High Potential Individual (HPI) 2025 Visa Guidance

The High Potential Individual route is an unsponsored pathway for recent graduates of specified overseas universities to live and work in the UK without needing a sponsoring employer. Permission is granted for two years, or three years if the qualifying award is a PhD or other doctoral-level degree. The route cannot be extended, and time spent under HPI does not count toward settlement; many applicants therefore plan an onward switch into a longer-term route before HPI leave expires. 

Who this route is for?

To qualify, HPI applicants must have been awarded, within the last five years, an overseas bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution on the Home Office’s Global Universities List for the month and year of your award. The list is refreshed annually and is tied to the award date rather than the application date. Applicants will also need an Ecctis assessment to confirm the level and date of the qualification.

The Global Universities List (by year of award)

For the current application year, see the Global Universities List 2024 (covers awards between 1 Nov 2024 and 31 Oct 2025). Applicants must check the list that matches the month and year the qualification was awarded.

What the HPI Visa Allows?

HPI permission gives broad flexibility. HPI holders may work in most roles, be self-employed, undertake voluntary work, and bring eligible family members. HPI holders cannot access public funds, work as a professional sportsperson, or extend on HPI. High Potential Individual route does not lead to settlement. If HPI holders intend to stay longer term, it is important to  map an onward route, commonly Skilled Worker, Scale-up, Innovator Founder, or Global Talent well before the HPI permission expires.

How much does it cost to apply for Costs ?

For HPI application, applicants should budget for Ecctis verification, visa application fee, and the immigration health surcharge (IHS) for each year of leave sought. As at November 2025, published GOV.UK figures show £252 for Ecctis, an £880 application fee, the IHS at £1,035 per year, and a maintenance requirement of at least £1,270 unless you are exempt through 12 months’ UK lawful residence. Where dependants apply, additional maintenance sums are required. 

English Language Requirement 

For applications made on or after 8 January 2026, the required English language level increases from B1 to B2 under the CEFR framework. This change is set out in the October 2025 Statement of Changes. Where applicants already meet an accepted exemption (for example, nationality, an English-taught degree, or a previously satisfied requirement at the requisite level), the usual evidential rules continue to apply.

What is the Annual Cap for HPI Visa?

The HPI route now operates with an annual cap running from 1 November to 31 October. Appendix High Potential Individual specifies a total cap of 8,000 applications (combined entry clearance and permission to stay) within each allocation year. If the annual cap has been reached, applicants will be notified when they apply.

The annual cap means applicants targeting late-year submissions should watch allocation year dates, particularly where a university’s placement on the Global Universities List changes between award cycles. 

How Angelov Solicitors Can Help?

We provide end-to-end guidance tailored to your profile. That begins with confirming award-date eligibility against the Global Universities List and securing the correct Ecctis assessment, then advising on English-language evidence, maintenance, and any dependants. We prepare and quality-check your HPI application to align with the Immigration Rules and current Home Office caseworker guidance.

If you are considering the HPI route or planning a switch from HPI into a longer-term category, we offer focused, solicitor-led advice. Contact Angelov Solicitors to arrange a consultation.