UK-India Young Professionals Visa: 2025 Ballot Dates Announced

The UK-India Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) 2025 ballot is set to open on 18 February 2025, giving young Indian nationals the chance to live, work, study, and travel in the UK for up to two years.

With 3,000 places available under the scheme in 2025, most will be allocated in the February ballot, while the rest will be distributed in a second ballot in July.

To apply for a visa under the YPS, applicants must first be selected in the ballot.

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for a UK visa under this scheme, you must:

be an Indian citizen
be between 18 and 30 years old
have an eligible qualification ( UK bachelor’s degree level or above)
have £2,530 in savings.

The ballot will open on 18 February at 2:30 pm IST and close on 20 February at 2:30 pm IST. There is no fee to enter, and winners will be chosen at random.

To enter, you’ll need to provide:

Full Name
Date of Birth
Passport Details (including a scan or photo)
Phone Number
Email Address

You can only submit one entry per person. Multiple entries will not be counted.

Next Steps Once Selected

Those who are successful in the ballot will receive an email notification within two weeks after the ballot closes.

They will then have 90 days to:

Apply for the visa using the online application form.
Provide biometric data.
Pay all associated fees, including the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

The application requires a £298 visa fee and a £1,552 health surcharge.

What is the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme?

Launched in February 2023, the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme is a reciprocal visa program that allows young British and Indian nationals to live, work, study, and travel in each other’s countries for up to two years.

To be eligible for the UK visa under this scheme, applicants must:

Be an Indian citizen aged 18 to 30.
Have an eligible qualification.
Show £2,530 in savings.
Win a spot in the ballot before applying for the visa.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, highlighted the scheme’s role in fostering mutual understanding between the two nations. She encouraged people from all over India to apply, saying:

“The Young Professionals Scheme is an excellent programme which helps build a modern understanding of our countries among Brits and Indians alike. I strongly encourage people from all corners of the country to apply – from Itanagar to Coimbatore, from Leh to Surat, and from Bhubaneshwar to Indore.”

Do you plan to join the YPS ballot? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

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