1. Overview
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa if you:
- want to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years
- are aged 18 to 30
- have £1,890 in savings
- have certain types of British Nationality or are from certain countries
How long it will take
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the date you travel to the UK.
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
Fees
It costs £225 to apply.
You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application.
How long you can stay
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 while you’re in the UK, you can stay for as long as your visa is valid.
What you can and can’t do
You can:
- study – for some courses you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate
- work in most jobs
- be self-employed and set up a company – as long as your premises are rented, your equipment isn’t worth more than £5,000 and you don’t have any employees
You can’t:
- work as a professional sportsperson (eg as a coach), doctor or dentist in training – unless you can show you qualified in the UK
- extend your stay
- get public funds
- bring in family members on your application – they must apply separately
2. Eligibility
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa if you’re aged 18 to 30 and you’re from:
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Hong Kong
- Republic of Korea
- Taiwan
You can’t apply if you have:
- children who live with you
- children you’re financially responsible for
- already been in the UK under the scheme or in the former ‘working holidaymaker’ category
Money
You must have £1,890 in savings.
Sponsorship: citizens of Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan
You must get a certificate of sponsorship reference number before you apply.
A certificate of sponsorship is a unique reference number that holds information about the job you will do and your personal details. It’s not a certificate or paper document.
You must apply for your visa within 3 months of receiving your certificate of sponsorship.
3. Documents you must provide
When you apply you’ll need to provide:
- a current passport or other valid travel ID
- a passport size colour photograph
- a bank statement showing you have at least £1,890 in savings
- your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
You need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa.
You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that aren’t in English or Welsh.
Read the guide for a full list of documents you can provide.
You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.
UK Study Visa
Short-term study visa
The UK is a world leader in many areas of education including engineering, science, art and design, business and management, law and finance. The UK’s reputation and legacy as a world centre for scientific research makes it a magnet for some of the very best thinkers in the world.
UK Tier 4 (Child) student visa
You can apply for the UK Tier 4 (Child) student visa if you’re aged between 4 and 17 and you want to study in the UK.
UK Tier 4 (GE) student visa
You can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:
have been offered a place on a course
can speak, read, write and understand English
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Enterpreneur) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa if:
- you want to set up or run a business in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa if you’ve been endorsed in your field in science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology or the arts as:
a recognised leader (exceptional talent)
an emerging leader (exceptional promise)
You must also be from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
UK Work visa Tier 1 (general) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:
- you want to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Graduate Enterpreneur) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa if you:
- are a graduate who has been officially endorsed as having a genuine and credible business idea
- are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- meet the other eligibility criteria
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:
- you want to invest £2,000,000 (Rs.19,77,29,784.85) or more in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 2 (general) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa if:
- you’ve been offered a skilled job in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa if:
- your overseas employer has offered you a role in a UK branch of the organisation
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visa if:
you’ve been offered a job within a faith community (eg as a minister of religion, missionary, or member of a religious order) in the UK
you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa if all of the following apply:
- you’re an elite sportsperson or qualified coach recognised by your sport’s governing body as internationally established at the highest level
- your sport’s governing body is endorsing your application
- your employment will develop your sport in the UK at the highest level
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 Priority Service
You can get a decision on your visa within 10 working days if you apply to extend or switch to a tier 2 visa using the Tier 2 Priority Service.
You can only use this service if you’re in the UK.
You can use the service for the following visas:
- Tier 2 (General)
- Tier 2 (Minister of religion)
- Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
- Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Charity Worker) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Charity Worker) visa if:
- you want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative and sporting) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative and sporting) visa if:
- you’ve been offered work as a sports person or creative worker
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industry, eg an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member.
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange visa if you:
- want to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a
- fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme
- have a sponsor
- are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – International Agreement) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – International Agreement) visa if:
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you’ll be contracted to do work covered by international law while in the UK, eg working for a foreign government or as a private servant in a diplomatic household
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Religious Worker) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Religious Worker) visa if:
- you want to do religious work – eg preaching or working in a religious order
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa if you:
- want to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years
- are aged 18 to 30
- have £1,890 in savings
- have certain types of British Nationality or are from certain countries