UK High Potential Individual Visa

Can I Get a High Potential Individual Visa for the UK from Pakistan?

One of the five Global Business Mobility (GBM) visas offered by the UK is the High Potential Individual visa. This particular type of visa allows you to work in the UK if you have completed an approved qualification from an eligible university.

A unique thing about the High Potential Individual visa is that you don’t need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the visa. This means that you can come to the UK without any job offer and then study, travel, work or conduct business in the UK.

However, the High Potential Individual visa is a nonimmigrant visa like all other GBM visas. You can’t use it to seek an immigration status in the UK. It is possible for you to switch to other visa routes such as the Skilled Worker visa once your High Potential Individual visa expires. These routes can lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

The standard duration of the HPI visa is 2 years. If you have a PhD or another doctoral qualification, you are eligible for a 3-year visa.

A reputable UK visa consultant firm such as Adam Bernard can help you determine whether or not you qualify for an HPI visa UK.

Our High Potential Individual visa consultants also work with you through the visa application process to make sure your application is free from errors or omissions. We also offer comprehensive advice on other UK visas and immigration routes.

Education Requirements for a High Potential Individual Visa

The first and key requirement for an HPI visa UK is that you must have received your degree from an eligible university. The list of eligible universities changes from one year to the next. It is based on reputable academic ranking lists that are updated every year.

For an international university to be eligible in a given year, it must be among the top 5o universities on at least two of the three following lists:

• Times Higher Education Rankings
• Quacquarelli Symonds Rankings
• The Academic Ranking of World Universities

If your university was among the top 50 on at least two of these three rankings in the year you qualified, you academic qualification is eligible for an HPI visa. However, this qualification must be at the same level as a Bachelor’s, postgraduate, PhD, or doctoral degree in the UK. An eligible qualification must have been attained no more than 5 years before your visa application.

If you are not sure whether or not your university was eligible in the year you gained your degree, you can consult our High Potential Individual visa lawyers. Being a leading UK visa consultant firm, we can confirm your academic eligibility for an HPI visa.

We can also help you determine whether your academic qualifications meet the requirements for other UK visas and immigration routes.

Confirmation from ECCTIS

The Education Counseling and Credit Transfer Information Service (ECCTIS) determine whether or not your academic qualification is valid for an HPI visa UK. It also verifies that your qualification is at the right level.

You are required to have your qualifications confirmed by the ECCTIS when applying for a High Potential Individual visa. You can do so by visiting the ECCTIS website. You can also consult our High Potential Individual visa lawyers for help with this.

Our lawyers can also help you meet the academic background requirements for other types of UK visas and immigration routes.

Eligibility

You must meet several other requirements in addition to your academic qualification to be eligible for an HPI visa. These include financial requirements and English language testing requirements.

The financial requirements aim to ensure that you can support yourself for at least one month after you arrive in the UK. English language testing requirements are met if you can show that have B1 level proficiency.

You must also prove that you have not previously sought an HPI visa or received a Graduate Visa. Our High Potential Individual visa consultants can help you meet these eligibility requirements when you file your application. We also help you fulfil the requirements for other types of UK visas and immigration options.

Financial Requirements

When applying for a High Potential Individual visa UK, you must also meet specific financial requirements. You must prove that you are in possession of at least £1,270 in cash funds. This is to make sure that you won’t have to rely on public funds once you come to the UK.

This amount reflects the expected expenses for your first month in the UK. The requirement is based on the understanding that you will start getting paid by the end of your first month. So you must show the availability of cash funds only for the first month.

You are required to show that your cash funds of £1,270 or more have been in your possession for at least 28 consecutive days. This 28-day period must be within the 31 days preceding your visa application.

We can advice you on how best to meet the financial requirements for HPI visa UK as well as other UK visas and immigration routes.

How to Apply for High Potential Individual Visa?

You must submit an online application to apply for High Potential Individual Visa from Pakistan. Before you submit your visa application, you must have relevant documents at hand. You will need to provide these during the application.

The key documents you will need to apply for the visa include:

• ECCTIS Confirmation. The ECCTIS will verify whether or not your university, degree, and qualification are eligible for the High Potential Individual visa. You must provide ECCTIS verification as a part of the visa process.
• You must provide a valid form of identification such as your passport or another travel document.
• English Language Proficiency Certification. This is required to ensure that you meet the English language testing requirements for the visa. It is possible for you to seek an exemption from this requirement if you have completed a degree with English as the medium of instruction. You will still need to provide an Academic Qualification Level Statement even if you are exempt.
• Biometric Details. If you are applying for the visa from Pakistan and haven’t received any British visa previously, you will be required to provide your biometric details. You can do so by scheduling an appointment with the local visa application centre. On the scheduled date and time, you will have your photos and fingerprints taken for biometric record.

The basic visa application fee for a High Potential Individual visa is £715. You will also need to pay an additional £210 to have your academic qualifications checked and verified by ECCTIS.

In addition to the basic visa fee, you must also pay a healthcare surcharge. This is an annual fee that is charged for each year you stay in the UK.

For a High Potential Individual visa UK, the annual healthcare surcharge is £624 per year. If you are applying for a two-year visa, the surcharge is £1,248. For a three-year visa, the total surcharge is £1,872.

After You Apply for the Visa

Once you apply for the visa, you must wait for a specific period to receive an outcome. If you have submitted your application from Pakistan, the Home Office will take usually up to 21 days to process your application.

If you have already been in the UK and submitting an online application from inside the UK, the expected processing time is up to 56 days.

However, the actual time taken by the Home Office to make a decision on your visa application may vary. This is because several factors determine the processing time.

If your application is incomplete, the Home Office may ask you to provide the missing details or documentation. Similarly, you may be asked to resubmit a document if the Home Office is unable to verify it. This can lead to delays in the outcome of your application.

Our High Potential Individual visa consultants work with you to ensure that no details are missing or incorrect when you submit your application. This significantly improves your odds of receiving a quick outcome and achieving success with your application. We also offer advice on other UK visas and immigration routes.

Approval and Refusal

If your visa application is approved or refused, this is confirmed through an email or letter from the Home Office. In both cases, you receive your passport.

If the application is approved, the passport carries a vignette or sticker. This sticker comes with an expiry date and enables you to apply for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) once you arrive in the UK. You must do so within ten days of your arrival.

If your application fails, the passport doesn’t carry any sticker. Instead, the email or letter from the Home Office notes the reasons for the failure of your application.

The Home Office also informs you on whether or not you can appeal the decision or seek an administrative review.

If your application has met failure, our High Potential Individual visa lawyers can help you understand the reasons behind this failure. Being a leading UK visa consultant firm, we can also work with you to file for appeal or review.

Why Adam Bernard?

Adam Bernard is a leading UK visa consultant firm in Pakistan. Our visa consultants have an extensive experience of handling UK visa cases.

If you are applying for a High Potential Individual visa UK, we can offer you tailored advice and guidance. Our High Potential Individual visa consultants guide you before, during, and after the visa application process. As a reputable UK visa consultant firm, we offer you tips, insights, and professional guidance on how best to improve your chances of success.

We also help you apply for other UK visas and immigration routes. You can discuss the eligibility and requirements for each option with our consultants.

Reach out to us today at +92-3041112026 to book a free consultation with our High Potential Individual visa lawyers.