This week in the US, President Donald Trump's administration has ordered US embassies around the world to stop scheduling appointments for student visas. This follows on from Trump's ongoing battle with Harvard to prevent international students enrolling or remaining at the university. This article explores the UK as an alternative destination for those looking to study abroad and how to enter the UK under the High Potential Individual visa route once you have obtained your undergraduate degree from a prestigious university.
UK student visa and beyond
The UK boosts some of the most prestigious universities in the world, Oxford and Cambridge most notably. Therefore, should you be looking to apply for a university abroad and the current headlines in the US are causing you concern, perhaps a UK student visa is an alternative worth considering.
Once you have obtained an offer from a UK university, you will be able to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies from the university and begin your online visa application. Teacher Stern can assist you through all steps in the process to ensure a smooth application process.
Once you have completed your course of study in the UK, you can then switch onto a graduate visa. Currently this allows for 2 further years in the UK after graduation from a UK university, although the recent UK immigration White Paper sets out plans to reduce this term to 18 months. This enables you to have certainty of your immigration status for at least the time you are a student and 18 months afterwards.
Coming to the UK to study not only results in further education at often world class institutions but also sets you up to remain in the UK beyond your degree. Although neither of these routes lead to settlement in the UK specifically, you can combine the years spent under these routes with other visa categories to apply for settlement under the Long Residence route after 10 years in the UK. You may also use the time granted under the Graduate visa route to work for any employer of your choice, without the need for visa sponsorship. This provides an excellent opportunity to gain valuable work experience in the UK before considering longer-term immigration options. We would be happy to advise on planning for this and can assist with the application.
High Potential Individual visa once you have received your Ivy League degree
If you have already embarked on your studies at Harvard or a similarly prestigious university in the US and you are looking to come over to the UK, the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa route may be an option for you.
To be eligible for this visa you must have attended one of the listed universities which includes institutions such as Harvard, Princeton and Cornell. If you have been awarded a qualification from a listed university within the last 5 years from a listed institution, you can apply for a HPI visa and be granted leave to remain in the UK for 2 years (3 years if you have a PhD).
Although this visa is not a route to settlement in the UK, you can work in most jobs in the UK and establish your career so that you may find sponsored employment in the UK.
This route is also available for individuals who have secured their undergraduate degree from any of the qualifying universities listed on the gov.uk website.
And if your university is not currently on the list, you may find you will become eligible in due course. The UK immigration White paper included proposals to double the number of qualifying institutions. Exactly which institutions this includes and when this will come in affect remains to be seen but this could open the HPI visa route to more migrants graduating in the future.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
