Are you looking for a UK visa program that will allow you immigrate and work temporarily (for up to 2 years) in the United Kingdom (UK) without any job offer or sponsorship? The UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Program is one of the ways you can easily achieve your dream. But first, you need to ensure your country of origin is among the participating countries and territories. In this article, you will learn all about the UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Program, how it works, participating countries/territories and their quotas, the required documents for the visa application, and how to apply for the program.
What is the UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Program?
Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa meant for young adults from participating countries and territories, who wish to visit the UK, live temporarily and work for not more than 2 years.
Only citizens of the following countries and territories can apply for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa: Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Iceland, San Marino, Republic of Korea and Taiwan, or British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories citizen or a British national (overseas).
NOTE:
- Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years.
- To be eligible as a citizen of India, you must hold an educational qualification equal to or above RQF level 6 or have at least 3 years professional work experience in any of the occupations or work fields listed in this guide.
- You cannot apply for this visa if you have children under the age of 18 year who live with you, or who financially depend on you.
- If you have already been in the UK under the scheme in the past, you cannot apply again.
- You must have at least £2,530 in your bank account which you have held for a 28 days period within 31 days before your visa application. This is to prove that you can support yourself in the UK.
- You must have taken the tuberculosis test, if required.
- Also, you need to have paid the visa application fee and the immigration health surcharge, and also provide the required biometric information.
Youth Mobility Scheme Quotas for Participating Countries/ Territories
Every year, there are quotas on the number of places available on the Youth Mobility Scheme for the various participating countries. Below are the allocation of places for the year 2022:
- Australia: 30,000 places
- Canada: 6,000 places
- Japan: 1,500 places
- Monaco: 1,000 places
- Taiwan: 1,000 places
- New Zealand: 13,000 places
- San Marino: 1,000 places
- Hong Kong: 1,000 places
- Republic of Korea: 1,000 places
- Iceland: 1,000 places
- India: 3,000 places
NOTE: There is no quota on the number of places for qualifying British Overseas citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens or British National (Overseas) citizens.
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Required Documents for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Application
Here are some of the required documents you need to provide:
- Proof of Identity and Nationality: A valid passport or other documents to prove your identity and nationality. Also note that you will need a blank page in your passport for your visa.
- Proof of your Ability to Support yourself Financially: A bank statement to prove that you have at least £2,530 in savings.
- For Countries where Tuberculosis Test Result is needed: Provide tuberculosis (TB) test results. You can see a list of countries where a TB test is required for UK visa application. For more details on Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants, check out this guide.
- If you are a citizen of Hong Kong, Japan, the Republic of Korea or Taiwan, you must provide a valid email from the Home Office which confirms that you were successful in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot. For more details, check out this guide, Youth Mobility Scheme Visa: Ballot System.
- If you are from San Marino, you must provide a letter from the directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs of San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs. The letter must confirm that you are suitable to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa. Also, the letter must be less than 6 months old from the date you applied for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.
- And if you are from Iceland, you must provide an Icelandic Criminal Certificate for Private Use, also called a Sakavottorð. And the letter must be less than 6 months old from the date you applied for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.
NOTE: If the contents of any of the required documents is not in English or Welsh, you need to provide a certified translation of the document. For more details, check out this guide: Certifying a Document.
How to Apply for the UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa
Note that this visa type is meant for young adults between the ages of 18 and 30, and is mostly meant for British aliens who are outside UK, except few qualifying British citizens from some specific areas as explained previously. So most of the applicants are applying from outside UK, and the application must be done online.
Also, during the application, you will be required to prove your identity. Depending on your nationality and the type of passport you have, there are 2 main options.
- Option 1 is to capture your fingerprints and photograph at the visa application center, so that you can get a biometric permit. To learn more, check out this guide: Finding a Visa Application Centre.
- Option 2 is to scan your identity documents with the “UK Immigration: ID Check” app. For this option, you will need to create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.
Other required details will be made known to you when you apply. For more details, check out this guide: Applying for Youth Mobility Scheme Visa.
For more details, check out these guides: UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Guide and UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Program.
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Conclusion
You have now learnt all about the UK Youth Mobility Visa program, the participating countries/territories and their quotas, required documents for the visa application, and the step by step guide on how to apply for the visa. You can now go ahead and apply for one if your country is eligible for the visa application.
