High Potential Individual Visa 2026: Is Your University on the List?

The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa lets recent graduates of eligible top universities outside the UK live and work in the UK for 2 years, or 3 years with a PhD, without a job offer. You must have graduated in the last 5 years from a university on the GOV.UK list for your award year, prove B2 English, and apply before the yearly cap is reached. The visa cannot be extended, but you can switch to other routes.

Key points

• No job offer or sponsor needed. You can look for work once you arrive.
• Your university must be on the list for the year your qualification was awarded. UK universities do not count.
• Your qualification must have been awarded within the last 5 years.
• B2 English is required, and the fee is £880 plus a £252 Ecctis check.
• There is a yearly cap, and you can only ever hold one HPI visa.

Is your university on the list?

This is the first thing to check. According to the GOV.UK eligibility page:

• The university must be on the eligible list for the period when your qualification was awarded, not when you apply.
• GOV.UK publishes a separate list for each year, running from 1 November to 31 October. Lists are available for every period from 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2026.
• UK universities are not eligible. Graduates of UK universities usually look at the Graduate route instead.

The lists are based on global university rankings, and a university can appear on one year’s list but not another. If you graduated in, say, June 2023, check the list covering 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.

Reports in late 2025 said the Home Office had expanded the number of eligible universities and raised the annual cap. We have not been able to confirm the exact figures on GOV.UK, so rely on the official list for your year.

Other eligibility requirements

Requirement	Details
Qualification level	Equivalent to a UK bachelor’s, postgraduate degree, or PhD/doctorate
Award date	Within the last 5 years
Ecctis check	Ecctis must confirm your qualification is valid and at the right level (it does not check university eligibility)
English	B2 on the CEFR scale
Savings	£1,270 held for 28 days, unless you have been in the UK with a valid visa for 12 months
Age	18 or over
Job offer	Not required
Previous visas	You cannot apply if you have had a Graduate visa or came on the Doctorate Extension Scheme, and you can only get an HPI visa once

English at B2

The knowledge of English page says you usually need at least B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. You can prove it with:

• a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider
• a degree taught in English (a non-UK degree needs Ecctis confirmation that it was taught in English)
• a UK school qualification in English started before age 18
• evidence from a previous successful visa application

Nationals of listed countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA, are exempt.

The yearly cap

GOV.UK says there is a yearly limit on applications. The cap year runs from 1 November to 31 October, and you are told online if the limit has been reached. If you are close to the end of your 5-year window, apply early in the cap year rather than late.

Costs

According to the how much it costs page:

Cost	Amount (October 2026)
Ecctis qualification check	£252 (including VAT)
Application fee	£880
Immigration Health Surcharge	£1,035 a year (£2,070 for 2 years, £3,105 for 3 years)
Savings	£1,270, held for 28 days in a row

Example total for a 2-year visa, applying from outside the UK with no dependants: £252 + £880 + £2,070 = £3,202, plus the £1,270 you must show in savings (which you keep).

Partners and children can apply as dependants and must also show they can support themselves.

HPI compared with the Graduate visa

People often confuse the HPI visa with the Graduate visa. They are aimed at different graduates, and you cannot hold both.

	High Potential Individual	Graduate
Who it is for	Graduates of eligible non-UK universities	Graduates of UK courses on a Student visa
Where you apply	Outside the UK, or switch inside	Inside the UK only
Length	2 years (3 for PhD)	2 years if applying by 31 December 2026, then 18 months (3 for PhD)
Application fee	£880	£937
Cap	Yearly limit	No cap
Extendable	No	No

If you have already had a Graduate visa, the HPI visa is not available to you.

Common reasons applications go wrong

These are practical points drawn from the GOV.UK requirements:

• Wrong list year. Applicants check the current list rather than the list for the year their qualification was awarded.
• Award date outside the 5-year window. The date that counts is the award of the qualification, so check your transcript or certificate.
• No Ecctis result yet. The visa application needs the Ecctis reference, and you cannot skip this step.
• Savings not held long enough. The £1,270 must be in your account for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of the application. A short dip below the amount can break the 28-day period.
• English evidence below B2. Older test results at B1 will not meet the current requirement.

How to apply

1. Check the university list for your award year.
2. Apply to Ecctis for a qualification check (and an English-medium confirmation if you are using your degree for English).
3. Book a SELT if you need one.
4. Make sure your savings have been in your account for 28 consecutive days.
5. Apply online for the visa from outside the UK, or switch from inside the UK if your current visa allows it.
6. Verify your identity using the ID Check app or at a visa application centre.

What you can do on the HPI visa

• Work in most jobs, without a sponsor.
• Look for work, change jobs and be self-employed.
• Bring your partner and children if they qualify.
• Travel abroad and return.

You cannot claim most public funds, and HPI time does not lead directly to settlement.

After the HPI visa: switching onwards

The HPI visa cannot be extended. Before it expires, you may be able to switch to another visa, such as:

• Skilled Worker, if you find a job with a licensed sponsor that meets the RQF 6 skill level and the salary threshold. See the UK Skilled Worker visa guide.
• Scale-up, if you are hired by an approved fast-growing company. See UK Scale-up visa explained.
• Global Talent, if you have become a leader or potential leader in your field. See the Global Talent visa guide.

Plan your switch well before your HPI visa ends, since sponsored routes need a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship. Time on the HPI visa does not count towards settlement on its own, so the earlier you move to a route that leads to indefinite leave to remain, the sooner your qualifying period can start. If your HPI visa is about to expire and you have no onward route, you will need to leave the UK or apply for a different visa you qualify for.

What to do next

• Open the GOV.UK university list for your award year and confirm your institution is on it.
• Start the Ecctis check early, since you need the result before applying.
• Check the UK country hub and updates page for changes to the cap or list.
• If your situation is unusual (for example a joint degree or several qualifications), speak to an OISC/IAA-regulated adviser or solicitor. This article is general information, not legal advice.