The Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa, also referred to as the Tier 5 visa, is a UK visa that enables individuals from certain countries to live and work in the UK for a temporary period of 2 years. This visa is designed for individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who want to experience life in the UK and acquire valuable work experience. The earliest you will be able to apply for a visa is 6 months before you travel.
The YMS visa allows applicants to work in a vast majority of UK industries, with the exception of certain professions such as those within the medical field, that are excluded. You will be able to be self-employed and set up your own company – so long as your premises are rented, your equipment is not worth more than £5,000 and you do not have any employees. The visa additionally allows for the pursuit of academic studies, although it is imperative to note that the YMS visa has a two-year limit and cannot be extended.
In 2019, over 20,000 young people were granted YMS visas to live and work in the UK, 14,000 of these visas originating from Australian citizens.
The YMS visa presents an extraordinary opportunity for young individuals to broaden their horizons and obtain valuable work experience while experiencing life in the UK. It provides a chance to immerse individuals into a new culture, meet new people and expand one’s horizons.
To be able to apply for the visa, you must achieve a minimum score of 50 points on the criteria outlined below:
- You must be a citizen of one of the following countries and hold a valid passport (30 points):
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Hong Kong
- Korea
- Taiwan
- Age requirement (10 points):
- You must be aged 18-30 in order to be eligible to apply.
- Financial requirement (10 points):
- You must have a minimum of £2,530 in savings. You will need to provide bank statements to show you have had these funds in your bank for 28 consecutive days.
Your application will be refused if:
- You have children under 18 years of age who live with you;
- You are financially responsible for any children;
- You have lied on your application;
- You have a criminal record or certain convictions;
- You’ve already been in the UK under the scheme.
If you wish to talk to us about your spouse visa application, please contact our friendly team of London immigration lawyers at Barar & Associates at barar.london@bararassociates.co.uk or call us on 020 7487 8370. You can access more information about us at https://bararassociates.com/.
