Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

The UK Youth Mobility Scheme visa is for persons of ages between 18 and 30 that come from certain countries.

In this article

The Youth Mobility Scheme is a program for young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who want to work, live, and travel in the UK. With this scheme, you don’t need to be sponsored, have a job, or meet any skills or salary threshold.

Eligible Countries for the UK Youth Mobility Scheme

• Australia
• Canada
• Monaco
• New Zealand
• San Marino
• Iceland
• British overseas citizen
• British overseas territories citizen
• British national (overseas)

You must be selected for the Youth Mobility scheme ballot before you can apply for a visa if you are from:

• Hong Kong
• Japan
• South Korea
• Taiwan

Who Is Eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme?

You can apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme if:

• You are between the age of 18 and 30 and from one of the eligible countries.
• You have sufficient financial means to support yourself. You must have at least £2,530 in your bank account. You must have the money available for 28 successive days since applying for a Youth Mobility Scheme.
• You have applied and obtained entrance under the Youth Mobility Scheme Route before you arrive in the UK.
• You must have not been in the UK before with the Youth Mobility Scheme.

You cannot apply if you have:

• Children under the age of 18 who live with you.
• Children that rely on you financially.
• Already been in the UK under this scheme.

Specific Requirements for Certain Countries

If you are from Australia, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, a British Overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, or British National (Overseas), you have no specific requirements to meet except the financial requirement.

If you have a passport from Hong Kong, Japan, the Republic of Korea, or Taiwan, you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme after receiving an invitation. You have to apply within the specified time period on that invitation.

If you have a passport from San Marino, you will need to submit a letter that states that you are eligible to apply 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 be issued no more than six months before applying.
If you possess a rightful passport of Iceland, you must submit a Criminal Certificate for private use that must be issued no more than six months before applying.

• If you are a national of India, you must:
  Have an invitation to apply for the Youth Mobility scheme.
• Apply within the specified time period in the invitation.
• Provide the unique application number for that invitation to apply.
• Provide a police certificate that has been issued no more than six months before you have applied.
• Have at least three years of experience in a similar occupational role to one listed in the Appendix Skilled Occupations and provide specified evidence of that qualification or hold a similar qualification to RQF level or higher and submit particular evidence of that work experience.

Required Documents for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

You must prepare the following documents to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa:

• A valid and original passport or any other document that shows your identity and nationality. The passport must have a blank page for your visa.
• A bank statement that proves you have £2,530 in savings.
• A tuberculosis test if you are from a listed country.

Note: You must provide certified translations of documents that are not in Welsh or English. Additional documents may be required depending on your country of residence and/or specific circumstances.

Required Documents for Specific Nations

• If you’re from Hong Kong, Japan, the Republic of Korea, or Taiwan, you must submit a valid email where the Home Office confirms that you were successful in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot.
• If you are from San Marino, you must submit a letter from the Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs. The letter must confirm that you are suitable for the youth mobility scheme and that you have been issued less than six months before you apply for the youth mobility scheme visa.
• If you are from Iceland, you must submit an Icelandic criminal certificate for private use (Sakavottorð). The certificate should be issued six months before you apply for the youth mobility scheme visa.

How to Apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

To apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme, you must follow the steps below:

• You must apply online for the Youth Mobility scheme. You must complete the application form online. You must answer in English when filling out the application.
• Upload the required documents for the Youth Mobility scheme. You must upload the documents for the Youth Mobility Scheme. You can either scan or photograph the documents. The documents must be PNG, JPG, or JPEG. The scanned documents can also be PDFs.
• You must pay the required fees. You must pay the healthcare surcharge and application fees for the Youth Mobility Scheme while applying online.
• You must book an appointment at a visa application center. You must schedule an appointment while you complete the online application form. You can find the nearest VAC your biometrics by checking the Find a visa application center on GOV.UK.
• You must submit the additional documents. If while applying you are required to provide supporting documents you can either upload them online or submit them at the visa application center when you have the appointment.

What Are the Youth Mobility Scheme Fees?

You must pay the following fees when applying for the Youth Mobility Scheme:

What Is the Processing Time for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

After you apply, it usually takes approximately three weeks for your Youth Mobility Scheme visa to be processed. However, it may take longer, depending on the number of applications they receive.

Conditions of the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

The conditions of the UK Youth Mobility Scheme visa are as follows:

Duration of the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

The Youth Mobility Scheme is valid for two years. You can leave and return to the UK as long as your visa is valid. If you turn 31 while in the UK, you can stay for the entire time the visa is valid.

Can the Youth Mobility Scheme Be Extended?

The Youth Mobility scheme cannot be extended. You can stay only two years and you cannot apply for a second time for this scheme.

Can You Apply More than Once for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

You can apply only once for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa. Your application will be denied if you have already been part of the Youth Mobility Scheme before.

Can You Study With the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?

You can study with the Youth Mobility Scheme visa. For certain courses, you will need an academic technology approval scheme certificate. You can work a job on the skills worker shortage occupation list.

Quotas for the Youth Mobility Scheme

There are quotas on the number of available places on the Youth Mobility scheme each year in certain countries. For 2022 the allocation of places is as follows:

For the British citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens, or British national overseas citizens who might be eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa there is no quota number.