The India Young Professionals Scheme lets Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a degree live and work in the UK for up to two years. Entry is by free ballot, with 3,000 places in 2026, and successful entrants pay a £340 visa fee plus the immigration health surcharge. The final 2026 ballot closes on 23 July.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 22 July 2026
- The India Young Professionals Scheme visa allows Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 to live and work in the UK for up to two years, without needing a job offer or employer sponsorship.
- Places are allocated by a free random ballot: 3,000 places exist for 2026, most allocated in the February ballot, with the remainder in the second and final ballot which closes at 1:30pm India Standard Time on 23 July 2026.
- Eligibility requires a bachelor's degree or above (or equivalent), savings of £2,530 held for 28 consecutive days, no dependent children, and no previous stay under this scheme or the Youth Mobility Scheme.
- Ballot winners have 90 days from their result email to apply online, pay the £340 visa fee and the immigration health surcharge, and provide biometrics.
- The scheme is the product of the 2021 UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership and is reciprocal: young UK citizens can live and work in India on equivalent terms.
- Ballot results are final with no appeal, but unsuccessful entrants can enter future ballots while they remain eligible.
India Young Professionals Scheme visa: the key numbers
| Who can enter | Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 | Must also be 18 or over on the planned UK travel date |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree or above (RQF 6, 7 or 8) | Or an equivalent overseas qualification at degree level |
| Savings required | £2,530 | Held 28 consecutive days; day 28 within 31 days of applying |
| Visa fee | £340 | Plus the immigration health surcharge |
| Places in 2026 | 3,000 | Most allocated in February; remainder in the July ballot |
| Visa length | Up to 2 years | Cannot be extended beyond the scheme maximum |
| Ballot to application | 90 days | From the result email to apply, pay and give biometrics |
Source: UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK, accessed 23 July 2026
KEY FACTS
- Places: 3,000 for 2026, allocated across two ballots; the second and final 2026 ballot opened 21 July and closes 1:30pm IST on 23 July 2026
- Costs: ballot entry free; visa fee £340; immigration health surcharge on top, at the discounted rate for this route, before travel
- Financial requirement: £2,530 in savings, held for 28 consecutive days, with day 28 falling within 31 days of the visa application
- Age and qualification: Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a qualification at UK bachelor's degree level (RQF 6) or above, or an overseas equivalent
- Timeline after winning: 90 days from the result email to apply, pay and provide biometrics; results are emailed within 2 weeks of the ballot closing
What is the India Young Professionals Scheme visa
A two-year UK visa for Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a degree, allowing them to live and work in the UK without a job offer or sponsor, with 3,000 places a year allocated by free random ballot and a visa fee of £340 for those selected.
The scheme sits within the UK's youth mobility family of visas but is a distinct, India-specific route with its own rules and its own annual quota. Unlike the Skilled Worker route, it requires no job offer, no sponsoring employer and no minimum salary: the visa holder arrives with the right to live in the UK and work in most jobs for up to two years, which is what makes it one of the most flexible routes into the UK labour market for young Indian graduates. Demand far exceeds the 3,000 annual places, which is why access runs through a ballot rather than first come, first served. For 2026, most places were released in the February ballot, and the remaining places are being allocated through the second and final ballot of the year, which opened at 1:30pm India Standard Time on 21 July and closes at 1:30pm IST on 23 July 2026. Entry to the ballot is free, selection is random, and the result arrives by email within two weeks of the ballot closing. Anyone unsuccessful can enter future ballots for as long as they remain eligible.
Why does the scheme exist
It implements the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership signed in 2021, and it is reciprocal: the same agreement gives young UK citizens the right to live and work in India, making the scheme as much a diplomatic instrument as an immigration route.
The scheme launched in February 2023 as a product of the Migration and Mobility Partnership agreed between the UK and India in May 2021, a package that paired new legal migration routes with cooperation on returns and enforcement. The design borrows from the UK's long-standing Youth Mobility Scheme, which offers two-year working visas to young people from partner countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand, but the India route was created as a separate scheme with a ballot and a degree requirement that the general Youth Mobility Scheme does not impose on most nationalities. Reciprocity is the point: young British citizens gain equivalent rights to live and work in India under the same partnership. The scheme also carries economic logic on both sides. For the UK, it channels young, degree-qualified workers into the labour market with no sponsorship bureaucracy; for India, it creates a legal, time-limited route for early-career professionals to gain UK experience. The ballot mechanism itself exists for a simple reason: when the scheme first opened in 2023, applications overwhelmed the places available within days, and random selection replaced the race.
Who is eligible, and what are the requirements
Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a bachelor's degree or equivalent, savings of £2,530 held for 28 consecutive days, no dependent children living with them, and no previous stay in the UK under this scheme or the Youth Mobility Scheme.
The requirements are short but each carries mechanics worth understanding before entering the ballot. Age is tested at both ends: applicants must be between 18 and 30, and at least 18 on the date they plan to travel to the UK. The qualification requirement is a UK bachelor's degree or above, Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, 7 or 8, or an overseas equivalent at degree level, which covers standard Indian three-year and four-year bachelor's degrees; anyone unsure of their qualification's level should confirm it with their university before relying on it. The financial requirement is the one that most often catches applicants: £2,530 must have been held in the applicant's bank account for at least 28 consecutive days, and day 28 of that period must fall within 31 days of the visa application date, so the money needs to be in place and undisturbed before a ballot win converts into an application. Applicants cannot have children under 18 who live with them or whom they financially support, and cannot use the route twice: previous time in the UK under this scheme or the Youth Mobility Scheme disqualifies a new application.
How do the ballot and application actually work
Enter the free ballot online while it is open with passport details and contact information; results arrive by email within two weeks, and winners then have 90 days to apply online, pay the £340 fee plus the health surcharge, and provide biometrics.
Ballot entry asks for little: name, date of birth, passport details with a scan or photo, phone number and email address. One entry per person per ballot is the rule, and duplicate attempts are discarded rather than penalised. Because selection is random, timing within the window confers no advantage: an entry in the final hour has the same chance as one in the first minute. Results are final, with no appeal route, and arrive by email within two weeks of the ballot closing, which makes checking spam folders a practical necessity given how many successful entrants have historically missed the message. A win starts a 90-day clock: within it, the applicant must submit the online visa application, pay the £340 fee and the immigration health surcharge, and attend a biometrics appointment for fingerprints and photograph. The surcharge is charged at the discounted rate that applies to youth routes and covers NHS access for the full visa period, and it is the larger of the two payments for a two-year stay. Winners who decide not to proceed simply let the 90 days lapse; the place is not transferable and no notification is required.
What does the visa let you do, and what are the limits
Holders can live in the UK for up to two years and work in most jobs without sponsorship, but the visa cannot be extended, does not allow access to most public funds or bringing dependants, and many holders ultimately switch into the Skilled Worker route to stay longer.
The visa's value is its flexibility on arrival: no job offer is needed, employment is open across most of the labour market, and self-employment is permitted within the conditions that apply to youth mobility routes, which makes the scheme suited to early-career professionals who want to find work after arriving rather than before. The limits are equally clear. The stay is capped at two years with no extension under the scheme, the route does not lead directly to settlement, holders cannot access most public funds, and the visa covers the holder alone, with no provision for partners or children as dependants. Time on the route is once per lifetime, and it also consumes eligibility for the wider Youth Mobility Scheme. What the two years do provide is a runway: holders who find graduate-level work commonly switch from inside the UK into the Skilled Worker route, where a sponsoring employer takes over and a path towards settlement opens. Used that way, the scheme functions in practice as a job-search visa for the UK market, which is precisely the flexibility that keeps demand for 3,000 places running far beyond supply every year the ballot opens.
How to go from ballot entry to visa
- Check you meet every eligibility requirement before entering: the ballot is free, but the visa application is not refundable if you do not qualify.
- Enter the ballot while it is open, with your name, date of birth, passport details and scan, phone number and email; one entry per person per ballot.
- Watch your email, including spam, for the result within 2 weeks of the ballot closing.
- If successful, apply online within 90 days of the result email.
- Pay the £340 visa fee and the immigration health surcharge, and book and attend your biometrics appointment within the same 90 days.
- Gather your financial evidence early: the £2,530 must have been in your account for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of your application.
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
This article is for general information only and does not constitute immigration advice. Requirements, fees and ballot dates are as published by UK Visas and Immigration at 23 July 2026 and may change; applicants should verify the current position on GOV.UK before entering a ballot or applying, and seek regulated immigration advice for individual circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
What is the India Young Professionals Scheme visa
A visa allowing Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a degree to live and work in the UK for up to two years without employer sponsorship. Places are limited to 3,000 a year and allocated by a free random ballot.
How much does the India Young Professionals Scheme visa cost
The ballot is free to enter. Successful entrants pay a £340 visa fee plus the immigration health surcharge at the discounted rate for youth routes, and must show savings of £2,530 held for 28 consecutive days.
When is the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot
Two ballots run each year, in February and July. The second and final 2026 ballot opened on 21 July and closes at 1:30pm India Standard Time on 23 July 2026, with results emailed within two weeks.
Can I extend the India Young Professionals Scheme visa
No. The visa lasts up to two years and cannot be extended under the scheme, and it can only be used once. Many holders who find qualifying work switch into the Skilled Worker route from inside the UK instead.
Can I bring my family on this visa
No. The visa covers the holder only, with no dependants, and applicants cannot have children under 18 living with them or in their financial care. Partners would need to qualify for a UK visa in their own right.
SOURCES
- GOV.UK, India Young Professionals Scheme visa – accessed 23 July 2026
- UK Visas and Immigration, ballot system guidance – accessed 23 July 2026
- GOV.UK, Youth Mobility Scheme visa – accessed 23 July 2026
