

• A UK bachelor’s degree
• A UK postgraduate degree
• A UK Ph.D. or doctoral level qualification

To ensure that your qualification is valid and at the appropriate level, you must submit an application to Ecctis.

Other eligibility criteria you need to meet to satisfy the UK visas and immigration include:

• You must be able to prove your knowledge of English is at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. You can do this through a Secure English Language Test (SELT) or by being awarded a degree taught mainly in English. However, you may be exempted from this requirement if you are from a majority English-speaking country.
• You must meet the financial requirement to demonstrate that you can support yourself financially unless you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.

There are cases where you will not be allowed to apply for this visa, or else your visa will be denied. You must not apply for the High Potential Individual visa if:

• You have already been granted a Graduate visa
• You have already travelled to the UK on a Student Doctorate Extension Scheme.
• You have once applied for a High Potential Individual visa before.

If you already have a visa for another type of entry into the UK, you might be able to change to a High Potential Individual visa. You need to submit your application online to do this.

Your spouse or kids must also submit a separate application to change their visa. They can apply either at the same time as you or whenever their existing visa expires.

Note that if you are currently in the UK on any of the following visas, you cannot apply to transfer to a High Potential Individual visa:

• Visit visa
• Short-term student visa
• Graduate visa
• Parent of a Child Student visa
• Seasonal worker visa
• Domestic worker in a private household visa

Also, you cannot apply for a High Potential Individual visa if you are in the UK on immigration bail or were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, such as on compassionate grounds. If any of these applies to you, you must leave the UK before applying for a High Potential Individual visa from abroad.

When applying for a High Potential Individual visa, you must pay some fees for your application to be considered. You will need to pay the following fees as part of the High Potential Individual visa:

• High Potential Individual visa fee: £715
• Ecctis qualification verification: £210 (£252 if applying from inside the UK)
• Immigration health surcharge fee: £624

You must also ensure that you meet the financial criteria of having £1,270 in cash to maintain yourself while in the UK to receive entrance clearance. To qualify for a visa, you must have had the money on hand for a minimum of 28 days straight, with 28 days occurring within the previous 31 days.

Unless you have been in the UK for at least 12 months with a valid visa, you will often need to demonstrate that you fulfil the financial criterion when you apply. If your partner and kids are travelling with you, they must demonstrate that they may be able to support themselves while in the UK.

Once your application has been received, you should expect a decision on your application within three weeks if you apply from outside the UK.

However, if you apply from inside the UK, you will get a decision within eight weeks.

There are cases where your application may take longer than usual. Still, you may be contacted if your supporting documents need to be verified, if you need to attend an interview, or in case of any personal circumstances like a criminal conviction.

Total Law’s excellent immigration lawyers are vastly experienced in dealing with high potential individual visas and provide advice and support to make your application process smooth.

Our immigration lawyers will help you determine that you meet the eligibility criteria for high potential individual visas and will advise you on which supporting documentation you should have. In addition, years of experience with this process have made us aware of the common mistakes that applicant make that causes application refusal. Therefore, we will help you avoid these errors to ensure that your application is consistent and readily accepted.

If you have had a previous refusal, Total Law can help you file an appeal or walk you through the re-application process to ensure you get accepted. So contact us today at 0333 455 3524 to start your journey towards a successful UK visa application.