The United Kingdom: Expansion of Youth Mobility Schemes

Key Points  

• The United Kingdom will expand eligibility options, timelines and more under certain Youth Mobility schemes  

Overview  

The United Kingdom (UK) government (UK) expanded its Youth Mobility schemes with Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea on 31 January 2024. These changes include the following: 

• Increasing the age range for applicants from Australia, Canada and South Korea to the age of 35. 
• Introducing a one-year extension option for Australian and Canadian nationals. As a result, the maximum period of stay will be set to three years for these applicants.  
• Increase the reciprocal quota with Japan to 6,000 and increase the quota from South Korea to 5,000. Citizens from both countries will no longer be required to enter a ballot before applying. 

In addition, the government is also implementing new schemes with Andorra and Uruguay. As a result, youth aged 18 to 30 will be permitted to enter the UK for a maximum period of up to two years. Youth from the UK will be permitted to enter these two countries for an equal period. Initially, 100 to 500 slots will be available to applicants. Check here for insights into eligibility and application requirements for the Youth Mobility schemes. 

Looking Ahead  

Continue to check the government of the UK’s website and Envoy’s website for the latest updates and information.