UK Introduces New Visa To Attract Recent Top Graduates – Should The U.S. Follow Suit?

Earlier this week, the United Kingdom announced a new visa called the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa for graduates of the world's top universities. The HPI visa will give individuals who have graduated with a bachelor's degree from specific universities in the last five years permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years without needing employment sponsorship. Graduates with a doctorate degree would be allowed to stay for 3 years.

This new visa is aimed at attracting foreign graduates from eligible universities by granting them the ability to move to the UK to begin employment or look for employment. While the HPI visa cannot be extended, visa holders can transition to another visa such as a work visa or permanent residency after the HPI visa expires. Individuals would also be able to bring with them dependent family members including their partner and children under 18 years.