The progress and development of high-Tc superconducting fault current limiter (HSFCL) in the world has been reviewed. As an ideal fault current limiter, the development of high temperature superconducting fault current limiter has been a multidisciplinary technology, which related to physics, material science, electronic engineering and cryogenic technology. The study and fabrication of HTSFCL have been improved in 18 countries, and 21 types of HTSFCL have been installed in different substations in the world, which had been operated or has been operating in six countries at present. In China, three types of HTSFCL are operating in Yunnan, Tianjin and Baiyin. One of them is installed in the first superconducting substation in the world – Baiyin Superconducting Substation in Gansu province. Analyzing to the research works, investment and competition on SFCL in different countries, it is concluded that the HTSFCL technologies have been improved mature, but large scale commercial application is still facing several factors, such as high price of superconducting wires, the operation cost of maintaining low temperature and the market demand for high-quality electric power, etc,. If the superconducting materials price and the HTSFCL operating cost is reduced, the large-scale application of the superconducting fault current limiter will be realized, so as to protect the power grid operating stably and to make HTSFCL as an ideal limiter in the future.