UK Youth Mobility Scheme

What the Youth Mobility Scheme visa is

The Youth Mobility Scheme is an unsponsored route that lets eligible young people experience living and working in the UK for up to two years. Unlike the Skilled Worker route, applicants do not need a job offer, an employer sponsor or a minimum salary.

Once granted, holders can enter and leave the UK freely for the duration of the visa. It is designed as a temporary cultural and working-holiday route rather than a path to permanent residence.

Who can apply (nationality and age)

Eligibility depends on where you are from and how old you are. Applicants must fall within the correct age range for their nationality on the date they apply.

Applicants aged 18 to 35 can apply if they are citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or South Korea.

Applicants aged 18 to 30 can apply if they are from Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino or Uruguay, or if they hold British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen, or British national (overseas) status.

Hong Kong (SAR passport holders) and Taiwan nationals are also eligible in the 18 to 30 range, but only through the ballot (see below).

• 18 to 35: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea
• 18 to 30: Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, Uruguay
• 18 to 30: British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens, British nationals (overseas)
• 18 to 30 via ballot: Hong Kong, Taiwan
• Indian nationals apply through the India Young Professionals Scheme instead

The ballot (Hong Kong and Taiwan)

Applicants from Hong Kong and Taiwan cannot apply directly. Places are limited, so they must first enter a ballot — a random selection process that runs at set times during the year. Entering the ballot is free.

Only applicants who are selected in the ballot are then invited to make a full visa application, which they must do within a set period after selection. Being selected does not guarantee a visa — applicants must still meet all the eligibility requirements.

Eligibility requirements

In addition to meeting the nationality and age rules, applicants must:

• Have at least £2,530 in savings, held in your account for at least 28 consecutive days (day 28 must be within 31 days of applying)
• Not have any children under 18 who live with you or whom you are financially responsible for
• Not have previously been in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme

Costs

Applicants need to budget for three main costs: the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), and the required savings.

The application fee is £340. The IHS gives access to the NHS and is charged at £776 per year of the visa — so a two-year visa means around £1,552 in IHS. On top of these, applicants must show they hold at least £2,530 in savings; this is money you must have, not a fee you pay.

• Application fee: £340
• Immigration Health Surcharge: £776 per year
• Savings you must show: £2,530

What you can and cannot do

The route is deliberately flexible about work, but has some limits.

• You can work in most jobs and study
• You can be self-employed, provided your premises are rented, your equipment is worth under £5,000, and you employ no staff
• You cannot work as a professional sportsperson (including as a coach)
• You cannot claim most public funds (benefits)
• You cannot bring dependants on this visa — partners and children must qualify in their own right

How to apply

Applicants apply online. You can apply from up to 6 months before you intend to travel to the UK. As part of the process you must prove your identity and provide supporting documents — this is done either using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or by attending a visa application centre to give fingerprints and a photograph.

Hong Kong and Taiwan applicants must first be selected in the ballot before they can make this application.

Documents you must provide

• A valid passport or other travel document showing your nationality
• Bank statements proving you have held at least £2,530 for 28 consecutive days
• For some nationalities, evidence of a tuberculosis (TB) test result if you live in a country where the test is required

Processing time

A decision is usually made within 3 weeks of attending your appointment or completing identity verification. Apply in good time before your intended travel date.

Extending your visa

Most YMS visas cannot be extended. The exception is citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, who can apply once to extend for a further year — taking their total stay to up to three years.

To extend, you must be in the UK with a valid Youth Mobility Scheme visa, and you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is being decided. Apply no more than 28 days before your current visa expires. The extension costs the same £340 fee plus £776 IHS, and a decision usually takes up to 8 weeks.

Settlement and switching

The Youth Mobility Scheme does not count towards settlement (indefinite leave to remain), and you cannot switch into it from inside the UK — you must apply from outside the UK.

To stay longer term, holders would normally need to qualify for and switch into another route, such as the Skilled Worker visa, if they meet its separate requirements (including sponsorship and salary thresholds).