The UK Home office has announced that the second ballot of the Youth Mobility Scheme opens on July 24, and closes on July 26, 2023.
Applicants from Hong Kong (SAR passport), Japan, South Korea or Taiwan who wish to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa need to enter the ballot during this period. There is a different ballot for applicants from India.
Ballots typically open in January and July each year. Usually, most applicants are chosen during the January ballot and the remaining places are allocated in the July ballot.
Eligibility
Applicants must be aged 18 or over when their visa starts, or 30 or under when they apply. They can apply before they turn 18 and can be over 30 when the visa starts.
Applicants are ineligible if they have:
- children under the age of 18 who live with them;
- children they are financially responsible for;
- already been in the UK under the scheme.
Applicants must show proof that they have at least £2530 in their bank account to show they can support themselves in the UK. They 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.
How to Enter
Potential applicants enter the ballot by sending an email. Only one ballot entry can be submitted per person and duplications are not counted. All emails received within the 48-hour period are entered into the ballot and applicants receive an automated reply confirming entry.
Applicants will receive an email by Monday, July 31, if successful in the second ballot.
They then have 30 days to submit their application and pay the visa fee, after which they usually have 90 days to book an appointment for biometrics at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
Applicants should get a decision on their visa within three weeks of attending the appointment.
- If the visa application is successful, applicants have 90 days to enter the UK. The visa will be valid for 2 years.
- If the applicant is unsuccessful in the second ballot, they will receive an email within 2 weeks of the ballot closing. Eligible applicants will be able to enter next year’s ballot when it opens in January 2024.
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