UK Sets Degree Criteria for High Potential Individual Visa

The UK government has established specific degree requirements for foreign graduates applying for the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, which permits overseas nationals to live and work in the UK without needing employer sponsorship. According to guidance published on the official UK government website, applicants must hold a qualification equivalent to a UK degree at the undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral level, obtained within the last five years.

The qualifications must match one of the following: a UK bachelor's degree, a UK postgraduate degree, or a UK PhD or doctorate. Applicants cannot self-certify their qualifications; they must seek validation from Ecctis, the official body that compares overseas qualifications to UK standards.

Ecctis assesses the qualification itself, not the university that awarded it. A separate list of eligible universities determines if the institution qualifies under the HPI route.

Graduates who have previously undergone an Ecctis assessment do not need to repeat the process and can submit their earlier assessment certificate with their HPI visa application.