The UK High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is an unsponsored work route for some recent graduates of eligible overseas universities. The first check is unusually date-specific: the university must appear on the Global Universities List (GUL) for the month and year your degree was awarded, and the award date must fall within the five years before you apply. An Ecctis assessment confirms the qualification level and award date; it does not decide whether the university appears on the correct list.
As checked on 28 October 2026, the current 2025 list applies to awards from 1 November 2025 through 31 October 2026. The official GOV.UK collection had not yet published the list for awards after that date. Do not reuse the current list for a later award date: check the collection again before relying on a university name or planning an application.
Match the list to the official award date
The list is only one of the route requirements
HPI is temporary and cannot be extended
Start with the degree award date and the matching list
The UK Home Office publishes a Global Universities List for a defined period of qualification award dates. The period is not the same as a UK tax year or necessarily a calendar year. On 28 October 2026, GOV.UK's current list related to qualifications awarded between 1 November 2025 and 31 October 2026. The collection page includes prior lists and the date each list applies to; check it for later award windows rather than relying on a search result, university marketing page or an older saved PDF.
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| Degree award date | List to check as of 28 October 2026 | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026 | 2025 Global Universities List | Confirm the exact institution on the official 2025 page. |
| Before 1 November 2025 | The list whose stated award window contains the Ecctis-confirmed date | Open the GOV.UK collection and match the date to the correct list year. |
| On or after 1 November 2026 | A newer list may be required; it was not yet published in the collection when checked | Recheck the official collection and do not assume the 2025 list applies. |
The list is a policy lookup, not a general ranking of universities and not a guarantee of a visa. Similar names, campuses, mergers, translations and branch institutions can make a name match uncertain. Check the exact institution as it appears in the official document and ask Ecctis or the Home Office route contact if the awarding institution's identity is unclear. Do not infer that every campus, affiliated college or institution in the same university group is included.
The current rules require an overseas degree-level academic qualification awarded by an institution that appears on the GUL for the award date. UK universities are not eligible institutions for this route. If you are already in the UK after a UK course, the Graduate visa guide explains that separate post-study route. Compare the two routes before applying: GOV.UK says a person who has already been granted a Graduate visa cannot then apply for HPI.
What Ecctis confirms—and what it does not
The qualification must meet or exceed the recognised standard of a UK bachelor's or postgraduate degree, including a UK PhD or doctorate. Ecctis checks whether the overseas qualification is valid and at the required level, and confirms the award date used for the immigration-rule test. The HPI rules then compare that date with the correct GUL.
These are separate checks:
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| Check | What it answers | What it does not answer |
|---|---|---|
| Ecctis assessment | Whether the qualification is recognised at the required UK level and the date of award | Whether the awarding university appears on the GUL for that date |
| Global Universities List | Whether the institution is listed for the relevant award-date window | Whether the qualification is at the required level or the rest of the visa conditions are met |
| HPI application | Whether the Home Office is satisfied that all validity, suitability and eligibility requirements are met | It is not approval merely because one document or list check is positive |
GOV.UK currently directs applicants to an Ecctis qualification assessment. If Ecctis has already assessed your degree, the current eligibility page says you may be able to use the existing certificate rather than apply again; confirm that it is the right assessment for the HPI requirement and still usable for your case. The cost page lists a £252 Ecctis fee, but assessment names, fees and document requirements can change. Use the official service to choose the correct product and check the current evidence it requests.
Other applicant requirements
The HPI route is for applicants aged 18 or over. It awards 70 points across the Global Universities List degree requirement, English language and finances. Meeting the degree/list test alone therefore does not establish eligibility.
English language
Unless an exemption applies, the current rule requires English at CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. GOV.UK describes several ways to prove it: an eligible UK school qualification, a degree from a UK institution taught in English, an overseas degree taught in English with an Ecctis assessment, or an approved Secure English Language Test. Some nationalities are exempt. Check the current English-language page and the particular evidence route that matches your background; a degree being taught in English does not always remove the need for a formal confirmation.
Maintenance funds
Unless you have been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months when you apply, GOV.UK currently says the main applicant must show £1,270 in funds held for 28 consecutive days. Day 28 must fall within 31 days of the application. Use the current financial-evidence guidance to confirm which account and documents qualify. Do not count the same funds twice if they are also needed for dependants or another immigration application.
Previous permission and route history
You can apply for HPI only once. The rules also prevent an application if you have already been granted HPI, Graduate permission or permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme. This is why route choice matters if you have more than one possible post-study route. The HPI route's application year has a separate 8,000-place cap running from 1 November through 31 October. GOV.UK says the online application tells you if the limit has been reached; the public pages do not provide a live remaining-place count to use as a guarantee.
If you apply from inside the UK, you must have an immigration status that permits switching to HPI and apply before your current permission expires. Current GOV.UK rules exclude several categories, including visitors and short-term students. A Student-route applicant generally must have completed the sponsored course, except that a full-time PhD student with at least 24 months of study may meet the listed switching condition. Read the switch guidance for your current permission rather than assuming that any valid UK visa can be converted.
Budget for the application
On 28 October 2026, GOV.UK lists £252 for the Ecctis assessment and an £880 HPI application fee. The Immigration Health Surcharge is usually £1,035 per year, currently shown as £2,070 for a two-year grant or £3,105 for a three-year grant. These charges are separate from the usual £1,270 maintenance-funds requirement: funds you must hold to support yourself are not the same as fees you pay to the Home Office or Ecctis. Each dependant also has a separate application fee and healthcare surcharge, plus dependant maintenance evidence where required. Recheck the live fee pages before paying because prices can change.
Permission length, work and later routes
An HPI visa lasts two years for other eligible degrees or three years for a qualifying PhD or other doctoral degree. The route does not require a job offer or sponsor. It generally allows work in most jobs, job searching, self-employment and voluntary work, but not work as a professional sportsperson. It does not provide access to most public funds. Study is restricted where the course would instead meet the Student route, and ATAS conditions may apply.
HPI cannot be extended. It is not a route to settlement, and time on HPI does not count toward a settlement application. You may be able to switch to another immigration route before HPI expires, but each route has independent eligibility and application timing. If you are considering sponsored work, our Skilled Worker salary guide explains the salary comparison only; it does not decide sponsor, occupation-code or visa eligibility. Visa permission and tax residence are also separate questions; see the Moving to the UK tax guide for tax residence, not immigration status.
The Youth Mobility Scheme guide covers a separate temporary route for eligible nationalities; it does not use the HPI degree-list test and is not a settlement route.
If you later qualify for Global Talent permission, its settlement clock and requirements are separate; see the Global Talent ILR guide. An HPI grant itself is not listed as qualifying time in the Global Talent settlement rule.
Partners and children
An eligible partner or child can apply to join or remain as an HPI dependant, subject to separate relationship, child, financial, identity and suitability requirements. A partner must meet the applicable relationship test. Children must meet the route's age, care and independent-life requirements. Each person's application and permission period should be checked separately; a dependant's permission normally ends with the HPI holder's permission, and a child's end date can depend on the parents' permission dates.
The GOV.UK dependants page currently lists maintenance funds of £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child, in addition to the main applicant's amount where it applies. Those funds generally need to be held for 28 days, unless an exemption applies. Each person also pays an application fee and the healthcare surcharge. Use the live page to check the current family evidence, fee and amount; this guide does not determine whether a relationship or child qualifies.
A practical order for checking the route
- 1Record the Ecctis-confirmed award date — Use the official award date, not the ceremony, transcript-print or application-planning date.
- 2Open the official list collection — Match the award date to the list window and search the exact overseas institution name.
- 3Check qualification level and English evidence — Confirm the Ecctis assessment, B2 English evidence or exemption, and any test or certificate validity.
- 4Review finances and prior immigration grants — Check the 28-day maintenance evidence, cap timing, current permission and any previous Graduate, HPI or Doctorate Extension Scheme grant.
- 5Review each dependant separately — Check partner or child eligibility, evidence, funds, fees and application dates independently.
- 6Use the live application route — Apply from outside the UK or switch from an eligible in-country permission before it expires; follow the current identity and travel instructions.
This is a route-orientation guide, not a university-list checker or immigration decision. Do not use it to infer eligibility from a university name, approximate degree date or one positive Ecctis result. Confirm the current GUL, live cap notice, Immigration Rules and application requirements before paying or making travel plans.
Frequently asked questions
Which Global Universities List applies to my degree?
Does Ecctis check whether my university is on the list?
Can I apply with a degree from a UK university?
How recent must my qualification be?
Does an eligible university guarantee an HPI visa?
Do I need a job offer or sponsor?
How many HPI applications are available each year?
Can I apply for HPI after I have a Graduate visa?
How long does HPI permission last, and can I extend it?
Can my partner or child come with me?
Official sources
- GOV.UK: HPI visa overview
- GOV.UK: eligibility and award-date lists
- Home Office: Immigration Rules Appendix High Potential Individual
- GOV.UK: Global Universities List collection
- GOV.UK: Global Universities List 2025
- GOV.UK: English-language requirements
- GOV.UK: application costs and maintenance funds
- GOV.UK: switch to HPI
- GOV.UK: partners and children
Sources were checked on 28 October 2026. The Global Universities List and application cap change on an annual cycle; confirm the live official pages before applying.