India Young Professionals Scheme Visa

Overview

The India Young Professionals Scheme visa (otherwise known as a Youth Mobility Scheme visa) is an important part of the UK-India Mobility and Migration Partnership, which was signed between the two countries in May 2021.

The scheme is open to Indian nationals who are between the ages of 18 and 30.

The visa entitles the holder to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months.

Anyone issued with a YPS visa can freely enter and leave the UK during the period of the visa’s validity.

Who is eligible for Indian Young Professional Scheme visa?

To apply for the visa and enter the ballot, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be an Indian citizen
• Aged between 18 and 30.
• Applicants must hold an eligible qualification such as a bachelor’s degree or higher (or equivalent overseas qualification). The qualifications required to apply for a YPS visa fall in the category of Regulated Qualifications Framework levels 6, 7 or 8.
• Have at least £2,530 in your bank account.

You are ineligible to apply for the visa if you have:

• Children under the age of 18 who live with you.
• Children for whom you’re financially responsible.
• Already lived in the UK as part of the YPS scheme.

Eligible Activities for YPS Visa Holder

As a YPS visa holder, you may:

• Study at a university or college. For some courses, you will be required to obtain an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.
• Work in most occupations.
• Be self-employed and establish a business. You must be able to demonstrate that your premises are leased, your equipment is worth less than £5,000, and you have no employees.

As a YPS visa holder, you may not:

• Prolong your visit beyond the validity period of your visa.
• Apply for social welfare benefits (public funds).
• Include family members on your YPS visa application.
• Perform or compete as a competitive athlete (as a professional sportsperson).

How Does the Ballot Work?

It’s free of charge to enter the Young Professionals Scheme ballot and successful entries are selected at random.

You will be sent the results of the ballot by email within two weeks of the ballot closing.

To participate in a ballot you will have to provide the British authorities with the following information:

• Name.
• Date of birth.
• Passport details.
• A scan or photo of your current valid passport.
• Phone number.
• Email address.

Visa applications are invited from individuals who have been successful in a ballot. Typically, there are two ballots in a year, with one taking place in February and the second taking place in July.

Unsuccessful February ballot entrants cannot appeal but can re-enter future ballots if eligible.

How Do I Apply for Indian Young Professional Scheme Visa?

Overview

If you’re successful in the ballot, you’ll receive an invitation to apply for a YPS visa.

You can complete an online application here.

If you intend to apply online for a YPS visa, you must apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa and choose ‘India’ as your nationality when prompted.

Prove Your Identity

An important part of the application process when applying for a the India Young Professional Scheme visa is proving your identity.

How you do this will depend on where you’re from and what type of passport you hold.

You will typically have to:

• Have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre. This will allow you to obtain a biometric residence permit.
• Use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ application to scan your identity documents. To do this, you will also have to create or sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

The Visa Application Centre

You may have to visit your nearest visa application centre to prove your identity.

The visa application centre may not be in India so you must be prepared to travel to have your identity confirmed.

The visa application centre may need to keep your passport and other identity

documents while your identity is confirmed.

Application Deadline

You have 30 days from the date of the email notifying you of your success in the ballot to complete an online application and pay the YPS visa fee and immigration health surcharge.

You must travel to the UK within six months of receiving your YPS visa.

Required Documents for Indian Young Professional Scheme Visa

Overview

As part of the application process, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide the following documents:

• A current passport or another document that allows you to prove your identity and nationality.
• Evidence that you have a minimum of £2,530 in your bank account. This can be shown by providing recent bank statement history.
• Evidence of your qualifications.
• A valid tuberculosis (TB) test result if you live in India or one of the countries on this list.
• A criminal background check provided by a police authority in India.

You will need to demonstrate to the British authorities that an amount equal to or exceeding £2,530 has been in your bank account for at least 28 days prior to your application for a YPS visa.

The 28th day of the money being in the account must fall within 31 days of you applying for a visa.

Common Problems and Issues

All the documentation you supply to support your application must be in either English or Welsh.

If the originals of the documents you use in your application are not in either of these two languages, you must ensure they have been translated by a certified translation service before you submit them.

Visa Costs and Processing Time

Overview

The application fee for the YPS visa is £319.

A mandatory health surcharge of £776 per year is also payable with your application fee to access the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). This covers the costs of the healthcare you may need during your two-year stay in the UK.

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and submitted the necessary documents, the British authorities will inform you of their decision within three weeks.

You will be notified of the decision via email.

Priority Processing

You may be able to have your application decision prioritised. You’ll be told if this option is open to you when you’re invited to apply following the ballot.

The Home Office offers two expedited services:

• A priority service (decision in five working days).
• A super priority service (decision by the end next of the working day).

The priority service costs £500. The super priority service costs £1000. The fees are payable in addition to your visa application costs.

Application Delays

You may need to allow extra time when completing your application if you require an appointment to prove your identity at a visa application centre.

The Home Office will let you know if they require you to attend an appointment when you start your application.

Processing Delays

You’ll be contacted if your application is expected to take longer than normal to process.

Typically, the visa decision can be delayed if the Home Office needs to:

• Verify your supporting documents.
• Invite you to attend an interview to find out more about your personal circumstances; for example, if you have a criminal conviction

Next Steps

If your application for a YPS visa is successful, you will be provided with several important pieces of documentation that allow you to prove your status as a visa holder.

This documentation comprises:

• A sticker (also known as a vignette) that is affixed to your passport.

You will be issued with a sticker if you gave your biometric information at a visa application centre prior to your application.

• Login details and credentials that allow you to access your immigration status information online,

You will be provided with these details if you used the smartphone application to prove your identity.

The Vignette

The vignette or online immigration status information will show:

• The type of visa you have been granted. A YPS visa in this case.
• The start and end dates of the visa’s validity period.
• Any conditions that are attached to your visa.

How Can IAS Help?

If you need help applying for an India Young Professionals Visa Scheme visa or simply want to learn more about the balloting or application process, IAS is here to help.

We are an experienced team of immigration lawyers with expertise in guiding successful applicants through the entire process. Get help applying for a visa in compliance with the immigration rules set by the UK Home Office.

To learn more about how we can help you apply for the Young Professional Scheme visa, give a member of our team a call on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or contact us via our website.