Youth Mobility Scheme Visa

In addition to being from a country that participates in the scheme (or having a certain type of British nationality required), YMS applicants must also meet the following requirements:

• Be between the ages of 18-30 at the time of the application
  • If you’re from New Zealand, you can be aged 18-35 and be eligible. Australians aged between 18-35 will also be eligible from 31 January 2024.
• Have at least £2,530 in savings to support yourself while in the UK (these funds must in your bank account for at least 28 consecutive days within the 31 days of application submission)

It should be noted that applicants who have children under 18 who live with and/or are financially dependent on the applicant are not eligible for the YMS. Furthermore, applicants who entered the UK on the scheme before will not be eligible to apply again.

Hong Kong, Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese nationals will need to be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme Ballot system before they can apply for a YMS visa.

To participate in the ballot system, prospective applicants must send an email written in English to the designated Home Office email address specific to their foreign country. In this email. applicants must include their name, date of birth, and passport number in the subject line. The format should be as follows:

Surname, First (given) name – DD/MM/YYYY (for date of birth) – passport number

The body of the email should contain the applicant’s full name, date of birth, passport number, and mobile number. Ballot systems are usually open in January and July of each year. Most applicants are chosen early in January but there is a second lottery in July where the remaining applicants are selected. The ballot system is open for 48 hours at a time and applicants must email during this window period in order to enter.

If your ballot is chosen, you will receive an email informing you that you have been selected. If your ballot has not been chosen, you will receive an email within 2 weeks of the ballot system closing informing you that you have not been selected. However, you may choose to try again next time provided you still meet the eligibility requirements.

If your ballot is selected and you have been given an ‘Invitation to Apply’, you will have 30 days to submit your YMS visa application online and pay the necessary fees. After that, you will have 90 days to book an appointment at the nearest visa application center where you will have biometric information (a photograph and fingerprints) collected.

After biometrics have been submitted, applicants will receive a decision on their application within 30 days. If the application is approved, visa holders will be granted entry clearance and will have 90 days to enter the UK. Visa holders who can not enter during this 90-day period will need to apply for an extension.

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and have been selected in the ballot system (if applicable) can apply for their YMS visa online within 6 months of their intended date of visit to the UK. Like other UK visas, the YMS visa can be applied for online through the gov.uk website.

In the online application form, applicants will be asked to fill out the corresponding application form, upload relevant documents, and pay the application fee. Then the applicant will be asked to submit biometric information (a photograph and fingerprints) at their nearest UK visa application center in their country of residence.

Once everything is submitted, the application will be processed within 3 weeks. After which, if approved the visa holder will be able to travel to the UK. If not approved, the visa applicant will receive a letter detailing the reasons for refusal.

When applying for a YMS visa, applicants will need to submit the following documents:

• A valid passport or another valid travel document
• An ‘Invitation to Apply’ (if you are from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan)
• A recent bank statement showing you have at least £2,530 in savings
• Tuberculosis (TB) test results (if you are applying from a country where this is necessary)
• Other documents that are a country-specific requirement (ex. Police clearance certificate, etc)

Applying for a YMS Visa will involve the following costs:

• YMS Visa application fee: £259
• Immigration Health charge: this fee will be calculated as £470 per year of intended stay in the UK

Furthermore, all applicants must have at least £2,530 in their bank account for at least 28 consecutive days prior to submitting their application.

Applications for the YMS visa must be made online outside of the UK. After the visa applicant has applied, proven their identity, and submitted the necessary documents, the applicant will be processed. Most visa applications will be processed within 3 weeks provided that the application is not missing any important documents or information.

If you would like to apply for Youth Mobility Scheme but are a little overwhelmed at the visa application, then were are here to help. Our team of expert immigration professionals at IAS keeps update-to-date with the latest changes in the UK immigration system. We can help guide you through the application process and assess your eligibility for the YMS visa or other visa categories that you might want to consider.

In addition, we will check your documents and make sure that you submit an application completed to the highest standard. Call us today at +1 844 290 6312 to learn more about the services we provide or contact us online to get in touch.