POSTERN

United Kingdom

High Potential Individual visa. A no-sponsor, no-job-offer visa for recent graduates of a small list of top global universities (not UK ones) — two years to work, start a business, or job-hunt freely.

Free · The law behind every answer · Checked Sep 27, 2026

High Potential Individual visa

2 years' permission to work or be self-employed with no sponsor (3 years for a PhD or other doctoral qualification).

Who qualifies

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

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Does it fit your family?

2 questions, from the program’s own rules.

How old are you?

Not legal advice.

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What it takes.

Savings
About $1,650.
Age
18 or older.
Time
Decisions typically arrive within 3 weeks of a complete online application.
Cost
About $2,500–3,500: the visa fee plus £1,035 per year of Immigration Health Surcharge.
The hard part
Only graduates of the specific listed universities qualify, and it is a dead end unless you switch to another route before the 2 or 3 years run out.

Dollar figures are converted from the local currency at the rate the program’s research used; the official figure is in the local currency.

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This door stops short of a passport.

  1. 2027
    First residence permit

    2 years, not renewable.

Language
English at B1 or above (an approved test or a degree taught in English); usually already shown for settlement.
Civics
The Life in the UK test: 24 questions in 45 minutes on British traditions, history and customs, £50. Passed once, it counts for both settlement and citizenship.
Time away
At least 5 years living in the UK, with no more than 450 days outside it in those 5 years and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months. You must also have held settlement for 12 months.
Two passports
Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.
  • Time on this program does not count toward permanent residence or citizenship; the family would need to switch to one that does.
  • Two years (three with a PhD), not extendable; GOV.UK says time on it does not count toward settlement, so the family must switch to a route such as Skilled Worker before it ends.
  • The government plans 'earned settlement', raising the usual wait for settlement from 5 to 10 years, shorter or longer by earnings and contribution. As of September 2026 it is still a proposal: the consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and no rules have been laid, so today's 5-year rules still apply. When the rules come, they may reach people already on a route.
  • GOV.UK says a citizenship decision usually takes 6 months and some take longer.
The law behind these dates
4

Living there.

Time you must spend there
The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax
UK tax residence follows the Statutory Residence Test; no special regime for this visa.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

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Start today.

  1. Check the Global Universities List and eligibility.Open gov.uk ↗
  2. Round up the papers.
    • Proof of savings: at least $1,650
    • Request your FBI Identity History Summary
    • Health cover for the move
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Or let us run it.

$900for your first year as a founding member. Then $399 a year, automatically.Standard first year: $1,200. Everyone renews at $399.One membership, the whole family. Accounts and activation included.

15 steps, from the first paper to every renewal. You do 4 of them: send what we ask for, sign, and show up. We run the rest, and keep every permit renewed on time. Accounts and activation are included, whether you move now or keep the plan ready. Accounts depend on provider availability. Government, record and approved third-party charges are extra.

Run it for my family →
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ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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