The India Young Professionals Visa Scheme is a two-year mobility scheme that allows Indian citizens between 18 and 30 years old to live and work in the UK for up to two years. If selected, applicants have 90 days from the date of that email to complete their visa application, pay the fee, and submit biometrics. Anyone who doesn't hear back within that window can assume they weren't selected this time, since there's no separate rejection notice, and the process moves straight to inviting successful entrants only.
Eligibility criteria
The India Young Professionals Scheme visa is open to Indian citizens between 18 and 30 years old who want to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be an Indian citizen, aged 18 to 30
- Hold an eligible qualification of a bachelor’s degree or another eligible qualification
- Have at least £2,530 in savings
- Not have any children under 18 living with them or dependent on them financially
- Those selected can work in most jobs, study, or even set up their own company and be self-employed. However, they cannot extend their stay, claim most public funds, include family members on the same application or work as a professional sportsperson, such as a coach.
- Unlike several other UK work visa routes, this scheme doesn't require a job offer or employer sponsorship before applying.
How to apply
- Email invitation: Successful entrants will receive an official email containing a unique link to complete the online visa application.
- 90-day window: Candidates have 90 days from the date of the email to submit their application, pay the £340 visa fee alongside the £1,552 Immigration Health Surcharge, and book a biometrics appointment.
- No obligation: Selected individuals who decide not to proceed with their application are not required to notify UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
How to know you get selected
- The scheme uses a random ballot rather than a first-come, first-served process. Applicants simply register their interest during the open window, providing basic details like name, date of birth, passport information, and contact details
- Once the ballot closes, every valid entry is pooled together, and a random draw decides who gets selected. There are 3,000 places available for 2026 in total, split across two ballots during the year, with only successful entrants moving forward to the actual visa application stage
- UKVI sends out selection emails within two weeks of the ballot closing. If you're picked, this is the only notification you'll receive
- It is also important to note that no official rejection letters are sent. If an applicant doesn't hear anything within the two-week window, or the 90-day window doesn't get triggered by an invite, they can take it as confirmation they weren't selected this time.
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