Graduates From These Top Universities Are Eligible for UK Work Visa

The United Kingdom has recently announced that it will grant work visas to students graduating from the best universities in the world as part of the government’s efforts to bring the “best and brightest” international talent into the country.

According to the UK government’s website, a High Potential Individual (HPI) gives graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree from some top 50 universities the permission to stay in the United Kingdom for at least two years, while Ph.D. students are given a three-year work visa.

In order to be able to apply, graduates should have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university over the past five years. Applicants who are successful have the opportunity to switch to longer-term employment visas.

Under this type of visa, graduates can also bring their family members to the UK, Erudera reports.

“The visa forms part of a series of changes to the immigration system after leaving the EU to restore control over our borders, so that the UK can welcome people based on the skills they have to offer and the contribution they can make, not where they come from,” the government said.

The government points out, among other things, that students should undergo a security and criminality check as well as demonstrate English language proficiency at an intermediate level.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said that the government is delivering for people in the UK by bringing the best talent that the country and businesses need.

“I am proud to be launching this new and exciting route as part of our points-based immigration system, which puts ability and talent first – not where someone comes from,” Patel said.

The High Potential Individual (HPI) route aims to attract individuals at the early stages of their careers who fulfill the criteria needed to be employed in the UK.

According to the government, the new points-based system will ensure that businesses have access and continue to be at the forefront of innovation.

The recent list of eligible universities from 2021, published on the government’s website, includes the following institutions:  

1. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – United States
2. Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) – Hong Kong
3. Columbia University – United States
4. Cornell University – United States
5. Duke University – United States
6. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Switzerland) – Switzerland
7. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) – Switzerland
8. Harvard University – United States
9. Johns Hopkins University – United States
10. Karolinska Institute – Sweden
11. Kyoto University – Japan
12. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – United States
13. McGill University – Canada
14. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) – Singapore
15. National University of Singapore – Singapore
16. New York University (NYU) – United States
17. Northwestern University – United States
18. Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University –France
19. Peking University – China
20. Princeton University – United States
21. Stanford University – United States
22. Tsinghua University – China
23. University of British Columbia – Canada
24. University of California, Berkeley – United States
25. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – United States
26. University of California, San Diego – United States
27. University of Chicago US – United States
28. University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong
29. University of Melbourne –Australia
30. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor – United States
31. University of Munich (LMU Munich) – Germany
32. University of Pennsylvania – United States
33. University of Texas at Austin – United States
34. University of Tokyo – Japan
35. University of Toronto – Canada
36. University of Washington – United States
37. Yale University – United States