Youth Mobility Scheme visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Youth Mobility Scheme visa
Stay	Up to 24 months; extensions for select nationalities
Cost	£340 application fee plus healthcare surcharge
Healthcare surcharge	Usually £776 per year
Eligibility timing	Apply up to 6 months before travel
Work rights	Allowed in most jobs; restricted self-employment permitted
Study	Permitted; ATAS certificate required for some courses
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Enter, leave, and return anytime while valid
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Family members cannot join on main application
Visa record	Ineligible if previously in UK under scheme
Financial requirement	At least £2,530 held for 28 days
Processing time	Usually 3 weeks

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Purpose

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa allows eligible young adults to live, work, and study in the UK for up to 2 years (24 months).

Eligibility

Nationality and Age Requirements

• Aged 18 to 35: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Korea.
• Aged 18 to 30: Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, and Uruguay.
• Aged 18 to 30 (Ballot required): Hong Kong (SAR passport holders) and Taiwan. You must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before applying.
• Aged 18 to 30 (British Nationalities): British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens, and British nationals (overseas).

Age Timing: You must be aged 18 or over when your visa starts, or 30/35 or under when you apply. You can apply before turning 18, and you can turn 31 (or 36) after your visa is issued.

Note for Indian Nationals: Indian citizens must apply under the separate India Young Professionals Scheme visa.

Financial Requirement

• You must have at least £2,530 in personal savings in your bank account.
• Funds must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, with Day 28 falling within 31 days of applying.

Ineligibility Criteria

You cannot apply if you:

• Have children under 18 who live with you.
• Have children you are financially responsible for.
• Have already been in the UK under the Youth Mobility Scheme.

Visa Stay and Extensions

• Standard Stay: Up to 24 months. You may enter, exit, and re-enter the UK at any time while the visa is valid.
• Extensions: Only citizens of Australia, Canada, or New Zealand can extend their stay.
  • Duration: 1 additional year (can only extend once).
  • Requirements: Must be living in the UK with a valid Youth Mobility Scheme visa and apply online no more than 28 days before the current visa expires.
  • Extension Costs: £340 application fee + £776 immigration health surcharge.
  • Extension Processing: Usually takes within 8 weeks. You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man while awaiting a decision.

Costs

• Application Fee: £340.
• Immigration Health Surcharge: Usually £776 per year of stay.

Rights and Conditions

What You Can Do

• Work: Permitted in most jobs.
• Self-Employment: Allowed to be self-employed and set up a company only if premises are rented, equipment is valued at £5,000 or less, and you employ no staff.
• Study: Permitted (an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate is required for certain courses).

What You Cannot Do

• Work as a professional sportsperson (including coaching).
• Access public funds.
• Bring family members on your application.
• Extend your visa (unless from Australia, Canada, or New Zealand).

Family Provisions

• Family members cannot be included on your application; they must apply independently.
• Children Born in the UK: Do not automatically acquire British citizenship. If you intend to travel in and out of the UK with your child, you must apply online for a visa for them as your dependant and provide a full UK birth certificate naming both parents.

Required Documents

• A valid passport or official identity/nationality document.
• Bank statements proving at least £2,530 in savings held for 28 consecutive days.
• Tuberculosis (TB) test results (if applying from a country requiring testing).
• Certified translations for any documents not in English or Welsh.

Specific Country Documents

• Andorra: Certificate of criminal records issued less than 6 months before applying.
• Hong Kong / Taiwan: Official Home Office email confirming selection in the ballot.
• Iceland: Icelandic criminal certificate for private use (Sakavottorð) issued less than 6 months before applying.
• San Marino: Letter of suitability from the Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs issued less than 6 months before applying.
• Uruguay: Judicial records certificate (Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales) issued less than 6 months before applying.

How to Apply

1. Timing: Apply online from outside the UK no earlier than 6 months before your intended travel date.
2. Identity Verification: Complete the identity check by either:
   • Scanning your document using the UK Immigration: ID Check app and creating/logging into a UKVI account, or
   • Attending an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to submit biometrics (photo and fingerprints).
3. Decision Time: Standard processing usually takes within 3 weeks after submitting documents and proving identity. Priority/faster decision services may be available for an added fee.