3,000 UK visas on offer
under India Young
Professionals
Scheme

20 February 2024

The UK government has opened the doors for thousands of young Indian nationals to come to the UK under the India Young Professionals Scheme.

The first ballot of the year is now open and will close at 2:30pm India Standard Time on 22 February 2024. Eligible Indian citizens can enter at any time while the ballot is open.

There are 3,000 places available for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa in 2024. Most places will be made available in the February ballot. The remaining places will be made available in a second ballot due to take place in July.

What is the India Young Professionals Scheme?

An India Young Professionals Scheme visa allows Indian citizens between 18 and 30 years old to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years.

You must be selected in the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot before you can apply for this visa. To enter the ballot, you must declare that you’re eligible for the visa.

To be eligible for an India Young Professionals Scheme visa, you must:

  • Be an Indian citizen.
  • Be aged between 18 and 30 years old.
  • Have an eligible qualification at bachelor’s degree level or above (Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, 7 or 8).
  • Have £2,530 in savings to support yourself in the UK.
  • Not have any children under the age of 18 who live with you or who you’re financially responsible for.

How to enter the ballot

You must enter the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot online, on the GOV.UK website here.

It’s free to enter the ballot, but you should only enter if you plan to apply for the visa, which costs £298, and are able to meet the financial, educational and other requirements. You can check if you are eligible before applying.

When you apply, you will be asked to provide the following details:

  • Your name
  • Your date of birth
  • Your passport details
  • A scan or photo of your passport
  • Your phone number
  • Your email address.

You can only submit one entry per person for each ballot. Any further attempts to enter will not be counted.

The successful entries will be picked at random. You will be sent the results by email within 2 weeks of the ballot closing.

If you’re successful in the ballot

If you are successful in the ballot, you will receive an invitation to apply for the visa.

You’ll need to apply for your visa by the deadline given in your invitation to apply. This is usually 30 days after you get the invitation. You must travel to the UK within 6 months of applying for your visa.

If your India Young Professionals Scheme visa is granted, you’ll be able to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months.

If you’re unsuccessful in the ballot

The results of the ballot are final, and you cannot appeal if you are unsuccessful. However, you can enter future ballots if you are unsuccessful this time.

Keep up to date with UK immigration

To learn more about UK immigration and receive regular updates to your inbox, please sign up to Smith Stone Walters’ free immigration news service here. Or to discuss a specific immigration query with a qualified immigration consultant, please contact us today.

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