The India Young Professionals Scheme: Action needed

In this informative article our Business Immigration expert Gemma Robinson examines the UK government’s migration partnership with India, with input from Amarjit Singh, CEO at the India Business Group, a leading business advisory consultancy working in the UK-India corridor.

Background

In May 2021, the UK government announced that it had signed a new migration partnership with India, which would allow Indian and British young professionals to work in each other's countries. Provisions were added to the Immigration Rules in 2022 to allow Indian nationals to travel to the UK as part of the Youth Mobility Scheme however, until now, Indian nationals had no way of being invited to the scheme.

Details about the migration scheme

The Home Office has published a guidance webpage which announces the ‘India Young Professionals Scheme visa’ (“IYPS“) and confirms that a ballot will open on 28February 2023 at 2:30pm India Standard Time and will close at the same time on 2 March 2023. Eligible applicants can enter at any time while the ballot is open. It is not entirely clear at the time of writing whether the IYPS is a rebranding of part of the Youth Mobility Scheme or a separate scheme.

An eligible applicant will be an Indian citizen between 18 and 30 years old, have a qualification at bachelor’s degree level or above (or overseas equivalent) and have £2,350 in savings to support themselves in the UK. In addition, the eligible applicant must not have any children under the age of 18 who live with them or who they are financially responsible for. Although in theory the minimum age to apply is 18, the bachelor’s degree and savings requirement are going to limit the number of applicants under 21 that can apply. Nevertheless, those that are eligible and successful will be a welcome addition to help plug some of the labour shortages being experienced in the UK.

The UK government has set a 3,000 annual limit on places for Indian nationals and 2,400 places will be available in this February ballot. The eligible applicant must enter the ballot online with their personal details such as their name, date of birth, email address, phone number and passport numbers.

A copy of their passport will also be required but no fee will be charged to enter.

What happens if an applicant is successful to the Youth Mobility Scheme?

If the applicant is successful, after a random selection, they will be informed via email within two weeks of the ballot closing. Successful applicants will be given 30 days from the date of their outcome email to make their relevant visa application. This will allow the applicant to live and work in the UK for up to two years. Any unsuccessful applicants will have the chance to apply in the next ballot which is expected to open in July 2023. For further details on this ballot and the link to enter, please see this link: India Young Professionals Scheme visa: ballot system - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

It is hoped that the limit on numbers for this visa route will be increased by the government to allow more eligible applicants to apply in the future to make a real impact on a struggling UK labour market. It is also hoped that the UK will continue to make additional country specific agreements to help the UK thrive in the post-Brexit world.

Conclusion

Foot Anstey LLP is delighted to be collaborating with the India Business Group (IBG) and supporting its efforts in improving trade and growth in the UK-India corridor. If your ballot entry is successful, and you require assistance with preparing and submitting your visa application under the IYPS visa, Gemma Robinson at Foot Anstey LLP would be happy to help for a fixed fee.

Key Contacts

For further details, please do enquire with Gemma directly on the contact details below or get in touch with IBG

Guest Author


CEO at India Business Group

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