Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria were used to determine the universities at which attendance makes a person eligible for the High Potential Individual Visa scheme; and for what reason (a) there is not a university that has its main base in Africa on that list and (b) she did not take steps to ensure an equitable distribution of universities across continents.

The High Potential Individual route provides a short-term opportunity for talented international graduates to work or look for work in the UK as they start their careers.

By concentrating on graduates from select international universities, we will ensure the calibre of applicants remains high. Research has shown graduates from universities ranked in the top 50 of established international rankings are more likely to occupy higher paid roles and to find work easily.

Individuals who have graduated from other international institutions, and those who have no formal qualifications but have job offers in eligible occupations, continue to be able to come to the UK to work through other routes such as the Skilled Worker route.