Youth Mobility Scheme visa

Conditions you must meet

• You cannot apply if you have children living with you, or children you support financiallyAn outright bar, and the financial-responsibility limb catches people whose children do not live with them.

  You cannot apply if you have: children under the age of 18 who live with you children you’re financially responsible for already been in the UK under the scheme

• GBP 2,530 in your account, held 28 consecutive days, with day 28 within 31 days of applyingGBP 2,530 savingsTHE MOST MISSABLE RULE ON THIS ROUTE. The amount is the easy half. The 28-day holding period and the 31-day deadline leave a three-day window between satisfying the rule and the evidence going stale.

  You must have at least £2,530 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK. You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.

• Certified translations for anything not in English or Welsh

  You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.

• You can apply at most 6 months before you travelA ceiling, not a lead time. Combined with the 31-day savings deadline it defines a fairly narrow window in which an application can be both early enough and evidenced.

  The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you travel.

• No professional sport, no public funds, and family must apply separately

  You cannot: work as a professional sportsperson (for example as a coach) extend your stay unless you’re from Australia, Canada or New Zealand get public funds bring in family members on your application - they must apply separately

Documents you must provide

• A valid passport or other document showing identity and nationality

  When you apply you’ll need to provide: a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality a bank statement showing you have at least £2,530 in savings

Government fees

• Application fee: GBP 340GBP 340

  Application fee The application fee is £340.

• Immigration health surcharge: usually GBP 776 per yearGBP 776 per yearPayable on top of the fee and for the whole visa length, so a two-year visa carries roughly GBP 1,552 of surcharge against a GBP 340 fee. GOV.UK writes 'usually', so the figure is stored as the stated one rather than as a certainty.

  pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £776 per year

Also stated by the authority

Not requirements in themselves. These are alternatives, exemptions, rights and warnings the authority publishes alongside the requirements — quoted here because they can change what applies to you.

• Aged 18 to 35 if you are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or South KoreaRead the two halves separately: 18 or over when the visa STARTS, 35 or under when you APPLY. You may therefore apply before turning 18, and be over 35 by the time it begins.

  You can apply for the visa if you’re aged 18 to 35 and from: Australia Canada New Zealand South Korea You must be aged 18 or over when your visa starts, or 35 or under when you apply for it. You can apply for your visa before you turn 18 and you can be over 35 when it starts.

• Aged 18 to 30 if you are from Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino or UruguayThe same two-part age test, five years lower. British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) fall in this band too.

  You can apply for the visa if you’re aged 18 to 30 and from: Andorra Iceland Japan Monaco San Marino Uruguay

• Certain British nationalities qualify in the 18-to-30 band

  You can also apply if you’re aged 18 to 30 and you’re a: British overseas citizen British overseas territories citizen British national (overseas) You must be aged 18 or over when your visa starts, or 30 or under when you apply for it.

• Hong Kong (SAR passport) and Taiwan applicants must first win the ballotA gate before the application exists, not a document within it. Someone who has not entered the ballot cannot apply at all, whatever else they satisfy.

  You must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before you can apply for your visa if you’re from: Hong Kong, if you have an SAR passport Taiwan

• Indian nationals use a different scheme

  If you’re from India There’s a different scheme for Indian nationals. Check if you’re eligible for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa.

• Tuberculosis test results, if you are from a country where the test is required

  your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test

• Andorra, Iceland and Uruguay: a criminal-records certificate less than 6 months oldEach state's own document, named by GOV.UK in its own language — the Icelandic sakavottorð, the Uruguayan certificado de antecedentes judiciales. All three carry the same six-month freshness limit, which is short enough to expire during a slow application.

  If you’re from Andorra You must provide an Andorran certificate of criminal records. It must have been issued less than 6 months before you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

• San Marino: a suitability letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs, under 6 months old

  If you’re from San Marino You must provide a letter from the Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs. The letter must: confirm that you’re suitable for the Youth Mobility Scheme have been issued less than 6 months before you apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa

• Hong Kong and Taiwan: the Home Office email confirming you won the ballot

  If you’re from Hong Kong or Taiwan You must provide a valid email from the Home Office confirming you were successful in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot.

• A decision usually comes within 3 weeks of applying, proving identity and providing documents

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

• Up to 24 months, and turning 31 after issue does not shorten itAustralian, Canadian and New Zealand nationals can extend by a further year; nobody else can.

  You’ll be given a visa to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months. You can enter the UK at any time while your visa is valid, and leave and come back at any time during your stay. If you turn 31 after your visa is issued, you can stay in the UK for as long as your visa is valid.

• Self-employment is allowed within three specific limitsGBP 5,000 maximum equipment valueRented premises, equipment worth no more than GBP 5,000, and no employees. Unusually permissive for a temporary route, and unusually specific — worth storing because it is a real business plan constraint rather than a formality.

  be self-employed and set up a company - as long as your premises are rented, your equipment is not worth more than £5,000 and you do not have any employees