A recent degree from a listed school gets you two years in Britain, no job offer needed
The High Potential Individual visa costs about $4,235 in fees for one person on a two-year stay. It can't be extended, so the real plan is what you switch to next.
If your degree came from a university on the Home Office list in the last five years, Britain will let you live and work there for two years, or three with a PhD. No sponsor, no salary floor, no job lined up first. Take a job, freelance, or spend your first months interviewing. The list roughly doubled in November 2025, and the route is capped at 8,000 applications a year.
What one person pays, as of September 2026
$1,164
Visa application fee
£880, per person
$333
Ecctis degree check
£252, VAT included
$1,369
Health surcharge, per year
£1,035, paid up front
$1,680
Savings you must show
£1,270, held 28 days
Who qualifies
Check the list from the year you graduated
You need a bachelor's, master's or PhD awarded in the last five years by a university on the Home Office's Global Universities List. Each list covers one award year, November to October, and you check the one for your year.
Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan, UT Austin, Purdue and Wisconsin are all on the 2025 list. The November 2025 expansion only helps degrees awarded after it, though. A 2023 graduate still checks the 2023 list.
As a U.S. citizen, you skip the English test. You can only get this visa once.
Who should look elsewhere
Studied at a British university? UK schools don't count for this visa. Look at the Graduate visa, which you apply for from inside the UK on your Student visa, and which drops to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027. If you've already held a Graduate visa, HPI is closed to you. If you want a path to permanent residence, this isn't it: HPI time doesn't count toward settlement.
How to apply
Six steps from diploma to eVisa
- Get your degree checked by Ecctis. Pay £252 (about $333) and you'll get a Unique Person Identifier for your application. The fee isn't refunded if your degree doesn't qualify.
- Park the money. Keep at least £1,270 (about $1,680) in your account for 28 days in a row, with day 28 inside the 31 days before you apply. Add £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child.
- Apply online, up to three months before you fly. Pay the £880 fee and the health surcharge for the whole stay: £2,070 for two years, £3,105 for three.
- Prove who you are. Scan your passport with the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or book a visa application center appointment.
- Wait about three weeks. That's the usual decision time from outside the UK. The U.S. isn't on the tuberculosis test list, so there's no clinic visit.
- Land and use your eVisa. There's no card to collect. Your status lives online, and you share a code with employers and landlords.
What the visa lets you do, and what it doesn't
Take most jobs
No sponsor and no salary floor tie you to one employer.
Freelance or start something
Self-employment and volunteering are both allowed.
Bring your family
Partners and children can come as dependents, each paying their own fees.
Use the NHS
The surcharge covers care from the day your visa starts. Prescriptions and dental still cost extra.
Limited study
Only courses that don't qualify for a Student visa.
No benefits, no pro sports
Most public benefits and professional sports work are off-limits.
After HPI
Plan the second visa before the first one starts
The HPI visa can't be extended, and none of its time counts toward settlement. The route the Home Office points to is a Skilled Worker visa, which you can switch to from inside the UK once an approved employer sponsors you.
The Skilled Worker salary floor is £41,700 a year (about $55,200) or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. Some applicants qualify at £33,400 (about $44,200). A switch usually takes eight weeks.
Home Office data cited by the law firm Irwin Mitchell found nearly half of HPI holders earned over £40,000, and a third over £50,000. Weigh that against London, where private rent averaged £2,294 a month (about $3,035) in May 2026, according to the ONS.
Two tax returns, one paycheck
Work in Britain and you pay UK income tax: nothing on the first £12,570, then 20% up to £50,270 and 40% above that (2026 to 2027 bands, England). Employees also pay 8% National Insurance on monthly pay between £1,048 and £4,189, and 2% above that. The IRS still expects a U.S. return every year. The foreign earned income exclusion covers up to $132,900 of 2026 earnings if you pass the 330-day test, and your UK bank accounts need reporting too.
People who can help with the move
Clearview Relocation
UK Relocation
A UK relocation firm working with individuals and companies. Worth a call when your HPI end date is a year out and the next visa needs planning.
Aury Lambert
Attorney Relocation Guide
A U.S. attorney living in Britain who guides lawyers and other licensed professionals through working in the UK.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Prepares U.S. tax returns for Americans abroad, including the earned income exclusion and foreign account reporting.
Simon Conn
International Mortgage Lending
Arranges UK mortgages for international buyers, for the day renting stops making sense.
Marshmallow
Auto Insurance in the UK
Car insurance in the UK for drivers without a British claims history.
HPI visa questions from Americans
Can the HPI visa be extended or lead to permanent residence?
No. The HPI visa can't be extended, and time spent on it doesn't count toward settlement in the UK. To stay longer, you need to switch to another visa, such as a Skilled Worker visa, before it runs out.
How much does the HPI visa cost in total?
For one person on a two-year visa, about $4,235 as of September 2026: the £880 application fee, £252 for the Ecctis degree check and a £2,070 health surcharge. You also need £1,270 (about $1,680) in savings. A partner adds their own £880 fee and £2,070 surcharge, about $3,900 more.
Does my U.S. university qualify for the UK High Potential Individual visa?
It does if it's on the Home Office's Global Universities List for the year your degree was awarded, and the degree is from the last five years. The list for degrees awarded between 1 November 2025 and 31 October 2026 includes schools such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, UT Austin and the University of Washington.
Can I bring my spouse or kids on an HPI visa?
Yes. Spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners who've lived with you for two years, and children can apply as your dependents. Each pays the application fee and health surcharge, and you show extra savings: £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child.
Is there a limit on how many HPI visas the UK gives out?
Yes. The route is capped at 8,000 applications a year, counted from 1 November to 31 October. For scale, 1,795 main applicants got HPI visas in the year to June 2025, before the university list was expanded.
Do I need a job offer for the HPI visa?
No. You don't need a job offer or a sponsor to apply. Once you're in the UK, you can work for most employers, work for yourself or volunteer. Professional sports is the one kind of work that's excluded.
Do Americans need an English test for the HPI visa?
No. U.S. citizens don't have to prove their English for this visa. Applicants from countries that aren't exempt need level B2.
How long does the HPI visa take to process?
Usually three weeks from outside the UK, once you've applied online and proved your identity. You can apply up to three months before you travel. Switching to HPI from another visa inside the UK usually takes eight weeks.
Is two years in Britain the start of something longer?
Talk to an Expatsi advisor about the HPI visa and the route that comes after it.
Why not you?