Pathway to UK – Sears GlobalSettlement Management

Pathway to the United Kingdom

High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa

The High Potential Individual (HPI) route enabling recent graduates to come to the UK to work or look for work opened for applications on 30 May 2022.

This is an unsponsored route, meaning applicants will not need a job offer to qualify. There is no need for a Home-Office approved sponsor in the UK.

The route is open to graduates who have completed an eligible course of study equivalent to UK bachelor’s degree level or above from a top global university.

The HPI route is a short-term work visa for individuals at an early career stage, who have shown they have potential to benefit the UK workforce.

This route does not directly lead to settlement in the UK.

Requirements to apply for HPI

The applicant must be aged 18 or above
Previously not granted permission under the Student Doctorate Extension Scheme (as a Graduate or HPI)
Pay the immigration health surcharge and the application fee
Must provide all required biometrics
Current valid passport or travel document which identitys the applicant and his nationality
If currently in the UK, must not have, or have last been granted, permission: as a Visitor; or Short-term Student; Parent of a Child Student; Seasonal Worker; Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or outside the Immigration Rules

If, in the 12 months before the application, the applicant received an award from a government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, a written consent to the application is also required from that government or international scholarship agency.

Points requirements for HPI

> The applicant must be awarded a total of 70 points.

> 50 points for satisfying the Global Universities List degree requirement

10 points for English language requirement at level B1
10 points for satisfying the financial requirements

What is the Global Universities List degree requirement?

You can apply for a HPI visa if you have graduated from an eligible international university in the 5 years immediately before your application. Eligible institutions are listed in the Home Office’s Global Universities List. The awarding institution must appear on the list in respect of the date when you graduated with your degree.

Your qualification must be at the same level as:

a UK bachelor’s degree
a UK postgraduate degree
a UK PhD or doctorate.
You will need to apply through Ecctis to check that your qualification is valid and at the right level.

As part of the application process, you will also need to prove your knowledge of 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 B1 and prove that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK (unless you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months).

Dependant partner and children:

Applicant’s dependent partner and dependent children can apply on this route. If successful, their permission to stay will end on the same date as their partner’s or parents’ permission.

Eligibility and relationship requirements for a dependant partner

Must be the partner of a person who has or is at the same time being granted permission as a HPI.
The relationship between the applicant and their partner must be genuine and subsisting.
They must intend to live together throughout the applicant’s stay in the UK.
Dependent partner must be aged 18 or over on the date of application.

Eligibility and relationship requirements for a dependent child

Must be the child of a parent who has or is at the same time being granted permission as a High Potential Individual.

Each of the child’s parents must be applying at the same time as the child or have permission to be in the UK, unless the parent with permission as a HPI route is the sole surviving parent, has sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing, or there are serious and compelling reasons to grant the child leave to remain with the parent who is applying for the HPI route.

The child must be under the age of 18 at the date of application unless they were last granted permission as the child of their parent or parents.

If they are aged 16 or over, they must not be leading an independent life.

Financial requirement for a partner or child on the HPI route

If the applicant is applying for entry clearance or has been in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, financial requirements must be satisfied.

The funds required are:

> at least £285 for a partner in the UK or applying to come to the UK; and

> at least £315 for the first child in the UK or applying to come to the UK; and

> at least £200 for each additional child in the UK or applying to come to the UK.

> The required level of funds must have been held for a 28-day period.

Innovator Founder visa

This visa is called the Innovator visa and you can apply for this:

if you want to set up and run an innovative business in the United Kingdom and it must be something that’s different from anything else on the market
your business/business idea should be endorsed by an approved body, also known as an endorsing body
you should also meet the other eligibility requirements for this visa

Eligibility

You must show that your business idea is new, and you cannot join a business that is already trading in the market
Your business idea should be viable, with potential for growth
You must give evidence of planning that includes creating jobs and growing into national and international markets
You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You’ll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply.

How long you can stay

With Innovator visa you can stay for 3 years in the United Kingdom and you can also switch to this visa from another visa while in the UK. And you can apply to extend your stay for another 3 years when your visa is due to expire. There’s no limit on the number of times you can extend.

How to apply

You must apply online and it depends on whether you’re outside the UK and are coming to the UK, or inside the UK and extending your current visa or inside the UK and switching from a different visa. Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

How long it takes

As part of application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide all the required documents. Once you’ve applied online and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within, 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK and 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK. If you need to go to an appointment, you may be able to pay for a faster decision. How you do this depends on whether you’re outside the UK or inside the UK.

Fees

Innovator Founder visa fee depends on your situation and where you apply from.

For yourself from outside the UK £1,036 and for your partner and children £1,036 each person and if you are applying for extend or switch in the UK it costs £1,292 for yourself and £1,292 each person (Your partner and children)

You must pay the visa fee for each person that applies at the same time as you or applies later to join you in the UK.