As the UK seeks to redefine its relationship with Europe post-Brexit, a much talked about potential development is the creation of a UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS). Such a scheme would open new doors for young people from across Europe, offering them the chance to work, live, and travel in the UK for a specific period. With both the UK and EU facing pressures on migration, the proposed scheme could benefit both parties economically, culturally and socially.

What would the UK-EU YMS look like?

The UK already has a successful YMS scheme in place which was introduced in 2008. It  allows young people from participating countries (such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand) to live and work in the UK for a limited period. A scheme with the EU would likely mirror the YMS scheme already in place. For example, if the current model were followed it would allow young people from EU member states (potentially aged between 18-30 or 18-35) to apply to live and work in the UK for up to two (even up to three) years. The route would allow them to take up employment or studies, gain professional experience and explore the UK during their stay.

Whilst the full details of the proposed scheme have not been disclosed, it is anticipated that applicants would be required to meet similar eligibility requirements to other YMS partner countries, namely meeting the age requirements, evidencing funds to support themselves, paying the Home Office fees (including the Immigration Health Surcharge). The UK also sets a quota of annual intakes for each participating country. Media reports have suggested that this quota could be set at 70,000 for the EU, surpassing Australia’s 45,000 annual quota although notably this would be far smaller quota as a proportion of the population (comparing the EU’s population of 450 million  to Australia’s 27 million).

How can this scheme benefit both the UK and eligible EU nationals?

The UK’s labour market is currently facing significant challenges particularly in areas such as agriculture, hospitality and healthcare where there is a shortage of workers. EU citizens made a majority of net migration in the run up to the 2016 EU referendum, however since 2021 EU net migration has been negative and in the year ending June 2024 EU net migration was at a staggering minus 95,000.  By offering a channel for young people to fill these gaps, the UK could address some of these shortages, benefiting industries that rely heavily on temporary or seasonal labour. Additionally, the introduction of this route could appease to pressures to reduce net migration by introducing a route that is capped, age-restricted, with no availability for dependants.

For  individuals, the YMS is a flexible route allowing individuals to work and study in the UK with minimal restrictions. This would also assist universities many of which have expressed financial hardship given the drop in international student intake, especially with the halting of Student dependants on most courses in January 2024. A new route for potential EU students to undertake further studies could help boost international student intake whilst appeasing to the Home Office’s commitment to curb net migration figures given that the YMS is short term in nature and similar to the student category it does not allow for dependants.

An additional benefit to the YMS route is that although it is temporary and does not lead to settlement, it does (in its current form) allow individuals to switch into an immigration category  that offers long-term residence (eg Skilled Worker).  

How likely is this to happen?

This topic has become increasingly popular in parliamentary discussion, including most recently in January 2025. In August 2024, polling found that 58% of people think a youth mobility scheme for EU nationals is a good idea, compared to the 10% who thought it would be a bad idea.

In April 2024, the European Commission (EC) formally proposed that the EU negotiate a YMS with the UK. The EC proposal was rejected by the Conservative UK government and Labour as being equivalent to “freedom of movement”, however the EC highlighted that the eligibility requirements and time-limited permission prevent the return to free movement. Recent reports have suggested that the Labour government has reset talks to introduce a reciprocal scheme with the intention of setting out these points by mid-May, however subsequent outlets have reported that there are no future plans in place. At this stage, the confirmation of any scheme seems tenuous and if there is to be a proposed scheme, we can expect to see quotas and further restrictions imposed.

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