The Home Office has published the Global Universities List 2024 . The list covers qualifications awarded between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025. The importance of the Global Universities List lies in its ability to determine whether a person is eligible for a high potential individual visa. Let’s take a look at the what the High Potential Visa is, how to apply, and which universities are included on the list.
What is the High Potential Individual Visa?
The UK’s High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is designed for graduates from leading global universities, offering them the opportunity to work in the UK without the need for sponsorship or a job offer. This visa route aims to attract top international talent, enabling graduates to pursue their career goals in the UK while also providing UK employers with access to a diverse pool of skilled professionals.
In this guide, we will outline the eligibility criteria and application process for the HPI visa. Additionally, we will explore the options available for visa holders to extend their stay in the UK by transitioning from the HPI visa to a longer-term visa category.
The High Potential Individual visa offers an unsponsored path for internationally-educated, highly skilled graduates who want to enhance their career prospects in the UK. Applicants must hold a degree-level qualification from an overseas university that is recognized as one of the top institutions globally.
To qualify for the HPI visa, applicants must have obtained a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree from a university featured on the Home Office’s Global Universities List within the last five years. The list includes universities ranked highly by global ranking organisations such as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Eligibility Criteria
- To qualify for this route, you will need to have been awarded an overseas bachelor’s or postgraduate degree qualification in the last 5 years from a top global university from the list below.
- You must have the ability to understand and communicate in English to the B1 level
- You must show that you have at least £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 days prior to your application
- There must be no adverse criminal or immigration history.
Application process
To apply for the visa you will need to complete an application form and submit a number of documents. We at Lisa’s Law specialise in such application and will ensure that all the required documents are submitted so that the application proceeds smoothly.
Successful applications
If your applications are successful, you will be granted a 2 year visa. If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it will last for 3 years. After the visa expires there are a number of visas you can switch to providing that you meet the requirements.
2024 Global University List for HPI route
This list of universities includes:
| University | Country |
|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | USA |
| Columbia University | USA |
| Cornell University | USA |
| Duke University | USA |
| Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Switzerland) | Switzerland |
| ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) | Switzerland |
| Fudan University | China |
| Harvard University | USA |
| Heidelberg University | Germany |
| Johns Hopkins University | USA |
| Karolinska Institute | Sweden |
| Kyoto University | Japan |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA |
| McGill University | Canada |
| Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | Singapore |
| National University of Singapore | Singapore |
| New York University | USA |
| Northwestern University | USA |
| Paris Sciences et Lettres - PSL Research University | France |
| Peking University | China |
| Princeton University | USA |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China |
| Stanford University | USA |
| Technical University of Munich | Germany |
| The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Tsinghua University | China |
| University of British Columbia | Canada |
| University of California, Berkeley | USA |
| University of California, Los Angeles | USA |
| University of California, San Diego | USA |
| University of Chicago | USA |
| University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| University of Melbourne | Australia |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | USA |
| University of Munich (LMU Munich) | Germany |
| University of Pennsylvania | USA |
| University of Texas at Austin | USA |
| University of Tokyo | Japan |
| University of Toronto | Canada |
| University of Washington | USA |
| Yale University | USA |
| Zhejiang University | China |
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