A Youth Mobility visa allows individuals aged 18-30 (or 35 for some international locations) to dwell and work within the UK, normally for as much as two years. It was once known as the “working holiday-maker scheme” and a few individuals should still name it that. Crucially, there is no such thing as a requirement to have an employer to sponsor a Youth Mobility visa and even for the applicant to essentially intend to work within the UK, which makes it way more versatile than different work visa routes.
The massive downside to the Youth Mobility visa is that it’s only obtainable to residents of a choose checklist of 13 countries (plus British abroad territories). The opposite necessities for this visa are in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme to the immigration guidelines and there’s additionally some guidance on the scheme for Residence Workplace employees.
The rules for Indian citizens, who have been added to the scheme for the primary time in 2022 and have been capable of submit functions from early 2023, are extra restrictive than for different nationalities.
Fundamental necessities
Nationality
Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme says at YMS 1.3:
The applicant have to be one of many following:
(a) a British Abroad Citizen, British Abroad Territories Citizen or British Nationwide (Abroad); or
(b) a nationwide or citizen of a rustic or the holder of a passport issued by a territory, listed in Annex Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals.
The overwhelming majority of the take-up is from residents of the 13 international locations listed in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals. Just one individual with one of many uncommon types of British nationality listed at (a) has been issued with a Youth Mobility visa within the 12 months ending June 2024.
Every nation has an annual quota of Youth Mobility visas that may be granted to its residents.
In 2024, the international locations and quotas are:
- Andorra – 100 locations
- Australia – 45,000 locations
- Canada – 8,000 locations
- Hong Kong – 1,000 locations
- Iceland – 1,000 locations
- India – 3,000 locations
- Japan – 6,000 locations
- Monaco – 1,000 locations
- New Zealand – 8,500 locations
- Republic of Korea – 5,000 locations
- San Marino – 1,000 locations
- Taiwan – 1,000 locations
- Uruguay – 500 locations
The impact of the cap on potential candidates varies relying on the applicant’s nation of nationality. Australia, New Zealand and Canada have massive allocations that are by no means crammed. For instance, even pre-pandemic round 9,000 – 10,000 Youth Mobility visas have been issued to Australians yearly, effectively under the then 30,000 quota. Now the quota has been raised to 45,000 however within the 12 months ending June 2024, based on Home Office statistics solely 9,935 functions have been made by Australians. Quotas are sometimes devised subsequent to up to date commerce offers.
In contrast, the Residence Workplace operates a lottery for candidates from Taiwan and Hong Kong to handle demand. Candidates register their curiosity by electronic mail and the Residence Workplace distributes “invitations to apply” at random.
There may be additionally a unique lottery for Indian residents.
Age
Candidates have to be aged 18 to 30 (or 35 for nationals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea). Candidates who’re 17 can apply however solely get entry clearance from their 18th birthday. If a person turns 31 (or 36) after the visa is issued, they are going to stay eligible to stay within the UK for so long as their visa is legitimate.
Upkeep
Candidates should reveal that they’ve financial savings of £2,530 as required by YMS 5.1. That is calculated utilizing the change fee on the date the applying was submitted. The detailed guidelines on upkeep for this route are in Appendix Finance, which says:
Funds could also be held in any type of private financial institution or constructing society account (together with present, deposit, financial savings, pension from which the funds might be withdrawn or funding account) offered the account permits the funds to be accessed instantly.
The applicant should have had the funds in such an account for at the least 28 days main as much as their software.
Particular guidelines for Indian residents
Indian residents supposedly certified for the Youth Mobility Scheme for the primary time in 2022 however the a lot anticipated Indian Younger Professionals Scheme poll opened for the first time on 28 February 2023. You’ll find updated info on the poll and apply when the 2025 poll opens here. The 2024 poll opened on 16 July 2024 and closed on 18 July 2024.
Indians making use of for what’s being branded the “Young Professionals Scheme” might want to have some {qualifications} or abilities not required for residents of the opposite Youth Mobility international locations. They should fulfill paragraph YMS 4.2 of the Appendix:
The applicant should:
(a) have been issued with an invite to use in accordance with the invitation to use preparations set out in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals; and
(b) have made their software inside the time period laid out in that invitation to use; and
(c) present the distinctive software quantity for that invitation to use; and
(d) present a neighborhood police certificates or a police clearance certificates that has been issued not more than 6 months earlier than the date of software; and
(e) maintain a qualification equal to or above RQF stage 6.
Refusals
The general grounds for refusal apply. As well as, there are a number of particular causes for refusing a Youth Mobility software.
First, you can’t get a Youth Mobility visa twice. In case you apply a second time then you can be refused even when you nonetheless meet the opposite necessities. Importantly, although, this solely applies when you truly frolicked within the UK on the visa, so if somebody applies for and will get a Youth Mobility visa however decides to not use it, then they may nonetheless get one other one the next 12 months in the event that they wished.
Second, candidates should not have youngsters beneath the age of 18 who dwell with them or are financially depending on them. Kids born to Youth Mobility visa holders throughout their keep within the UK can nonetheless be added to the visa as a dependant.
Circumstances
Profitable candidates get two years’ entry clearance. For many, there is no such thing as a risk of renewing the visa and no risk of making use of for indefinite depart to stay. Individuals could nonetheless be capable to prolong their keep within the UK by switching to a different visa, corresponding to a Skilled Worker visa.
Nonetheless, there’s an exception for nationals of Australia, Canada and New Zealand who’re capable of apply to extend their visa for an extra 12 months, as much as a complete of three years steady residence within the UK beneath the Youth Mobility Scheme. The cap on the variety of functions (listed above) doesn’t apply to these in nation visa extensions.
As with nearly all different routes, entry clearance shall be granted topic to a no recourse to public funds situation.
There are only a few limits on what a profitable applicant can do with their two years within the UK and no requirement to do something in any respect.
A few choose types of work are prohibited. Youth Mobility visa holders can’t work as knowledgeable sportsperson/coach. There are additionally some barely bizarre constraints on self-employment:
(b) no self-employment, besides the place the next situations are met:
(i) the individual has no premises which they personal, aside from their residence, from which they perform their enterprise; and
(ii) the entire worth of any tools used within the enterprise doesn’t exceed £5,000; and
(iii) the applicant has no workers
Youth Mobility visa holders may also use their two years to check within the UK (apart from programs which require an Tutorial Know-how Approval Scheme clearance certificates).
Making an software
The necessities for a Youth Mobility visa are a lot simpler to fulfil than nearly some other UK immigration route. It is usually cheaper than most, with a £298 software payment and a lowered fee of the Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 per 12 months reasonably than £1,035). That makes the entire price of the two-year visa £1,850.
Purposes are made online. Unsurprisingly, the success fee may be very excessive. In 2019 round 20,000 Youth Mobility functions have been granted, and 300 refused. And post-pandemic, within the 12 months ending June 2024, round 24,000 functions have been granted, and 518 refused.
This text was initially printed in November 2020 and has been up to date most just lately by Sonia Lenegan in order that it’s appropriate as of the brand new date of publication proven.
