Youth Mobility Scheme is a new immigration route for young adults from different countries who intend to experience life and culture in the United Kingdom. It is a scheme in which an applicant aged 18-30 can stay and work in the UK for a good 2 years of the period. It has replaced the existing route T5 (Temporary Worker), and applicants can start applying for this visa program.
Recently, the UK greenlighted 3,000 Visas for Indian nationals confirming the UK India Young Professions scheme. The scheme will allow 18-30 years old graduated Indian citizens to participate in a professional and cultural exchange. The confirmation came hours after PM Modi and Rishi Sunak’s brief meeting, making India the first visa-national country benefitting from the scheme.
Indian applicants are now eligible to apply for the visa. Applicants can start forwarding their applications, and the decision will be made according to the Immigration Rules enforced on 31 December 2021.
Immigrants under this route can seek employment during this tenure and work without sponsorship. Certain limitations to this route are that immigrants cannot bring in their dependents along with them. They’ll have to apply separately. Within 2 years, they can get a sponsorship for Skilled Worker Visa and switch the route.
Before applying, check the requirements of the documents. The applicants will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application. Check how much to pay before applying.
The applicants applying for the visa from outside the UK must apply online. As part of the application, applicants are required to prove their identity. This depends on where they’re from and their passport type.
The applicants will have their fingerprints and photographs taken at a visa application centre. This is to get a biometric residence permit. The applicants will have to use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document - you’ll also create or sign in to their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.
The applicants will be told what they need to do when they apply.
In case of an appointment, the centre may need to keep the passport and documents while they process the application. The applicants may have to travel to their nearest visa application centre (this could be in another country).
If the applicants have a child while they’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizens.
They can apply online for their visa as dependents on the applicants. The applicants must do this if they want to travel in and out of the UK with their child.
It is also necessary to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.
Every year the UK home office allocates a certain amount of migrants allowed to travel from migrating countries. Below is the number of migrants from the participating countries and territories allowed under the Youth Mobility Scheme.
Location | Number of Migrants |
---|---|
Australia | 30,000 Migrants |
Canada | 6,000 Migrants |
Hong Kong | 1,000 Migrants |
Iceland | 1,000 Migrants |
India | 3,000 Migrants |
Japan | 1,500 Migrants |
Monaco | 1,000 Migrants |
New Zealand | 13,000 Migrants |
Republic of Korea | 1,000 Migrants |
San Marino | 1,000 Migrants |
Taiwan | 1,000 Migrants |
Applicant cannot request an admin review if the visa is refused under Youth Mobility Scheme.
An applicant is allowed to switch to another immigration route such as Skilled Worker Visa and Start Up route before his/her Youth Mobility Scheme visa (T5) expires. Within the UK.