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Tier 5 - Youth Mobility Visa - UK

Formerly known as the working holiday visa or working holidaymaker visa, the UK Youth Mobility Visa is one of the most popular UK visas for working travellers headed for the UK. At £99, it’s also one of the cheapest and quickest UK visas to obtain, depending on processing times in the country from which you apply.

Quick Links and FAQs

The UK Youth Mobility Visa allows you to work for two years in the UK: enough time to settle in, gain a decent amount of UK work experience and fit in some travel, too. You are able to do any kind of work you like in the UK. Working travellers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada are generally looked upon favourably in the UK – although recruitment agencies generally can’t put you forward for permanent positions there are great opportunities for long term contracts, short terms contracts or temporary work.

If you have questions not covered here or our FAQs page you may find our active forum can assist you.

Do I qualify for the Youth Mobility Visa - UK?

The UK Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa is a points-based visa. Applicants must score 50 points:

  • 40 points for Attributes (10 points if you are aged between 18-30 inclusively and 30 points if you are a national of Australia, New Zealand, Canada or Japan )
  • 10 points for Maintenance (you must show that you have £1600 saved)

You will need your passport to show your age and nationality.

Showing proof of funds for your Tier 5 Visa - UK

You need to show proof that you have at least £1600 in funds to support your stay in the United Kingdom. The funds must be in your personal bank account, and the exchange rate used to convert the funds will be the rate on the date of your application - so you should have enough money to account for any exchange rate fluctuations. The date of application will, in all cases, be taken to be the date you pay the fee and your biometric details taken.

You must show evidence such as an original bank statement, dated no earlier than a month before your application. If you wish to use electronic bank statements, they must be stamped on every page by your bank or accompanied by an original letter from your bank. There are other requirements so you should check the guidance on the Home Office website.

Do I have to be in my home country to apply?

You can apply for the UK Youth Mobility Visa from your home country or from a country where you are staying at the time of application, as long as:

a) the ‘entry clearance post’ in the country you want to apply from is authorised to process Youth Mobility applications

b) you are authorised to be in the country you want to apply from, and you have permission to stay there for a period of more than 6 months.

**You can not apply from within the UK.**

I'm also eligible for the Tier 1 (general) visa for highly skilled workers... which visa is best for me?

The Tier 1 (general) visa for highly skilled workers is considered to be a ‘route to migration’. It gives you an initial three year period to work in the UK, which you can extend to five years, after which you qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain. It is therefore a more expensive, more complicated and more lengthy visa to apply for. You can find out more information about the Tier 1 visa here. It is a great option if you have already held a working holiday visa, do not qualify for the Youth Mobility Visa but if you are only looking for a relatively short term working holiday in the UK, then the UK Youth Mobility Visa is a perfect choice. You can always apply for the Tier 1 later.

What happens when my UK Youth Mobility Visa comes to an end?

One of the conditions of the Tier 5 - Youth Mobility Visa is that you leave the UK at the end of the two year period. You could potentially return to your home country and apply for the Tier 1 (general) visa for highly skilled workers or get sponsored for a Tier 2 (general) visa for sponsored skilled workers. In any case however, you will have to leave the UK.

Got more questions? They might be answered in our VISA FAQs.

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