Thursday 15 February 2024

The next ballot process for the India Young Professional Scheme is scheduled to open on Tuesday 20 February 2024 at 2:30pm India Standard Time. It will close on Thursday 22 February 2024 at 2:30pm India Standard Time. The Scheme will function slightly differently than in its initial year, following changes to the number of available places and recent increases to application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

The India Young Professional Scheme route, introduced in February 2023, allows Indian nationals between 18 and 30 to live and work in the United Kingdom for up to two years. This arrangement is similar to the Youth Mobility Scheme, with additional steps in the application process. The first step requires that applicants enter a ballot system through UKVI. Only those who are successful in the ballot will be invited to apply for the route.

The Home Office has confirmed that 3,000 places will be available on the Scheme for 2024 – the majority of places will be available during the February ballot, with any remaining places made public in July 2024.

Eligibility requirements

Before entering the ballot, applicants must confirm that they meet all eligibility requirements for the India Young Professional Scheme visa, which are to:

• be an Indian citizen;
• be between 18 and 30 years old;
• have an eligible qualification at bachelor’s degree level or above;
• have at least £2,530 in savings; and
• not have children under 18 who live with them or for whom they are financially responsible.

Ballot system

Applicants must provide the following information to UKVI to be entered into the ballot:

• full name;
• date of birth;
• details of current passport;
• photo or scan of current passport;
• phone number; and
• email address.

There is no cost to enter the ballot, and all entries must be submitted online via the UKVI website. Entries will be picked randomly, and successful applicants will be sent their results by email within two weeks of the ballot closing. They will then have 90 days to submit the online application and pay the £298 application fee and relevant Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fee – this currently stands at £1,552 for India Young Professional Scheme applicants.

Get in touch

To learn more about the India Young Professional Scheme visa and forthcoming changes to UK immigration law, see our website, contact your assigned LDI lawyer or email enquiries@lauradevine.com.