An India Young Professionals Scheme visa allows Indian citizens between 18 and 30 years old to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years.

You must be selected in the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot before you can apply for this visa. To enter the ballot you must declare that you’re eligible for the visa – check if you’re eligible before you enter.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the visa, you must:

• be an Indian citizen
• be between 18 and 30 years old
• have an eligible qualification
• have £2,530 in savings

Check the full list of eligibility requirements.

How to apply

1. If you’re eligible, enter the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot.
2. If you’re successful in the ballot, you’ll receive an invitation to apply for the visa.
3. Prepare the documents that you need to apply.
4. Apply for an India Young Professionals Scheme visa.

When to apply

If you’re successful in the ballot you’ll need to apply for your visa by the deadline given in your invitation to apply. This is usually 30 days after you get the invitation.

You must travel to the UK within 6 months of applying for your visa.

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.

You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.

Getting a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

How much it costs

You will need to:

• pay the application fee of £259
• pay a healthcare surcharge of £940
• prove you have £2,530 in personal savings

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.

What you can and cannot 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 is not worth more than £5,000 and you do not have any employees

You cannot:

• extend your stay
• apply for most benefits (public funds)
• include family members on your application – they must apply separately
• work as a professional sportsperson (for example as a coach)

To be eligible for an India Young Professionals Scheme visa you must:

• be an Indian national or citizen between 18 and 30 years old
• be at least 18 years old on the date you plan to travel to the UK
• have a qualification at bachelor’s degree level or above (Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, 7 or 8)
• have £2,530 in savings to support yourself in the UK
• not have any children under the age of 18 who live with you or who you’re financially responsible for

You must first apply to and be selected in the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot before you can apply for your visa.

You cannot apply if you’ve already been in the UK under this scheme or the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

Eligible qualifications

You must have either:

• a qualification at UK bachelor’s degree level or above (Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, 7 or 8)
• an equivalent overseas qualification at degree level or above

Check with your college or university if you’re not sure what level of qualification you have.

Money to support yourself

You must have at least £2,530 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK.

You 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.

You’ll need to show proof of this when you apply.

Read the guidance on financial evidence for more information about the money you need and how to prove it.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
• evidence that you have at least £2,530 in your bank account, for example bank statements
• evidence of your qualifications
• your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you’re living in India or another listed country
• a police report or clearance certificate from India – check how to apply for criminal records checks

You’ll need a blank page in your passport for your visa.

Evidence of your qualifications

You will be asked to prove that you have a qualification at bachelor’s degree level or above (Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, 7 or 8).

Your college or university will need to provide written confirmation that you:

• completed your studies
• graduated with the required qualification

Other documents you might need

If your documents are not in English or Welsh you’ll also need to provide a certified translation.

You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances. The Home Office will contact you if you need to provide more evidence.

You must be successfully selected in the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot before you can apply for your visa.

Proving your identity and supporting documents

As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you’re from and what type of passport you have.

You’ll either:

• have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre – this is to get a biometric residence permit
• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document – you’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account

You’ll be told what you need to do when you apply.

If you do need an appointment:

• the centre may need to keep your passport and documents while they process your application
• you may have to travel to get to your nearest visa application centre (this could be in another country)

Apply for an India Young Professionals Scheme visa

Apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa and choose ‘India’ as your nationality.

Apply now

Continue your application

Sign in to your account using the link from your sign-up email.

How long it takes to get a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

You’ll be contacted if your application will take longer, for example because:

• your supporting documents need to be verified
• you need to attend an interview
• of your personal circumstances, for example if you have a criminal conviction

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision – you’ll be told if you can when you apply.

After you apply

You can ask to cancel your application. You’ll only get your fee refunded if UKVI has not started processing your application.

You’ll get an email containing the decision on your application. This will explain what you need to do next.

If you have a child while you’re in the UK

If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You must apply online for your child’s dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.