Following the introduction of Graduate route and as announced by the Home Office earlier this year, effective from 31 May 2022 the UK government has opened the High Potential Individual route, which allows recent graduates from top global universities to come to the UK without a pre-secured job offer.

In order to qualify for the High Potential Individual route, the applicant must have been awarded a bachelor, postgraduate of PhD degree from one of the universities listed on the UK government's Global University List within 5 years of the application. Successful applicants will be given a work visa lasting two years if they hold a bachelor's or master's degree, and three years if they hold a PhD.

On this route, the applicants will have the flexibility to work, seek employment, and switch jobs between employers while in the UK. They can also bring their spouse and children under 18 as their dependants.

It should be noted that this route does not itself lead to settlement in the UK. However, the applicants would be able to switch to other suitable visa categories if they meet the relevant requirements by the end of their permitted stay, which may lead to settlement.

The new High Potential Individual Route demonstrated the UK's commitment to attract talented individuals from around the world, and ongoing effort to bring the 'brightest and best' to benefit the UK economy.

We hope this article can provide a brief overview for our clients to understand the new route. We will keep you updated with any further news on this topic.

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