UK Announces 'High Potential Individual' Visa for Graduates From non-UK Colleges

UK Cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel jointly announced the new scheme.

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The Home Ministry of the United Kingdom announced on Monday, 30 May, that graduates from the world's top 50 non-UK universities can apply to work in the country via a new visa scheme.

It is known as the HPI visa (High Potential Individual) visa.

In a joint announcement, Indian-origin UK Cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel said that their government seeks to attract the "best and brightest" talent from around the world.

"I am proud to be launching this new and exciting route as part of our points-based immigration system which puts ability and talent first – not where someone comes from," said Home Secretary Priti Patel, as reported by UK media outlets.

"We want the businesses of tomorrow to be built here today – which is why I call on students to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to forge their careers here," Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak added.

Naturally, the HPI visa applies to Indians as well. Those Indians who are studying in the UK in any of top universities are already eligible to stay in the country for up to three years via the Graduate visa scheme that was introduced in July last year.

Which Universities Does This Apply to?

The universities that are eligible for this scheme are those that appear in the top 50 rankings of at least two of the three following lists: Times Higher Education world university rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds world university rankings, or the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

"Using a combination of these lists provides independent validation for institutions and opens up the opportunity for new international universities to move up the ranks and join this list in the future," a UK home ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI.

The 2021 list of eligible universities as released by the UK government includes multiple institutions from the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, France, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The UK administration has also stated that candidates must pass a security and criminality check, and their English language skill must be at least at the B1 intermediate level.

(With inputs from The Guardian, the BBC, and PTI)