UK Youth Mobility visa for Australians: who can apply

UK youth mobility visa for Australians is a permit that lets you live and work in the United Kingdom for up to 24 months. You must be 18 or over when the visa starts, under 31 when you apply, and have £1,600 in cash funds. It is part of tier 5 of the UK points-based system and began on 27 November 2008.

This guide explains who can apply, how the points work, what money you must show, what work you can do and what the visa does not allow. Rules change, so check the UK Border Agency site before you apply.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme (ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk, page as at 17 February 2009); UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Who can apply?.

What changed in November 2008

The old working holidaymaker rules were replaced when the new scheme began. From 27 November 2008, young people from taking-part countries apply under the youth mobility scheme instead. The UK Border Agency lists four countries on the scheme now: Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

Under the new scheme your own government is your sponsor. For Australians that is simple. Your valid Australian passport is all the evidence you need to show you are sponsored.

If you applied under an old category before 27 November and have no decision yet, transitional rules apply. The same goes if you are already in the UK on an old visa. You cannot extend that stay once the new scheme has replaced the old categories.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme (ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk, page as at 17 February 2009); UK Border Agency, Temporary workers; UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Transitional arrangements.

Who can apply

You can apply if you meet all of these tests.

• You are an Australian citizen with a valid Australian passport.
• You are 18 or over on the day your visa lets you enter the UK.
• You are under 31 on the day you apply.
• You have £1,600 in available funds when you apply.

You cannot apply if you have children under 18 who live with you or who you are financially responsible for. You also cannot apply if you have been in the UK before as a working holidaymaker or under this scheme. You must apply from outside the UK. The UK Border Agency points you to its visa services website for the forms and the steps in the country where you apply.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Who can apply?.

The points test

Tier 5 works on points. You need 50 points to apply, and you score them in three parts.

The funds test is pass or fail. The UK Border Agency says that if you do not hold the minimum and score those 10 points, your application will be refused. It also asks you to confirm that you have no dependent children under 18 and have not been in the UK on an earlier scheme.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: How many points you must score.

The £1,600 you must show

The funds must be cash. Shares, bonds, pension funds and agreed overdraft facilities do not count. The balance must show at least £1,600, and your evidence must be dated no more than one month before you apply. The UK Border Agency converts your money at the OANDA exchange rate, so an Australian dollar balance needs enough room to cover the pounds on the day.

The documents must be originals on the bank's headed paper with its official stamp. The accepted kinds are:

• personal bank or building society statements, showing your name, the account number, the date and the balance;
• a building society passbook;
• a letter from your bank confirming the funds;
• a letter from a financial institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority or its home regulator.

A joint account can be used if your name is on it with one or more other people. Online statements are allowed if they carry all the same details, plus a letter from your bank on headed paper that confirms they are genuine. The agency also says you should plan for the cost of living, because you must support yourself without claiming state benefits. If you do not expect to earn after the first month, bring more than the minimum.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Maintenance (funds); UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: How many points you must score.

Working and studying in the UK

You can do any work you like without asking for approval, with a few limits. You cannot work as a professional sportsperson, including a sports coach, or as a doctor in training. You can be self-employed only if you have no permanent business premises, your business equipment is worth no more than £5,000 and you have no employees. You may rent premises if those conditions still hold.

You can also do privately funded study, au pair placements and voluntary work. You may leave and re-enter the UK at any time during your stay. You must register with the police if the immigration rules require it. The agency also points to the National Minimum Wage Act, which sets the pay floor for most jobs.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Working and conditions; UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Who can apply?.

What the visa does not allow

• No state benefits. You must not claim them.
• No switching. You cannot move into another points-based category or into a visitor route while you are in the UK on this visa.
• No settlement. You cannot apply to live permanently in the UK from tier 5, and the time you spend here does not count towards any later application.
• No second go. The scheme is a one-time visa for each person.
• No refund. If your application fails because you do not meet the rules, the fee is not returned. The agency lists current fees on its cost page.

Plan the two years with those limits in mind. Book your flights only after the visa is in your passport, and keep the bank evidence together until you have a decision.

Sources for this section: UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Working and conditions; UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Settlement; UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: Who can apply?.

Sources

1. UK Border Agency, Youth mobility scheme: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
2. UK Border Agency, Temporary workers: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
3. UK Border Agency, Who can apply?: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
4. UK Border Agency, How many points you must score: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
5. UK Border Agency, Maintenance (funds): ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
6. UK Border Agency, Working and conditions: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
7. UK Border Agency, Settlement: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
8. UK Border Agency, Transitional arrangements: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk