Youth Mobility Scheme Visa Application Information

The UK Tier 5 visas allow people to come and work in the country in certain circumstances. These include charity workers, diplomatic staff, sportspersons and entertainers. Applicants for this category of visa require a job offer from a licensed sponsor. This category of visas also includes the Youth Mobility Scheme visa which allows people from certain countries to enter the United Kingdom even without a job offer.

The Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme allows sponsored young people between the ages of 18 and 30 from certain countries to come, live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum period of two years.

Rapid-visas.co.uk has a team of immigration experts who can guide people aspiring to go and work in the UK without a confirmed job offer. Our experts can help you check your eligibility to apply for this category of visas besides preparing your applications, ensuring that all the essential documents are in place. For any queries or doubts about your eligibility for the Youth Mobility Scheme for going to the UK, you can get in touch with us at 0207 043 2167 or send an email to info@rapid-visas.co.uk.

The option of allowing youth between 18 and 30 of different countries to enter and work in the UK without a confirmed job offer is available to nationals of only a few countries. These participating countries are:

• Australia
• Japan
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Monaco
• Republic of Korea
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan

Nationals of the last three countries in the list are chosen for this scheme from a yearly lottery of available visas. In addition to nationals of the above countries, British overseas citizens or citizens of the British Overseas Territories or British nationals residing overseas are eligible for this scheme and do not require a sponsor.

How Many Points Do I Require for the Grant of My Youth Mobility Visa?

As per the UK Immigration’s new points based system, an application is required to have 50 points besides meeting all the requirements for the Tier 5 visa category for the grant of a Youth Mobility Scheme visa. People who meet the nationality requirement are granted 30 points with another 10 points assigned to the ones who meet the age requirement with another 10 points allocated for meeting the maintenance requirement. However, applicants from Hong Kong and Korea are required to have a Certificate of Sponsorship for this category of visas.

When Can I Apply for This Visa?

Applications for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa can be made online six months prior to your travel date. You are also required to provide your biometric information including fingerprints and photograph as part of the application process. The UK Home Office generally takes three weeks to process the visa applications under this category.

What Does a Youth Mobility Visa Entitle Me To?

The Youth Mobility Visa allows the holder to live and work in the United Kingdom for up to 24 months. The holder can also enter and leave the country any time during the duration of the visa. Holders of this visa can:

• Study but enrolment in certain courses will require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Certificate.
• Seek employment in most job categories.
• Be self employed and have established a company. However, the premises for the business needs to be rented and the value of the equipment needs to be less than £5,000. You are required to not have employed anyone in your business.

A Youth Mobility Visa Applicant Cannot Do Certain Things. What Are They?

A Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa applicant cannot:

• Bring his dependent children into the country
• Be living in the country at the time of the application.
• Not have come to the UK under this scheme previously or in the former category of Working Holidaymaker.

What is the Requirement of Funds for Applying for a Youth Mobility Visa?

The applicants of a youth visa need to have a minimum of £1890 in savings. Holder of this visa does not have access to UK public funds.

What Happens If My Youth Mobility Visa Expires?

The Youth Mobility Scheme visa or YMS visa allows a holder to stay in the UK for a maximum of two years and is not renewable. If you wish to stay in the country even after the expiry of your Youth Mobility Visa, you will have to apply via other routes. Possible options include:

• Tier 2 Visa - If during your UK stay you get a job offer from a UK sponsor.
• Ancestry Visa - If your grandparents were born in the UK. But application for this visa can only be made from outside the UK.
• Ancestry Dependent Visa - this route is available to people who are married to an Ancestry Visa holder.
• Spouse Visa - this route is available to applicants who are married to a person who has a settled status in the UK or is a British citizen.