What is the India Young Professionals Scheme visa and who can apply | Explained

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

Studying or working professionals look out for ample opportunities to explore, earn and learn from a foreign land. Various immigration regulations in several countries make it harder to move abroad and people hope to realise their dreams without much hassle.

Applicants who are interested in going forward with the visa need to enter the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot. (Pinterest)

The India Young Professionals Scheme visa introduced by the UK government is one such method for Indian students and working professionals to move abroad to live and work in the United Kingdom.

About the visa:

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

So students and working professionals between the prescribed age group can look up this visa to consider moving to the UK to live and work up to 2 years upon meeting the eligibility conditions.

Applicants who are interested in going forward with the visa need to enter the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot.

India Young Professionals Scheme ballot:

Entering the ballot is the way to apply for the visa. To enter the ballot, applicants need to furnish their name, date of birth, passport details, a scan or photo of the passport, phone number and email address.

As per the procedure mentioned on the official website of the UK government, successful entries will be picked at random and they will be sent the results by email within 2 weeks of the ballot closing.

There is no fee to enter the ballot, provided applicants are confident that they will be able to apply for the visa, which costs £298 and are able to meet the financial, educational and other requirements.

What if you are successful in the ballot?

Applicants who are successful in the ballot will be invited to apply for the visa. Candidates have 90 days from the date of the email to apply online, pay the visa application fee, including the immigration health surcharge and provide their biometrics.

What if you are unsuccessful in the ballot?

As per the official website, the results of the ballot are final and an appeal cannot be made if the applicant is unsuccessful.

Eligibility Criteria:

Candidates who apply for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa need to mandatorily satisfy a set of eligibility criteria.

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

Applicants will be provided a decision on their visa within 3 weeks once they have applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents.

Fee Details:

Applicants need to be prepared to pay an application fee of £298, a healthcare surcharge of £1,552 and £2,530 in personal savings needs to be proved by the applicant to secure the visa.

Visa validity:

On being selected for the visa, applicants can live and work in the UK for up to 24 months. During this period candidates can enter the UK at any time while their visa is valid, and leave and come back at any time during their stay.

Here's what you cannot do:

The UK government has a set of rules that the candidates while being a recipient of the visa cannot do in the country.

• Candidates cannot extend their stay
• They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds)
• They cannot include family members on their application
• They cannot work as a professional sportsperson (for example as a coach)

Here's what you can do:

Candidates selected for the visa can use it for the purpose of studying (for some courses, an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate will be needed) and be employed.

Candidates can also be self-employed and set up a company, as long as their premises are rented, their equipment is not worth more than £5,000 and they do not have any employees.