The United Kingdom is opening the next ballot for the India Young Professionals Scheme from Tuesday, February 17. The highly awaited scheme allows young skilled professionals from India to live and work in the country for up to 2 years.
The Young Professionals Scheme was agreed as a part of the India-UK Migration and Mobility Partnership. It operates on a reciprocal basis between both India and the UK, providing opportunities for young professionals of the other country to live and work in the partner country.
Indian citizens who meet the visa eligibility requirements can enter the ballot. Successful ballot entries will be picked at random, and the candidates will get an email within 2 weeks of the ballot closing.
Who can apply
To be eligible for the visa, an individual should be
- an Indian citizen
- Should be between 18 and 30 years old
- Should have an eligible qualification at a bachelor’s degree level or above
- have £2,530 in savings to support yourself in the country
- Should not have any children under the age of 18 who live with you or are financially dependent on you
If a candidate meets all these criteria’s they must apply for the India Young Professionals Scheme ballot and on successful selection, they should apply for the visa.
Additionally, those who have already been to the UK under this scheme cannot apply for this scheme
How to Apply
To apply for the Scheme, a person will have to first enter the ballot and then apply for the visa. Candidates who are selected in the ballot will have 90 days to apply for the visa and pay the application fee, along with the immigration health surcharge.
The candidate selected in the ballot will also have to provide biometric information, including fingerprints and a photo.
The individual will have to prove their identity by either using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document, or by giving their biometric information at the visa application centre.
According to the official website, there are 3,000 places available for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa in 2026. Most of these places will be filled in the first ballot in February, with the rest of the places available in the second ballot later in the year.
How long does it take to get decision?
Once you have applied for the ballot, the results will be sent by email to the chosen candidates within 2 weeks of ballot closing.
Following the submission of the visa application and providing the documents, the person will receive a decision within 3 weeks.
However, in some cases, the processing of the application can take longer if the supporting documents need to be verified, you need to attend an interview to discuss your personal circumstances, for example, if you have a criminal conviction.
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, and be self-employed or 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 as they must apply separately, or work as a professional sportsperson (for example, as a coach).
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