High Potential Individual

To qualify for this visa, you must have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university in the last 5 years. The qualification needs to be at UK bachelor’s degree level or above.

Yes. You can do this through either of the below options:

• Passing the Secure Engligh Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider.
• Have a GCSE at A level, Scottish National Qualification leve 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, or gained it through study at a UK school under the age of 18.
• Have a degree level qualification that was taught in English. Ecctis will need to approve that it is valid.

You will need to:

• show that you have paid Ecctis to check that your qualification is valid
• a valid passport
• proof of English requirement

You may also need to provide the following:

• your biometric residence permit (BRP) or online proof of your immigration status if you are swapping from one visa to another
• proof of your relationship with your partner and children if they are joining
• Tuberculosis test results if you are from a qualifying country.

This visa usually lasts for 2 years. If your qualification is a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the visa will last for 3 years.

Yes, subject to meeting eligibility requirements, you can apply for your partner and children aged under 18 to join you as your dependants.

You may be eligible to apply for another visa, like the Skilled Worker Visa.

This visa does not provide a direct route to settlement/ ILR in the UK. However, it may be possible to switch to an alternative visa from within the UK, that would allow you to qualify for settlement.

Current processing times are 8 weeks when applying from inside the UK, or 3 weeks when applying from overseas. For an additional fee, you can prioritise your application and receive an expedited decision. Please note, these timeframes are a guideline, and some applications do take longer to receive a decision.

The fees charged by Home Office can be found on their official website here.

You will need to pay the healthcare (IHS) surcharge which currently stands at £1,035 per year of the visa, per applicant.

Yes. You will need to attend an appointment at your nearest visa centre to have your photograph taken and to submit your fingerprints. This is for your visa.