In the September, and December Statement of Changes, the Youth Mobility visa category was expanded for nationals of numerous countries worldwide, effective from 31 January 2024, pursuant to trade agreements the UK has recently signed with those countries:
For Australians and Canadians, the age limit for the Youth Mobility visa is raised to 35 years of age, with a three-year validity on the visa if approved. Those nationals already in the UK can extend their existing two-year visa for an additional year.
This follows similar preferential conditions for New Zealand nationals introduced earlier this year.
Up to 100 places on the Youth Mobility scheme will be available for Andorran nationals from 31 January 2024, for those aged up to 30 years. These nationals will also be required to provide a criminal record certificate with their application.
Uruguay will be added to the list of eligible nationalities for up to 500 persons aged up to 30.
An increase in the number of Japanese nationals who can apply to 6,000 – up from 1,000 – and no longer required to apply via ballot
Up to 5,000 nationals of the Republic of Korea can apply up to the age of 35 years, and there will no longer be a ballot.
The Youth Mobility category remains a highly valuable working visa for young people wishing to spend two – three years in the UK because it enables the holder to unrestricted employed work. It is extremely useful for employers who wish to employ these nationals due to the relatively low cost and unrestricted nature of what the employee can then do for work.
It is clear that the structure and reciprocity of the scheme works well as a point of negotiation for the UK’s trade agreement talks. Discussion of extending the Youth Mobility scheme to the EU, and to address labour shortages in the UK mean that we are likely to see this category become a heavily used tool in the coming years.
This article was updated on 19 December 2023.
This article is not intended to be used as legal advice. Should any of these updates be relevant to you, please seek expert legal advice from a regulated immigration practitioner. You can send us an enquiry to immigration@laytons.com.
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