United Kingdom

High Potential Individual visa. A no-sponsor, no-job-offer visa for recent graduates of a small list of top global universities (not UK ones) — two years to work, start a business, or job-hunt freely.

Free, with the law behind every answer

High Potential Individual visa

2 years’ permission to work or be self-employed with no sponsor (3 years for a PhD or other doctoral qualification).

Who qualifies

An overseas degree-level qualification, awarded within the last 5 years, from an institution on the Home Office’s Global Universities List (80 institutions for the 2025–26 list; UK universities are excluded).
GOV.UK: High Potential Individual visa
English at CEFR B2 (raised from B1 on 8 January 2026).
GOV.UK: High Potential Individual visa
At least £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of applying.
GOV.UK: High Potential Individual visa

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Does it fit your family?

2 questions, from the program’s own rules.

How old are you?

Not legal advice.

What it takes.

Savings: About $1,650.
Age: 18 or older.
Time: Decisions typically arrive within 3 weeks of a complete online application.
Cost: About $2,500–3,500: the visa fee plus £1,035 per year of Immigration Health Surcharge.
The hard part: Only graduates of the specific listed universities qualify, and it is a dead end unless you switch to another option before the 2 or 3 years run out.

Dollar figures are converted from the local currency at the rate the program’s research used; the official figure is in the local currency.

This visa doesn’t lead to a passport.

2027
First residence permit
2 years, not renewable.

Language: English at B1 or above (an approved test or a degree taught in English); usually already shown for settlement.
Civics: The Life in the UK test: 24 questions in 45 minutes on British traditions, history and customs, £50. Passed once, it counts for both settlement and citizenship.
Time away: At least 5 years living in the UK, with no more than 450 days outside it in those 5 years and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months. You must also have held settlement for 12 months.
Two passports: Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Time on this program does not count toward permanent residence or citizenship; the family would need to switch to one that does.
Two years (three with a PhD), not extendable; GOV.UK says time on it does not count toward settlement, so the family must switch to an option such as Skilled Worker before it ends.

The law behind these dates

High Potential Individual visa (GOV.UK)

Living there.

Time you must spend there: The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax: UK tax residence follows the Statutory Residence Test; no special regime for this visa.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Check the Global Universities List and eligibility.Open gov.uk ↗
Gather these documents.
- Proof of savings: at least $1,650
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary
- Health cover for the move

Postern can’t run this for you yet.

Which state do you live in?

Tell us which state you live in. Postern runs this application through UKVI’s online service and its assigned US biometric appointment, for residents of AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.

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