Tier 5 – Youth Mobility and temporary workers

The Youth Mobility Scheme is Tier 5 of the new points based system, it replaced the popular Working Holiday Visa towards the end of 2008. Individuals with current valid leave to remain in the Working Holiday Visa category will be able to stay in the UK until their visas expire.

Tier 5 is a cultural exchange scheme designed to create reciprocal Youth Mobility Scheme opportunities for participating countries. Each year, the UK Border Agency will publish a list of countries that qualify for the Scheme, together with the number of places on the Scheme that are allocated to each country.

Countries that are included on this scheme at present are Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. If you are aged 18-30 and a national of one of these countries you maybe eligible for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa.

The list of countries that can participate in the Youth Mobility Visa is much smaller than those who participated in the original UK Working Holiday program, so if you are not a national of these countries you may need to look at alternative visa options.

The Tier 5 Youth mobility visa does have certain restrictions including:

• You must not have previously entered or spent time in the UK on a UK Working Holiday Visa in the past;
• You must have the funds to support yourself on arrival in the UK without resorting to public funds (benefits);
• You are allowed to stay for a period of two years in the UK and can work for that period. There are no restrictions on working, however you may not set up your own business, work in professional sports or work as a trainee doctor.

For more information on Tier 5 - Youth Mobility and Temporary Worker visas please call us on 0203 291 2711 or complete the form at the bottom of this page.

Our other UK Points Based System programme visas: