You can apply for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme Visa to work in the UK for up to two years, if you are the national of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea or Taiwan, or are a British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territories Citizen or British National (Overseas).
You must be aged between 18-30, and must have £1,890 in your personal bank account on the date of your visa application. You cannot switch into this immigration category whilst you are in the UK. You will need to leave the UK and apply for entry clearance from your country of origin.
If you have previously spent time in the UK under the Tier 1 Youth Mobility Scheme or the now defunct “Working Holidaymaker Scheme”, you cannot apply under the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme as the benefit of this scheme can be enjoyed only once.
If you have a Hong Kong “Special Administrative Region” passport, you can apply to the Labour Department for a certificate of sponsorship.
Korean nationals need a certificate of sponsorship before they can apply which can be obtained by contacting the Consular Services Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If you are from Taiwan, you need to register your interest with the National Youth Commission which will send you a certificate of sponsorship and details of how to apply for your visa if your registration is accepted.
Nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, or New Zealand and British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territories Citizen or British National (Overseas) do not have to pre-register their interest and can apply using their passports.
Places are, however, limited and the application will be refused if all the places for a year have been taken. Please contact us to get advice on how to apply for the visa and find out whether all the places for your country have been taken. There is no limit for British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens and British Nationals (Overseas).