UK Youth Mobility Visa Requirements & Application

If you are an Indian, Korean citizen or from other countries and between the ages of 18 to 30 years old, wanting to live in the UK for up to 2 years. You may be eligible for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa. 

In this article, we will share all the information on the Youth Mobility Scheme visa requirements and application. If you are interested in it, take a look. 

What is a Youth Mobility Scheme visa?

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa in the UK, formally called the Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa, is set up for citizens from qualifying countries between 18 to 30 years who want to live long and work in the UK and have more opportunities. The successor can stay in the UK for up to 2 years and if they wish to stay longer, they can apply for different visas, for instance, student visa, skilled worker visa, etc.

Getting a Youth Mobility Scheme visa has many advantages apart from the 2 years period of staying permit, like:

• Leave and enter the UK at any time.
• Work with no restrictions.
• Can be self-employed and start a company with restrictions.
• If you are 31 years old while the Youth Mobility Scheme visa is still valid, you can stay in the UK in the validity.

Youth Mobility Scheme Quotas

Each country is allocated quotas for participation in the Youth Mobility Scheme visa. According to the allocation, Australia has the largest quota, followed by New Zealand and Canada. In comparison, other countries such as Uruguay and Andorra have very small quotas. Therefore, to ensure fairness, the application for the visa is determined by a lottery. The lottery is held in January and July each year, and you need to register during the application window to be eligible for the lottery. Below are the quotas for the corresponding countries for the year 2024.

• 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 (via the India Young Professionals Scheme)
• 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 limitation for British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens, and British Nationals (Overseas).

Specific requirements for Youth mobility visa countries

If you want to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you will need to fulfill the requirements.

Requirements for UK Youth Mobility visa

In this section, we will discuss the youth mobility visa requirements of different countries. Here are the general requirements for the personnel.

• You should be at the ages of 18-30 years old (or 18-35 depending on which country you come from).
• You should come from a qualified country or hold certain types of British Nationality like British overseas citizenship.
• You should have at least £2,530 in savings to live in the UK and must have kept money in your bank account for at least 21 days in the 31 days prior to the date of application.
• No kids under 18 years old live with you or need your financial support.
• You have never applied for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa before.
• Provide a tuberculosis test (depending on which country you come from).
• You have paid the fee for applying for the visa of £244.
• You have paid the healthcare surcharge of £776 each year.
• You don’t pose any risks to the UK.

How to apply for a British youth mobility visa?

You must apply online for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa outside the UK.

Step 1. Gather the required documents. 

• Your valid passport and identity certificates.
• A Bank Deposit Certificate/Statement of £2,530 deposit.
• You should provide the tuberculosis (TB) test results if you come from a country that requires testing for tuberculosis.
• The passport has blank pages for that visa.
• You should provide certified translation papers in languages other than English or Welsh.
• According to your original country, there may be additional documents or specific circumstances.

Step 2. Apply for the visa. 

To apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you should follow the steps below.

• Go to the online Youth Mobility Scheme visa application page to fill out your application form online in English.

• Upload all the required documents. You can take clear photos or use scanned copies. The formats must be PNG, JPG, or JPEG, and the scanned copies can be PDF.
• You should pay all the necessary fees, including the application fee and the healthcare insurance fee.
• In the application, you should make an appointment with the nearest visa application centre to have your fingerprints and photograph taken for your biometric residence permit.
• If there are any additionally required documents, you can submit them when going to the visa application centre.

However, if you come from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and India, the processes are different. You need to enter the ballot if you want to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa. 

How to enter the ballot:

The ballot system usually opens in January and July each year. You can send an email to enter the ballot. Each person only holds one ballot entry, so the duplicating ballot entry will not be counted. 

• Make sure you are eligible before entering.
• The ballot system will open for 48 hours. If you succeed, you will get the answer automatically. Then, you have 90 days to submit the application to the visa application centre. 
• If your application is approved, you have 90 days to enter the UK, and the validity will be 2 years.
• If you don’t pass the ballot, you will receive an email in 2 weeks after the ballot system closes. You can re-enter the ballot until the next time the ballot system opens.

How to write the email:

The language should be English only.

The subtitle should include your: 

• Name
• Date of birth
• Passport number

Write in this format: Lastname Firstname -DD/MM/YYYY – passport number.

Subtitle example: Wong Janet – 31/03/2000 – 123456789

The main body of the email should include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Passport number
• Phone Number

Any emails without the above information will be not considered.

Although most of the process is similar, if you are Indian, there is a different ballot. If you are eligible to enter the ballot, you should provide:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Passport details
• A scan or photo of your passport
• Phone number
• Email address

Youth mobility visa application fee

The application for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa is £298 and payment should be made in the online application. Additionally, you should pay for healthcare insurance of £776 per year.

Can I extend my Youth Mobility Scheme visa?

No. You can not. But, for Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders who come from Australia, Canada or New Zealand, you can extend your visa by one year. The requirements are as follows.

• You should live in the UK.
• Your Youth Mobility Scheme visa is still valid.
• Your new Youth Mobility Scheme visa will be valid from the day after your original visa expires.
• You can only expand the visa for once.

Switch from UK Youth Mobility visa

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to 2 years, and you cannot expand it unless you come from Australia, Canada, or New Zealand. If your visa is about to expire, you can choose to switch to another visa type. For these young people, there are Skilled Worker visas, high-potential individual visas, and Start-Up visas that are suitable for them to apply for. You can look for the requirements on the Visas and immigration of GOV.UK and submit your application.

😀Read Also: How to Get Work Permit for UK without Job Offer

What to do if my Youth Mobility visa is refused?

If your application for a Youth Mobility Visa is refused, you can either reapply with reasons or request an administrative review. If you are considering applying for an administrative review, the application must be made within 28 days of the refusal decision. The application form will have to be completed online, and a fee of £80 will be paid. Alternatively, you can consider applying for another type of visa.If your Youth Mobility visa application is rejected, you can reapply for it by stating the reasons.

FAQ

Can Americans apply for a Youth Mobility visa?

YES. If you are interested in applying for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you can make an online application in 6 months before entering the UK.

Can Indians apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa in the UK?

No. Any Youth Mobility Scheme visas should be applied outside the UK.

Can I apply for a faster decision?

YES. There are priority services and super-priority services available for faster service. You just need to pay the additional price.

Conclusion

For some young people who wish to experience living and working in the UK for up to two years, the Youth Mobility Scheme visa is a perfect opportunity. However, it can be difficult to apply as competition is fierce and quotas are limited. If you want to get through the application, prepare early.