Temporary work · IAA-regulated advice
UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Live and work in the UK for up to 2 years, with no job offer or sponsor, if you’re a young national of a participating country. We check you qualify, review your evidence and prepare your application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is the UK Youth Mobility Scheme visa?
The Youth Mobility Scheme lets young people from participating countries and territories live in the UK for up to 2 years. You can work in most jobs, study, and be self-employed within limits. You don’t need a job offer or a sponsor.
It’s set out in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme of the Immigration Rules. Each country has a yearly quota of places, and applicants from Hong Kong, Taiwan and India must be picked in a ballot first. You apply from outside the UK, you can use the scheme only once, and it doesn’t lead to settlement.
✓This is your visa if…
- You’re from a participating country or territory, or you’re a British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen or British national (overseas)
- You’re 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 if you’re from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or South Korea
- You have £2,530 in savings and no children under 18 who live with you or depend on you
- You haven’t been in the UK on the scheme before
→Look at another route if…
Quick check
Could you qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Are you from a participating country or territory, or a British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen or British national (overseas)?Andorra, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea, Taiwan or Uruguay.
Will you be 30 or under on the day you apply, and 18 or over by the time your visa starts?The upper limit is 35 if you’re from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or South Korea.
If you’re from Hong Kong, Taiwan or India, have you been picked in the ballot?Answer yes if no ballot applies to you.
Have you had at least £2,530 in your bank account for 28 days in a row?The 28th day must be within 31 days of the day you apply.
Is this your first time on the Youth Mobility Scheme?The India Young Professionals Scheme counts too.
Are you free of children under 18 who live with you or depend on you financially?
Eligibility
Youth Mobility Scheme requirements
You must meet every requirement on the day you apply. Some depend on where you’re from.
Nationality and the ballot
- Apply directly if you’re from Andorra, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea or Uruguay
- British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) can also apply, with no ballot
- Hong Kong (with an SAR passport) and Taiwan: you must be picked in the ballot first, then apply within 90 days
- India: the India Young Professionals Scheme has its own ballot, and you need a degree-level qualification (RQF level 6 or above) and a police certificate
Each country has a yearly quota. For 2026, for example, Australia has 38,500 places, Japan 6,000 and Hong Kong and Taiwan 1,000 each.
Age limits
- Your age is checked on the day you apply, so you can apply at 30 (or 35) and travel after your birthday
- You must be 18 by the date your visa starts, but you can apply before your 18th birthday
- If you turn 31 after your visa is issued, you can stay for as long as it’s valid
You can apply up to 6 months before you travel, so plan around your birthday.
Savings
- The money must be in an account in your name that you can access immediately
- Overdrafts, shares and credit cards don’t count
- You can’t claim public funds (most benefits) on this visa
You don’t pay the savings to anyone: they show you can support yourself when you arrive.
Your circumstances and history
- No children under 18 who live with you or depend on you financially
- You haven’t been in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme before
- Your immigration history and any criminal record are checked for suitability
- A TB test is needed if you’re applying from a listed country
- From Andorra, Iceland or Uruguay you need a criminal records certificate, and from San Marino a letter from its foreign affairs department, issued no more than 6 months before you apply
There’s no English language requirement on this route.
What you can and can’t do
- Work in most jobs, for any employer, without a sponsor
- No work as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach
- Self-employment only if you have no employees, no business premises you own (other than your home) and equipment worth no more than £5,000
- Study is allowed, though some courses need an ATAS certificate
- No public funds, no dependants, and no route to settlement
Your partner can’t come as your dependant. They need a visa of their own.
Documents
Youth Mobility Scheme documents: the easy part
The list is short. Refusals usually come from savings evidence that falls short, or a certificate that’s missing or out of date.
What everyone needs
- Your passport or other identity document
- £Bank statements showing your savings
- Your ballot invitation, if you’re from Hong Kong, Taiwan or India
- A criminal records certificate or letter, if your country requires one
- Proof of your degree-level qualification, if you’re from India
- A TB test certificate, if you’re applying from a listed country
Plus certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Youth Mobility Scheme cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £340, plus the health surcharge of £1,552 for a 2-year visa. Most decisions are made within 3 weeks of proving your identity.
Applying from outside the UK
| Home Office application fee | £340 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge2 years at £776 | £1,552 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore TB test, certificates and translations | £1,892 |
Home Office fee from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and Immigration Health Surcharge from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. Your £2,530 savings are not a fee. Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders who extend pay £340 plus £776 for the extra year. Our consultation fees →
Ballot, if it applies
Hong Kong, Taiwan and IndiaEnter the free ballot when it opens. In 2026 the ballots ran in February and July. If you’re picked, you have 90 days to apply.
Apply and prove your identity
Up to 6 months before you travelOnline application, fee and surcharge paid, then either the ID check app or fingerprints and photo at a visa centre.
Decision
Usually within 3 weeksYou’ll be told if it will take longer, for example if documents need checking.
Live and work in the UK
Up to 2 yearsEnter at any time while your visa is valid, and come and go as you like during your stay.
Extend or switch
Before your visa endsAustralians, Canadians and New Zealanders can extend once for a year. Anyone can apply to switch to a Skilled Worker visa if they qualify.
Avoid a refusal
Common Youth Mobility Scheme refusal reasons
The requirements look simple, which is why small mistakes catch people out. These are the issues we check first.
Savings not held long enough
You must hold £2,530 for 28 days in a row, ending no more than 31 days before you apply. One day below that amount breaks the 28 days.
We check: your statements cover the full period before you pay the fee.
Missing the ballot deadline
From Hong Kong, Taiwan or India, you can apply only with a ballot invitation, and within 90 days of it.
We check: your invitation and deadline, and plan your documents around it.
Applying after your birthday
Age is checked on the day you apply. If you apply after turning 31 (or 36 for the four older-limit countries), you no longer qualify.
We check: your cut-off date and the best time to apply.
A child who depends on you
You can’t apply if you have a child under 18 who lives with you or relies on you financially.
We check: how the rule applies to your family before you apply.
Out-of-date certificates
Applicants from Andorra, Iceland, San Marino, Uruguay and India need a certificate or letter issued no more than 6 months before they apply.
We check: every country-specific document and its date.
A previous stay or refusal
You can’t use the scheme twice. Past overstaying, refusals or convictions can lead to a refusal on suitability grounds.
We check: your history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
How we help
Our Youth Mobility Scheme services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check your nationality, age and timing, and whether a ballot or country certificate applies to you.
Evidence review
We check your savings evidence, certificates and immigration history against the Rules.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with a cover letter that sets out how you qualify.
Extend or switch
We help Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders extend, and anyone who qualifies switch to a Skilled Worker visa.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused, we explain your options, including administrative review, and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser where your case needs a higher level of advice.
FAQs
Youth Mobility Scheme questions, answered
Do I need a job offer to apply?
No. You don’t need a job offer or a sponsor. Once you’re here you can work in most jobs, for any employer, and change jobs as you like.
Can I extend my Youth Mobility visa?
Only if you’re Australian, Canadian or a New Zealander. You can extend once, from inside the UK, for one more year, giving 3 years in total. Apply no more than 28 days before your visa ends; the fee is £340 plus a £776 health surcharge.
Can I switch to a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, if you meet the Skilled Worker requirements, including a job offer from a licensed sponsor at the right skill level and salary. You can apply from inside the UK while your Youth Mobility visa is still valid.
Can my partner or children come with me?
No. You can’t bring dependants on this route, and you can’t apply at all if you have a child under 18 who lives with you or depends on you financially. Your partner would need a visa of their own, for example their own Youth Mobility visa if they qualify.
What if I turn 31 before I travel?
Your age is checked on the day you apply, so you can apply at 30 and travel after your birthday. If you turn 31 after your visa is issued, you can stay for as long as it’s valid. The limit is 35 for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea.
Can I be self-employed or start a business?
Yes, within limits. You can’t have employees or own business premises other than your home, and your equipment must be worth no more than £5,000. You can set up a company on the same terms.
I had a Youth Mobility visa before. Can I apply again?
No. If you’ve already spent time in the UK on the scheme, you can’t apply again, even if you left early. The same applies to the India Young Professionals Scheme.
When can I apply, and how long does it take?
You can apply up to 6 months before you travel. After you’ve applied and proved your identity, you’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks. If you need a ballot invitation, you must apply within 90 days of receiving it.
Related routes
Other routes to work in the UK
High Potential Individual visa
Graduated from a top global university in the last 5 years.
Read more →Skilled Worker visa
A sponsored job, and a route to settlement.
Read more →Seasonal Worker visa
Up to 6 months’ farm work through a scheme operator.
Read more →Student visa
Study at a licensed UK college or university.
Read more →Ready when you are
Adventure, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.