Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

The eligibility criteria for a youth mobility visa are set out under Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme of the UK’s Immigration Rules. A young person can apply for this type of visa if they’d like to come to the UK on a short-term basis and they satisfy the following requirements:

The age requirement: an applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date their entry clearance will become valid, and aged 30 or under when they apply for their youth mobility visa.

The applicant must have at least £2,530 in cash savings held in either a current or savings account to show that they can support themselves while in the UK. They’ll need to have had the money available in their account for at least 28 days in a row, where day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for the youth mobility visa.

The applicant must be either a British Overseas Citizen, a British Overseas Territories Citizen or a British National (Overseas) — or be from one of eleven countries or territories, including: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Monaco, San Marino, Iceland, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India. An applicant from either Hong Kong (with a SAR passport), Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India must also be selected in the youth mobility scheme ballot before they can apply for a visa.

An applicant won’t qualify for a youth mobility visa if they have children under the age of 18 who live with them or are financially dependent on them, or they’ve already lived in the UK under the scheme. An applicant can also be refused a visa under the general grounds for refusal, for example, if they’ve been convicted of a serious offence or previously breached UK immigration laws.

The UK government allocates a set number of youth mobility visas for each country or territory on an annual basis. Any applications exceeding this annual allocation won’t qualify, whether or not the other requirements have been met — although there’s no limit for British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens and British Nationals (Overseas).

As part of the youth mobility visa application process, an applicant will need to provide a number of documents, including:

The way in which an applicant proves their identity will depend on where they’re from and what type of passport they hold. They’ll either have their photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre to obtain a biometric residence permit, or be able to use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document.

The applicant may need to provide additional documents depending on their circumstances, for example, Indian citizens will need to provide documentary evidence to satisfy an extra eligibility requirement: either that they hold a qualification of at least RQF level 6, or they have at least 3 years’ work experience within a professional role equivalent to an eligible occupation listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations under the rules.

Having successfully been granted a youth mobility visa, the young person will be given permission to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. During this period they’ll be able to enter and leave the UK at any time. Even if the visa holder turns 31 while they’re in the UK, they can stay for the length of time that their visa remains valid.

Under the rules, it isn’t possible to extend the youth mobility visa beyond its’ 2-year validity period. This means that if a visa holder wants to live in the UK for longer, they’ll either need to switch to a different category of visa from within the UK, or return to their country of origin to apply for a different visa from outside the UK.

Unfortunately, applicants can only come to the UK under the youth mobility scheme route once. This route is not a path to settlement, and applicants cannot bring their dependants.

Prior to a youth mobility visa expiring, the visa holder may be able to apply from within the UK to switch into another immigration category, such as the Skilled Worker route, which can potentially lead to settlement in the UK. However, to be eligible to apply for this type of visa, an applicant would need to meet all of the relevant criteria, including having the offer of an eligible job role meeting the minimum skill and salary requirements from a UK sponsor.

If a young person is looking to switch into a different visa category under the rules, they should seek expert advice from an immigration specialist to explore all their options. Equally, if their application for a youth mobility visa is refused, they should again secure expert advice, as they may be able to seek an administrative review of that decision.

J & S Law Firm are experienced UK immigration specialists offering guidance and support to individuals in relation to their UK immigration status and making Home Office applications. We can advise on the eligibility criteria you will need to evidence and the process you will need to follow for your application. With over decades of experience, we always provide rock-solid support to our clients and help them achieve their goal efficiently and smoothly.