Youth Mobility provides initial permission up to two years for actual eligible nationality, age and evidence. Eligible Australian, Canadian and New Zealand nationals can apply for one additional year under the extension rules; South Korean age eligibility alone does not give this extension. No dependants or automatic settlement. Check actual country-specific issuer documents and dated fee/IHS fields.
GOV.UK: application fee GBP 340. The healthcare surcharge is usually GBP 776 per year.≈ $432
GOV.UK: you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks.
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Source-backed requirements
Eligibility
(1)Age Eligibility Range
MandatoryFor initial entry, be no older than 35 at application if Australian, Canadian, New Zealand or South Korean; otherwise the applicable limit is 30. Be at least 18 when entry permission becomes valid. Eligible Australian/Canadian/New Zealand extensions have separate conditions.
Verified official
Qualification
(1)Maintenance Funds
ConditionalInitial entry requires £2,530 held for 28 consecutive days, with day 28 within 31 days of applying, supported by genuine qualifying financial evidence. Under YMS5.4 these financial requirements do not apply to the eligible in-country extension branch; a planned budget is not proof.
Verified official
Application
(4)Ballot System Participation
ConditionalHong Kong SAR passport holders and Taiwan applicants need an actual successful ballot invitation and must apply within its deadline. Indian nationals follow the separately named India Young Professionals scheme and its applicable invitation/qualification/evidence rules. Do not invent a ballot email.
Verified officialSingle Participation Rule
ConditionalFor new entry, previous UK stays on YMS, Tier 5 YMS or the former Working Holidaymaker route bar another YMS entry. Eligible Australian, Canadian and New Zealand applicants may separately extend in the UK once under YMS1.4A, for three continuous years in total.
Verified officialDependent Restrictions
ConditionalApplicants cannot have children under 18 who live with them or are financially dependent upon them.
Verified officialNationality Requirement
MandatoryHold an eligible participating nationality or territorial passport, or British Overseas citizenship, British Overseas Territories citizenship or British National (Overseas) status. For initial entry, meet current country-specific conditions and annual allocation; nationality alone does not establish full eligibility.
Verified official
Immigration Documents & Forms
Source citations
YMS — entry eligibility and actual nationality branches
UK Home Office
Actualapplicationupperage/startlowerage, currentparticipatingcountries/Britishcategories,HKSAR/Taiwanballot,IndiapublicYoungProfessionalsseparateroute,2530/28days/end31days;individualdependentrestrictions. ActualAppendixlawrefinements/extensionsmustchecked.
Immigration Rules Introduction — Student and Youth Mobility Scheme definitions
UK Home Office
Paragraph6.2 defines Student to include Tier4General and historical AppendixST permission. YMS expressly includes current Appendix, historicalT5 and Tier5 routes, and former Part4 Working Holidaymaker permission before1November2008. Used with route-specific rules; does not establish individual suitability or grant approval.
Appendix YMS — entry versus extension framework
UK Home Office
ActualYMS1–5/7read: upperageatapplication/lower18atentryvalidity, actualnationalityandcountryconditionsincllegalIndiaqualificationpoliceinvitationbranch,priorYMSUKtimeentryonly,under18childliving/financialdependencyentryonly,2530/28dayentryfunds,extensionAusCanNZonce/5.4financialnotapply, nofamily/settlement.
Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme eligible nationals — 2026 allocations
UK Home Office
Participating country/territory annual allocations for2026, interim continuity mechanism, extension exclusion from quotas, invitation arrangements for Hong Kong/India/Taiwan. Current allocations: Andorra100, Australia38500, Canada10000, Hong Kong1000, Iceland1000, India3000, Japan6000, Monaco1000, New Zealand8000, Republic of Korea5000, San Marino1000, Taiwan1000, Uruguay500.
Official links
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