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HPI 1.1. A person applying for entry clearance or permission to stay as a High Potential Individual must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form as follows:

1. (a) for applicants outside the UK, form High Potential Individual visa; or
2. (b) for applicants inside the UK, form High Potential Individual.

HPI 1.2. An application for entry clearance or permission to stay as a High Potential Individual must meet all the following validity requirements:

1. (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
2. (b) the applicant must have provided any required biometrics; and
3. (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other travel document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality.

HPI 1.3. The applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date of application.

HPI 1.4. If the applicant has in the last 12 months before the date of application received an award from a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent to the application from that Government or agency.

HPI 1.5. An applicant who is applying for permission to stay must be in the UK on the date of application and must not have, or have last been granted, permission:

1. (a) as a Visitor; or
2. (b) as a Short-term Student; or
3. (c) as a Parent of a Child Student; or
4. (d) as a Seasonal Worker; or
5. (e) as a Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or
6. (f) outside the Immigration Rules.

HPI 1.5A. An applicant who is applying for permission to stay and has, or last had, permission as a Student, must fulfil one of the Conditions A or B below on the date of application:

1. (a) Condition A: the applicant must have completed the course of study for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned (or a course to which ST 27.3 of Appendix Student applies); or
2. (b) Condition B: the applicant must:
   1. (i) be studying a full-time course of study leading to the award of a PhD with a higher education provider which has a track record of compliance; and
   2. (ii) have completed at least 24 months of study on that course.

HPI 1.6. The applicant must not have been previously granted permission under the Student Doctorate Extension Scheme, as a Graduate or as a High Potential Individual.

HPI 1.7 An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a High Potential Individual is invalid and may be rejected and not considered.

HPI 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.

HPI 2.2. If applying for permission to stay the applicant must not be:

(a) in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or

(b) on immigration bail.

Entry requirements for a High Potential Individual

HPI 3.1. A person seeking to come to the UK as a High Potential Individual must apply for and obtain entry clearance as a High Potential Individual before they arrive in the UK.

HPI 3.2. A person applying for entry clearance as a High Potential Individual must, if paragraph A39 and Appendix T of these rules apply, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

Points requirement for a High Potential Individual

HPI 4.1. The applicant must be awarded a total of 70 points based on the table below.

Global Universities List degree requirement

HPI 5.1. The applicant must, in the 5 years immediately before the date of the application, have been awarded an overseas degree level academic qualification which Ecctis confirms meets, or exceeds, the recognised standard of a UK bachelors or UK postgraduate degree.

HPI 5.2. The institution at which the applicant was awarded the degree in HPI 5.1 must appear on the Global Universities List in respect of the date the applicant was awarded the degree.

HPI 5.3 The date the applicant was awarded the degree will be the date as confirmed by Ecctis.

HPI 5.4. If the requirements in HPI 5.1. to HPI 5.3. are met, the applicant will be awarded 50 points.

English language requirement for High Potential Individual

HPI 6.1. Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) of at least level B

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