The Youth Mobility Scheme Opens to Indian Nationals in January 2022

Posted onNovember 16, 2021

Immigration News on the UK Youth Mobility Scheme

With UK employers looking for ways to fill urgent job vacancies, the planned changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme will be of interest to UK businesses struggling to recruit staff from the pool of British and settled workers. The extension of the Youth Mobility Scheme is also of interest to those looking at coming to the UK to work but who fear their skills means they would not qualify for a skilled worker visa. In this article our immigration solicitors take a look at how the planned changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme could be of help to both Indian nationals and UK employers.

UK Online and London Based Immigration Solicitors and Youth Mobility Scheme Lawyers

For help with a Youth Mobility Scheme application or for immigration law and employment law advice on overseas recruitment by UK businesses call the expert London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.

Youth Mobility Scheme opens to Indian nationals

On the 1 January 2022 the Youth Mobility Scheme will open to Indian nationals. This is very welcome news for both UK employers and Indian citizens.

The inclusion of Indian nationals into the Youth Mobility Scheme is of benefit to UK business owners because:

Many firms are finding it impossible to recruit and fill job vacancies from the pool of available talent in the UK.
To employ skilled migrant workers on the skilled worker visa a UK business needs to apply for a Home Office issued sponsor licence.
Only vacancies that meet one of the standard occupation codes (published by the UK government ) are eligible for a skilled worker visa.
For a job to meet the skilled worker visa criteria the vacancy has to be skilled (equivalent of A level standard job) and has to meet the minimum salary threshold for a sponsored work visa.
Many jobs used to be filled by EU nationals as they did not need a visa to work in the UK whilst the UK was a member of the EU or whilst the UK was still within the Brexit transition period. The transition period ended on the 31 December 2020. The UK government did not introduce a no-skill or lower skilled work visa to replace the pool of previously available EU workers. This has added to the shortage of workers in some sectors of the UK economy, such as hospitality or construction workers.

The extension of the Youth Mobility Scheme for Indian citizens is equally welcome to Indian nationals as it extends their range of visa options. That is always a bonus. A UK immigration solicitor can help work out the best immigration route taking into account immigration history and personal circumstances and goals. For example, if a job offer can be secured that meets the eligibility criteria for the skilled worker visa this would be the fastest way to settle in the UK and apply for indefinite leave to remain. That is because time spent in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme does not count towards the residence requirement for an indefinite leave to remain application if an applicant is applying under the five-year ILR route. Time spent in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme can count towards the ten-year route to indefinite leave to remain.

Who can apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme and what work can be done in the UK whilst on the scheme?

Immigration solicitors say that the main eligibility criteria for the Youth Mobility Scheme are:

The applicant is from a country that is a participant in the scheme and
The applicant is aged between eighteen to thirty. The applicant must be over the age of eighteen when they apply for clearance and must be under the age of thirty on the date of the application.

The scheme gives UK entry for up to two years. Whilst in the UK an applicant can work for any UK employer. There is no minimum salary threshold although the UK employer can't exploit the Youth Mobility Scheme worker. The business must therefore pay the worker at least the national UK minimum wage. The company must also carry out a right to work check before the employment commences.

Immigration solicitors warn both Youth Mobility Scheme applicants and UK employers that a member of the Youth Mobility Scheme cannot be self-employed so this can rule out some jobs where businesses expect workers to work on a freelance or self-employed basis.

The drawback of the Youth Mobility Scheme for both applicant and UK employer is that a person in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme cannot apply under the scheme to extend their stay in the UK. Nor can they return to their home country and make a second application for another Youth Mobility Scheme place. However, once in the UK, a Youth Mobility Scheme holder can apply to switch to a skilled worker visa if they can get a suitable job offer from a sponsoring employer who holds a Home Office issued sponsor licence.

Are there any special rules for Indian nationals applying to join the Youth Mobility Scheme?

To apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme placement, you must be a national of a participating country but there are then some rules that are particular to certain participating countries.

If you are an Indian national planning to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme in January 2022 then it is important to be aware that India will not have Deemed Sponsorship Status. That means an Indian Youth Mobility Scheme applicant must supply evidence of sponsorship with their application. There are only 3,000 sponsorship places a year for Indian nationals and the sponsorship must have been issued within six months of the application.

The Home Office ballot process has to be used to secure sponsorship for the Youth Mobility Scheme. Immigration solicitors can explain how to go about submitting an expression of interest in applying for the Youth Mobility Scheme. The Home Office will then select the Indian nationals who are invited to apply for a place on the Youth Mobility Scheme.

In addition to sponsorship, an Indian national Youth Mobility Scheme applicant will also need:

An education or a work experience qualification. An Indian national applicant must be able to evidence a qualification that is similar to or above RQF level 6 ( a degree level qualification) or must have evidence of a minimum of three years of work experience in a job that is equivalent to a job listed in the UK immigration rules Appendix Skilled Occupations. This appendix lists the jobs that meet the eligibility criteria for the skilled worker visa and the intra company transfer visa. (This aspect of the eligibility criteria makes the Youth Mobility Scheme for Indian nationals less attractive to UK employers and makes the eligibility criteria for Indian citizens harder than some of the other participating countries in the Youth Mobility Scheme).

To pay the Home Office Youth Mobility Scheme application fee and the immigration health charge.
To provide biometric information and evidence of identity and nationality.
To not fall foul of the general grounds for refusal of UK entry clearance.
To meet the financial requirement, namely have funds of £2,350 for at least twenty-eight days.

Is the Youth Mobility Scheme the best option?

UK employers and Indian nationals will be looking to see if the January 2022 changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme and extension to include Indian citizens is a good route to recruit workers from India to come to the UK to live and work. UK immigration solicitors are always keen to stress that for both UK business owners, and Indian nationals in the age range eighteen to thirty, there are many other UK entry clearance options. For example, the student visa(where a visa holder can do some work whilst studying), the graduate visa or as the new entrant on the skilled worker visa . An immigration solicitor can look at all the recruitment and immigration options from the perspective of either a UK employer or individual immigration applicant.

UK Online and London Based Immigration Solicitors and Youth Mobility Scheme Lawyers

For advice on the business immigration, individual immigration or the Youth Mobility Scheme call the immigration team at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.