The visa offers grads the chance to remain in the country for up to two years after completing either a bachelor’s or Master’s degree—PhD grads can stay for three years. There will also be the option to switch to longer term employment schemes after the High Potential Visa expires.
The visa is available to graduates from a ‘Global Universities List,’ comprising schools ranked among the top 50 worldwide by at least two of the following three rankings: QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, or The Academic Ranking of World Universities.
“Opening up post-study work to eligible international students based on merit rather than their country of origin is fantastic and will help to bring the brightest graduates from across the globe to the UK,” says Simon Andrews, chief operating officer of Studee, an advice platform for students looking to study abroad.
The new UK post study work visa
The new High potential individual visa aims to attract the “best and the brightest” talent from across the globe, according to the UK government.
“It will offer the UK an injection of some of the brightest minds in the world and will help encourage diversity in the workforce,” says Simon.
The scheme is available to graduates who are over 17 and who graduated from their program no more than five years prior to their application date. Currently the High potential individual visa has no candidate limit, and a secured job offer is also not a prerequisite of applying.
Successful applicants will have to pay £715 and must be able to pay £1270 in living and maintenance costs. They will also have to pass a criminal background check, and must be able to display English language proficiency.
The UK government has also revealed that applicants can bring dependents with them when moving to the UK, and there is no minimum time spent requirement before leaving the country.
READ: The 6 Easiest Countries To Get A Work Visa
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Which business schools are included?
The High potential individual visa is available to graduates from a total of 37 global institutions that are ranked among the global top 50.
That includes 20 universities in the US; with a further 17 split between Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Japan, France, Australia, Singapore, and Sweden.
NUS Business School, Singapores’ top-ranked institution, is included in the list. “The High Potential UK Visa will make it easier for our students to consider opportunities in the UK, and provide them with greater mobility and choice,” says Enna Tan, Head of BIZCareers at NUS.
Professor Tan Ooi Kiang, Deputy Provost at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, has also hailed the arrival of the new scheme.
“NTU’s inclusion as one of the eligible universities in the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa scheme introduced by the United Kingdom opens up a world of opportunities for our recent graduates to develop their employment and career prospects in the fifth largest economy in the world,” he says.
“It is testament to NTU’s standing as a leading university among its international peers, the quality of its educational offerings, and the high calibre of NTU graduates,” he adds.
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