Immigration Rules Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme
The Youth Mobility Scheme provides a cultural exchange programme that allows a person aged between 18 and 30 (or 18-35 for some nationalities), from participating countries and territories, to experience life in the UK for up to 2 years (or 3 years for some nationalities).
Dependants are not permitted on this route.
The Youth Mobility Scheme route is not a route to settlement.
YMS 1.1. A person applying for entry clearance under the Youth Mobility Scheme route must apply online on gov.uk on the specified form: “Temporary Work or Youth Mobility Scheme”.
YMS 1.1.A. A person applying for permission to stay under the Youth Mobility Scheme route must apply online on gov.uk on the specified form: “Temporary Work or Youth Mobility Scheme permission to stay”.
- YMS 1.2. An application for entry clearance or permission to stay under the Youth Mobility Scheme route must meet all the following requirements:
- (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
- (b) the applicant must have provided biometrics when required; and
- (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other travel document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality.
- YMS 1.3. The applicant must be one of the following:
- (a) a British Overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen or British National (Overseas); or
- (b) a national or citizen of a country or the holder of a passport issued by a territory, listed in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals.
- YMS 1.4. An applicant for entry clearance must be:
- (a) a national of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Korea aged 35 or under on the date of application; or
- (b) aged 30 or under on the date of application.
- YMS 1.4.A. An applicant who is applying for permission to stay must:
- (a) be an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand national in the UK;
- (b) have, or have last been granted, permission to enter under the Youth Mobility Scheme route; and
- (c) not previously have been granted permission to stay under the Youth Mobility Scheme route.
YMS 1.5. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for the Youth Mobility Scheme may be rejected as invalid and not considered.
YMS 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.
- YMS 2.2. If applying for permission to stay the applicant must not be:
- (a) in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
- (b) on immigration bail.
Entry requirements for the Youth Mobility Scheme
YMS 3.1. A person seeking to come to the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme route must have applied for and obtained entry clearance under the Youth Mobility Scheme route before they arrive in the UK.
YMS 3.2. A person applying for entry clearance on a Youth Mobility Scheme must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.
YMS 3.3. A person applying for entry clearance must not have previously spent time in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme route.
YMS 3.4. The applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date their entry clearance will become valid.
YMS 4.1. Where the applicant is a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand or the Republic of Korea, they are not required to meet any country-specific eligibility requirements but if they are applying for entry clearance they must meet the financial requirements in YMS 5.1. to YMS 5.3.
YMS 4.2. Where the applicant is a national, citizen or rightful passport holder of one of the countries or territories listed in the following table of country-specific eligibility requirements, they must meet the requirement listed:
| 1 | Hong Kong Taiwan |
The applicant must: a) have been issued with an invitation to apply in accordance with the invitation to apply arrangements set out in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals; and b) have made their application within any time limit specified on that invitation to apply. |
| 2 | San Marino | The applicant must provide a letter confirming the applicant is a suitable candidate for the Youth Mobility Scheme from the Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Department of Foreign Affairs that has been issued no more than 6 months before the date of application. |
| 3 | Iceland | The applicant must provide a Criminal Certificate for Private Use that has been issued no more than 6 months before the date of application. |
| 4 | India | The applicant must: (a) have been issued with an invitation to apply in accordance with the invitation to apply arrangements set out in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals; and (b) have made their application within the period of time specified in that invitation to apply; and (c) provide the unique application number for that invitation to apply; and (d) provide a local police certificate or a police clearance certificate that has been issued no more than 6 months before the date of application; and (e) hold a qualification equal to or above RQF level 6. |
| 5 | Andorra | The applicant must provide a certificate of criminal records issued no more than 6 months before the date of application. |
| 6 | Uruguay | The applicant must provide a Certificate of Judicial Records that has been issued no more than 6 months before the date of application. |
YMS 4.3. The number of places for entry clearance applications allocated to nationals or citizens of the same country, or rightful holders of a passport issued by the same territory, must not have exceeded the annual total allocation of places for that country or territory as set out in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals.
YMS 4.4. Where the applicant is a British Overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen or British National (Overseas), YMS 4.1. to YMS 4.2. do not apply.
YMS 5.1. The applicant must have funds of £ 2,530.
YMS 5.2. The applicant must show that they have held the required level of funds for a 28- day period and as specified in Appendix Finance.
YMS 5.3. The applicant must not have any children aged under 18 who are either living with them or financially dependent upon them.
YMS 5.4. YMS 5.1. to YMS 5.3. do not apply to applications for permission to stay on the Youth Mobility Scheme route.
YMS 6.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that all the eligibility and suitability requirements are met for the Youth Mobility Scheme route, the application will be granted, otherwise the application will be refused.
YMS 6.2. If the application is refused the person can apply for an Administrative Review under Appendix AR: Administrative Review.
- YMS 7.1. The applicant will be granted either:
- (a) entry clearance for up to 2 years; or
- (b) permission to stay for a period which means the period of permission (including the original permission to enter) granted under the Youth Mobility Scheme is for a total of 3 continuous years.
Conditions of grant for the Youth Mobility Scheme
- YMS 7.2. The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:
- (a) no access to public funds; and
- (b) work permitted, subject to YMS 7.3; and
- (c) study is permitted subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.
- (d) DELETED.
- YMS 7.3. Work is permitted subject to the following employment conditions:
- (a) no employment as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); and
- (b) no self-employment, except where the following conditions are met:
- (i) the applicant has no premises which they own, other than their home, from which they carry out their business; and
- (ii) the total value of any equipment used in their business does not exceed £5,000; and
- (iii) the applicant has no employees.