Youth Mobility Scheme ballot system explained

Migrants from some countries who are eligible to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa will need to apply for a specific ballot, for instance, if they are from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In order to apply for a YMS visa, individuals must be aged 18 to 30 on the day of submission. In addition, applicants must have at least £2,530 in their bank account to show that they can financially support themselves in the UK. Please note that the funds must be held at least for 28 continuous days and must be within 31 days of applying for the visa. Once the migrant was granted for a YMS visa, he/she will be able to reside and work in the UK for up to 2 years.

For those who need to apply for a ballot entry, each applicant can only submit one ballot entry and ballots typically open in January and July each year. Ballots will be open for 48 hours, and all emails received within this 48-hour period will be entered into the ballot and receive an automated reply confirming receipt.

Please note that British Overseas Citizens and British Overseas Territories Citizens or British National (Overseas) do not need to apply for the ballot.

How to apply for the ballot?

Individuals must send an email in English and the subject line of their email must include their name, date of birth and current passport number in the format: Last name First name – DD/MM/YYYY – passport number. The email must also contain their mobile phone number.

Hong Kong

200 ballot places will be available in July 2021 in Hong Kong. Applicants will need to email [email protected] between midday Monday 12 July 2021 and midday Wednesday 14 July 2021 (Hong Kong time).

Japan

700 ballot places will be available in July 2021 in Japan. Migrants will need to email [email protected] between midday Monday 12 July 2021 and midday Wednesday 14 July 2021 (Japan time).

South Korea

200 ballot places will be available in July 2021 in South Korea. Individuals will need to email [email protected] between midday Monday 12 July 2021 and midday Wednesday 14 July 2021 (South Korean time).

Taiwan

200 ballot places will be available in July 2021 in Taiwan. Migrants will need to email [email protected] between midday Monday 12 July 2021 and midday Wednesday 14 July 2021 (Taiwan time).

Individuals will receive an email by 16 July 2021 if they are successful in the ballot. They will have 30 days to submit their application and pay the relevant fees once they have received the email.

Migrants should receive a decision within 3 weeks of attending their biometric appointment at a Visa Application Centre.

However, if the applicant is unsuccessful in the ballot, he/she will receive an email within 1 week of the ballot closing. He/she will then be able to re-apply for the ballot when it re-opens in January 2022.

Contact Our Immigration Team

For expert advice regarding any aspect of the UK visa application, please contact our immigration team on 0203 384 3075.

 

 

 

The content of this article is for general use and information only. Since each case should be prepared on its own merit and in light of the constant amendments to the Immigration Rules, it is important to note that the information provided must not be relied upon unless Migra & Co has either given written consent or has been officially engaged in relation to a specific immigration matter. As a result, Migra & Co will take no responsibility for any damage, cost or loss resulting from relying on the information contained in this article, blog and website.