Youth Mobility Scheme in the United Kingdom

What is the Youth Mobility Scheme?

The Youth Mobility Scheme (previously called the Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa) is for youth aged 18 to 30 who want to live and work in the UK for up to two years.

Nationalities that can apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa

Youth nationals of five countries can apply for this visa. These countries are:

• Australia;
• Canada;
• Monaco;
• New Zealand (applicants can be between 18-35 yrs old);
• San Marino.

In addition, British Overseas citizens and British Overseas Territories citizens can apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme. For example, British Overseas citizens born in Hong Kong after 1 July 1997 (when Hong Kong's sovereignty returned to China) and one of their parents was a British national (overseas) or British Overseas citizen when they were born. British Overseas citizens hold a British passport but do not have the right to live or work in the UK by default.

Important:

For nationals of Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, there's a ballot system in place for which they must apply before applying for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa. There is a different scheme for Indian Nationals under the India Young Professionals Scheme visa.

Read also The British labour market

The ballot system

Ballots open in January and July of every year for 48 hours. Hence, if you want to apply for a ballot, you must email the respective ballot department in English depending on your country (i.e., Hong Kong if you have a SAR passport, Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan). Once your email is added to the ballot, you will receive an automated confirmation of receipt.

Here's how the email should look like:

• Subject line with your surname – name – date of birth [DD/MM/YYYY] – passport number;
• Body of the email should contain your name, date of birth, passport number, and mobile phone number;
• Emails must follow the above guidelines. Otherwise, they will not be accepted.

Good to know:

Most applicants are selected during the first ballot of the year, in January. Only the remaining places are filled during the July ballot.

To have an idea of how many places were allocated in 2023, here is a breakdown:

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

Useful link:

For dates, times, and contact email addresses for each country, check the UK government's website.

Once you have sent the email, you will be given a date by which you should find out whether your application has been successful. If yes, you will have 30 days to pay for your visa application. After receiving the payment, you will have 90 days to book an appointment at your visa application centre and submit your Youth Mobility Scheme visa application. A decision on your visa application should arrive within three weeks of attending the appointment and providing your biometric information (i.e., fingerprints and a passport-sized photo taken). You will have 90 days to travel to the UK from the day you receive your visa.

Good to know:

If you are unsuccessful in the ballot, you can apply again when the ballot reopens (January or July).

Conditions and requirements

To be considered for the Youth Mobility Scheme, you must have at least £2,530 in your bank account for 28 days in a row, showing that you can support yourself financially during your stay in the UK since finding a job in the UK under the scheme isn't guaranteed. In addition, you must not have under 18-years-old children who are living with you or whose living costs depend on you.

To apply for this scheme, you must submit your application at least six months before your scheduled arrival date. However, you must be outside the United Kingdom when applying for this visa. The application for the Youth Mobility Program is online — the Youth Mobility Scheme fees amount to £259 for the visa application. You will also have to pay additional fees accounting for healthcare insurance, equivalent to £470 per year.

Important:

The Youth Mobility Scheme was created to help young people gain international experience and learn about life in the UK firsthand. Its primary intention is not to offer work permits or act as an immigration route to the UK.

Good to know:

If you have a child while you are in the UK with a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, they do not automatically get British citizenship.

How to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa

When applying for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you will have to produce the following:

• Your passport;
• A bank statement showing that you have at least £2,530 as savings;
• Results from a tuberculosis test if you reside in one of the countries mentioned in this list.

Important:

A certified translator must translate All non-English documents into English or Welsh (if you will be living in Wales). The translator should state on the document that it's “a true and accurate translation of the original document”, the date of translation, and their full name and contact details or the details of the translation company they work for.

Rights and responsibilities under the scheme

Once in the UK with a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you can study, be employed in most sectors, and be self-employed; as long as you work from home, your equipment doesn't exceed the cost of £5,000, and you don't have any employees. On the other hand, you cannot work as a professional sportsperson (e.g., as a coach), extend your stay, claim benefits (e.g., jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit, disability living allowance, etc.), or bring family members and dependents to the UK.

Attention:

You can only arrive in the UK once under the Youth Mobility Scheme.

Visa application rejection

Like any other visa, the Youth Mobility Scheme visa can be rejected on several grounds. Here are some of the most common rejection grounds:

• A deportation order;
• Character grounds;
• Criminality grounds;
• A sham marriage or civil partnership;
• Submission of false documents or incorrect information;
• History of breach of immigration laws;
• Failure to provide the required information;
• Using the UK to enter another part of the Common Travel Area (i.e., the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands);
• Medical grounds;
• History of a customs breach.

Read also Higher education in London