Youth mobility
Scheme visa

To apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you must:

• Be aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35, depending on where you are from.
• Be from a participating country (you may also be eligible if you have certain types of British nationality).
• Have £2,530 in savings.

You cannot apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa if:

• You have children under the age of 18 who live with you.
• You have children you’re financially responsible for.
• You have already been in the UK under the scheme (although certain applicants may be able to extend this visa).

Citizens of the following countries can apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa if they are aged 18 to 35:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• South Korea

Citizens of the following countries can apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa if they are aged 18 to 30:

• Andorra
• Iceland
• Japan
• Monaco
• South Marino
• Uruguay.

Young people aged 18 to 30 from Hong Kong and Taiwan must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before they can apply for a visa.

You can also apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa if you are aged 18 to 30 and you are a British Overseas Citizen, a British Overseas Territories Citizen or a British National (Overseas).

When you apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you’ll need to have enough money to:

• Pay the visa application fee – It costs £298 to apply
• Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) – The IHS costs £776 per year for Youth Mobility Scheme applicants
• Support yourself in the UK – You will need to show that you have at least £2,530 in savings.

You must apply online for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

As part of your application, you will need to prove your identity and provide your supporting documents. You can do this by:

• Attending an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC)
• Using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, if you are eligible.

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

A Youth Mobility Scheme visa is valid for 24 months.

If you are from Australia, Canada or New Zealand, you will be able to extend your visa by one year after the initial two-year period ends.

With a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you can:

• Work in most jobs.
• Study.
• Be self-employed and set up a company (as long as you do not have any employees, your premises are rented and your equipment is not worth more than £5,000).

You cannot:

• Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.
• Access public funds (benefits).
• Bring in family members on your application.

At Smith Stone Walters, our qualified immigration advisors are experienced in assisting  with all types of UK visa applications. If you want to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, our team can assess your eligibility and provide practical support with the visa application process.

To find out how we can help, please contact us today.