Hi everyone, welcome back!
The day you’ve been waiting for has arrived: the latest Young Professional Scheme for Indians who want to move to the UK has just been announced. I'm making this blog post because the last time there were still a bunch of mistakes that people made while applying, so hopefully, this time everyone who plans on applying watches this and applies perfectly.
If you’re new here, I’m Ashika, and we talk about moving across the world to work or study. With that, let’s dive in.
What is the Young Professionals Scheme Visa?
If you’re new to this, the Young Professionals Scheme visa allows Indian citizens to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. While on this visa, you can:
Study in the UK
Work in most jobs
Be self-employed and set up a company
However, you cannot:
Take your family along on this visa
Extend your stay
Apply for public benefits
Work as a professional sportsperson
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Young Professionals Scheme visa, you must:
Be an Indian citizen
Be between 18 and 30 years old
Have an eligible qualification
Have £2,530 in savings, with the money in your account
Have at least a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Not have any children under the age of 18 who live with you or who you’re financially responsible for
If you meet all the criteria, the next step is to apply in the ballot. It's essentially a lucky draw.
Applying for the Ballot
The ballot goes live from 16th July, and you can apply anytime from 1:30 pm on 16th July up until 1:30 pm on 18th July. Please read carefully because this bit is very important.
To apply for the ballot, you will need to fill out an online form with the following details:
Name
Date of birth
Passport details
A scan or photo of your passport
Phone number
Email address
That’s it. You will not need to provide proof of money in your account, educational qualifications, or anything else at this stage. If you are successful in the ballot or win the lucky draw, you will then be invited to apply for the visa within 2 weeks of the ballot closing. Not everyone will get to apply for the visa, only those selected in the lucky draw.
Important Points to Remember
The ballot is free to apply: You don’t have to pay anything. If you receive links from random people asking you to pay to enter the ballot, do not pay. It's a scam.
Number of spots available: The first ballot of the year had 3,000 places. We don’t know exactly how many places are available this time, but it’s the balance of the 3000 spots that weren’t used last time. For example, if 1000 people didn’t apply last time, 1000 places are available this time. If only 20 didn’t apply, there are only 20 places available.
After the Ballot
If you’re successful in the ballot, you have 90 days from the date of the email to apply for the visa online. The visa application fee is £298, and the immigration health surcharge (IHS) is £1,552, totalling £1,850. You’ll also need to show you’ve got £2,530 in personal savings with bank statements.
Criteria to Apply for the Visa
If you are successful in the ballot, you will need to provide:
A valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality
Evidence of at least £2,530 in your bank account (e.g., bank statements)
Evidence of your qualifications (written confirmation from your college or university that you completed your studies and graduated)
Tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re living in India or another listed country
A police report or clearance certificate from India (which can be obtained through a local regional passport office or the Indian High Commission in London if you’re in the UK)
Tips and Reminders
If you make a mistake while applying, you won’t be able to fix it, and you won't get the application fee back. Double-check your details or ask a friend or family member to review your form before you submit it.
If you don’t have a last name, enter your first name as your last name.
Ensure your email and phone number are correct, as they will send you an OTP.
Check your spam folder if you don’t get an email within 2 weeks.
You can only apply once per person, so don’t use multiple email addresses or phone numbers.
If your visa is rejected, you will lose the visa fee but should hopefully get the health surcharge back.
If you are 30 and a few months old, you can still apply.
It’s better to apply from a laptop rather than a mobile phone.
Preparing for the Ballot
Before the 16th, make sure to:
Scan your passport (front & back) and save it as a PDF and PNG or JPG file under 6MB.
Name the file as Yourname_Passport (e.g., ASHIKA_PASSPORT.jpg).
Be patient when the ballot opens, as the system may crash or have a long waiting time.
Conclusion
I suggest you watch my previous tutorial to know exactly what to expect on the 16th and make no mistakes. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your application!
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