22 February 2024
by Kasia Janucik
Thaxted Legal
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INDIA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BALLOT OPENS ON 20TH FEBRUARY2024
Home Office has announced start of its 2024 ballot forIndia Young Professionals Scheme visa.
The next ballot will open at 2:30pm India Standard Time on 20February 2024.
It will close at 2:30pm India Standard Time on 22 February2024.
To take part go to Home Office webpage.
For more information about the scheme and how to prepare visitour page dedicated to the scheme.
INDIA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SCHEME VISA MANDATORYREQUIREMENTS
For those Indian nationals who intend to participate in the nextballot for India Young Professionals visa it is time to startpreparations. Just like all other UK visa categories, the IndiaYoung Professionals visa Scheme has its strict requirements. Itwould be a shame to be successful in the ballot and then fail thevisa due to failing one of the mandatory requirements because youdo not prepare in advance.
WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIA YOUNGPROFESSIONALS SCHEME
Fulfilling all the visa eligibility requirements may requiretime to prepare so its best to start your preparations in advance.This approach will help you in avoiding disappointment. Thestarting point is to understand in detail what are the Home Officerequirements to qualify for the visa. The details of theeligibility requirements are set out in the immigration rules, guidance and ballot system.
To be eligible for an India Young Professionals Scheme visa youmust:
- be an Indian national or citizen between 18 and 30 yearsold
- be at least 18 years old on the date you plan to travel to theUK
- have a qualification at bachelor's degree level or above(Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, 7 or 8)
- have £2,530 in savings to support yourself in the UK
- not have any children under the age of 18 who live with you orwho you're financially responsible for
- You must first apply to and be selected in the India YoungProfessionals Scheme ballot before you can apply for your visa. Youcannot apply if you've already been in the UK under this schemeor the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.
Required documents:
- a valid passport or other document that shows your identity andnationality
- evidence that you have at least £2,530 in your bankaccount, for example bank statements
- evidence of your qualifications
- your tuberculosis (TB) test results if you're living inIndia or another listed country (you can read our TB testing guidance for more details)
- police clearance certificate(s) – check how to apply forcriminal records checks (you can read our overseas criminal recordguidance here
- You'll need a blank page in your passport for yourvisa.
WHAT MISTAKES INDIA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SCHEMEAPPLICANTS MAKE
We recommend reading our previous article published when the firstIndia Young Professionals ballot was announced in February 2023.You should note that there is a strict deadline to apply for thevisa within 30 days from the date you receive notification ofsuccessful ballot.
At the date of application you must be able to evidence that youhave at least £2,530 in your personal bank account.You willneed to have the required funds available for at least 28 days in arow. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for the visa.
We noticed that some applicants did not have the required fundson their account for the specified time before the application andtherefore could not meet the financial requirement.
In addition, you also need to have the funds to pay the£298 application fee and £1,552 for the NHS Surcharge.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
For those who intend to take part in the February 2024 IndiaYoung Professionals Scheme visa ballot it is high time to commencepreparations. You should start from reading the immigration rulesand Home Office guidance. This will allow you to understand therequirements for the visa and the specified evidence required forthe visa application. Prepare in advance toll avoid disappointmentwhen you are successful in the ballot.
The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circ*mstances.
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