The Youth Mobility Scheme visa is for young adults from participating countries and territories who wish to experience life in the United Kingdom for a period of up to two years (or three years for New Zealand citizens).

Dependants are not eligible to apply on the Youth Mobility Scheme visa route and it is not a route that leads directly to indefinite leave to remain in the UK. However, Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders may be able to apply from within the UK to switch into a route that does lead to settlement in the UK.

Requirements for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa

In order to qualify for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas & Immigration that:

• You are aged between 18 and 30 (or 18 and 35 for New Zealand nationals) on the date of the application;
• You are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Japan, India, Iceland, Monaco, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, or San Marino or are a British Overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen or British National (Overseas);
• If you are a citizen of India, you hold an education qualification equal to or above RQF level 6 or have a minimum of three years’ work experience in a professional role equivalent to an eligible occupation listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations;
• You have funds of £2,530 which you have held for a 28 day period within the 31 days before your application;
• You do not have any children under 18 who are living with you or are financially dependent on you;
• You have not previously been in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme route;
• You have paid the visa application fee and Immigration Health Charge and provided any required biometric information;
• You have taken a tuberculosis test, if required;
• You do not fall for refusal under the general grounds for refusal.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

To discuss your Youth Mobility Scheme visa application with one of our immigration barristers, contact our Youth Mobility Scheme visa lawyers on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.

Youth Mobility Scheme Quotas

There are quotas on the number of places available on the Youth Mobility Scheme each year from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Monaco, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, San Marino, Iceland and India.  The allocation of places for 2023 is as follows:

• Australia – 35,000 places
• New Zealand – 13,000 places
• Canada – 8,000 places
• Japan – 1,500 places
• Iceland – 1,000 places
• India – 3,000 places
• Monaco – 1,000 places
• Taiwan – 1,000 places
• Hong Kong – 1,000 places
• Republic of Korea – 1,000 places
• San Marino – 1,000 places

There is no quota on the number of British Overseas citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens or British National (Overseas) citizens who may qualify for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

Youth Mobility Scheme Country-Specific Requirements

You must apply for and obtain entry clearance under the Youth Mobility Scheme route before arriving in the UK.

If you are a national of Australia, Canada, Monaco or New Zealand, or you are a British Overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen or British National (Overseas), you will not be required to meet any country-specific requirements, but must meet the financial requirement set out below.

If you are a national, citizen or rightful passport holder of Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of Korea or Taiwan, you must have been issued with an invitation to apply to the Youth Mobility Scheme and have made your application within any time limit specified on that invitation.

If you are a national, citizen or rightful passport holder of San Marino, you will need to provide a letter confirming that you are a suitable candidate for the Youth Mobility Scheme from the Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs. The letter must have been issued no more than 6 months before the date of application.

If you are a national, citizen or rightful passport holder of Iceland, you must provide a Criminal Certificate for Private Use that has been issued no more than 6 months before the date of application.

If you are a national, citizen or rightful passport holder of India, you must :

• have been issued with an invitation to apply to the Youth Mobility Scheme;
• have made your application within the period of time specified on that invitation;
• provide the unique application number for that invitation to apply;
• provide a local police certificate or a police clearance certificate that has been issued no more than 6 months before the date of your application; and
• hold a qualification equal to or above RQF level 6.

Youth Mobility Scheme Ballot (Invitation to Apply) Process

If you are a national, citizen or rightful passport holder of Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong (if you have an SAR passport), the Republic of Korea or India you will need to apply for a ballot before applying for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

Applicants must submit an expression of interest in applying for entry clearance under the Youth Mobility Scheme through the Home Office’s process. The Home Office then selects at random who will be invited to apply for entry clearance from the pool.

Ballots typically open in January and July each year and are open for 48 hours. If you are successful in the ballot you will have 30 days to submit your Youth Mobility Scheme visa application.

To evidence they were successful in the ballot, nationals of the above-mentioned countries must (a) have been issued an invitation to apply; and (b) made their application within the period of time specified in the invitation.

Youth Mobility Scheme Financial Requirement

You must have funds of £2,530 which you have held for a 28 day period within the 31 days before your application.

You must not have any children under the age of 18 who are either living with you or who are financially dependent on you.

Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Decision 

If your application for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa is approved then you will be permitted to enter and remain in the UK for a period of up to 2 years.

During this period you will be able to enter and leave the UK at any time. If you turn 31 while you’re in the UK, you can still stay for as long as your visa is valid.

If you are a citizen of New Zealand, then before your initial 2-year Youth Mobility Scheme visa expires you will be able to apply for an extension of stay for up to one further year.

Conditions of Stay on the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

As a Youth Mobility Scheme visa holder you will be allowed to work in the UK, other than as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. However, you can only be self-employed where you have no employees, the total value of any equipment used for the business is below £5,000, and you do not own any premises from which you carry out a business (except for your home). 

You will also be allowed to study. However, unless you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of Korea, you will be subject to the conditions of the Academic Technology Approval Scheme. This requires a certificate in order to study certain subjects in the UK at a postgraduate level.

You will not be permitted to access public funds.

What If My Application for a Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Is Refused?

If your application for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa is refused then you may be able to seek an Administrative Review of an error in your decision.  You may wish to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert legal advice.

Switching Into Another Immigration Category

Prior to your Youth Mobility Scheme visa expiring you may be able to apply from within the UK to switch into another immigration category, such as the Skilled Worker route or the Innovator Founder route.  Our immigration barristers can advise on potential long term immigration routes, including routes which can lead to settlement in the UK.

How Our Immigration solicitors Can Help

Our team of business immigration solicitors has experience in assisting with all types of visa applications. Our barristers are experts in the immigration options for Youth Mobility Scheme visa applicants and will guide you through the complex Home Office rules and policies.

We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our clients’ needs. We are a highly driven team, dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration advice to Youth Mobility Scheme applicants as part of a professional and friendly service.