If you are an Indian graduate who wants to live and work in the UK but doesn’t have a job offer or an employer willing to sponsor your visa yet, there is a route worth knowing about. The India Young Professionals Scheme lets eligible Indian citizens move to the UK and work here for up to two years without a sponsor, a job offer, or a minimum salary. However, places are limited and allocated by a random ballot, so there is a bit more to it than a standard application.

What the scheme is 

The India Young Professionals Scheme arose from a bilateral mobility agreement between the UK and Indian governments. Its defining feature is flexibility: you don’t need an employer to sponsor you before you arrive. You come to the UK first and then find work once you’re here, which means you can interview, network and choose a role rather than being tied to one employer from the start. 

A few things to be clear about with this visa: 

• It lasts a fixed period of two years.

• You cannot extend it, and you cannot apply twice. This is a once-only route. 

• You cannot bring dependants. A partner or child would need to qualify for their own visa. 

• Time on this visa does not count towards settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain). To stay long term, you would need to switch to another route before it ends. 

The two-stage process: ballot first, then application 

First, you enter a free online ballot. There are 3,000 places for 2026, with most released in the February ballot and the rest in a second ballot later in the year. Entry is free and takes a few minutes. Selection is completely random, though we advise you to enter early to avoid forgetting or hitting a technical glitch near the deadline. 

Second, if you are selected, you receive an invitation by email (usually within about two weeks of the ballot closing) and then have 90 days to submit your full visa application and pay the fees. Being selected in the ballot does not confirm you are eligible; it only gives you the right to apply. You still have to meet every requirement at the application stage. 

If you aren’t selected, you typically won’t be notified. If this happens, you may wish to wait for the next ballot. 

Who is eligible 

To get the visa you need to score 70 points, but in practice that just means meeting the following requirements. 

1. Nationality, age and education. You must hold a valid Indian passport, be between 18 and 30 years old when you apply and hold a qualification at bachelor’s degree level or above (equivalent to a UK bachelor’s). The Home Office assesses your age at the date of application, so you can turn 31 after you’ve applied without affecting it. 

2. English language. You can meet this either by showing your degree was taught in English (for example, with an Ecctis certificate) or by passing an approved Secure English Language Test at CEFR level B1 or above. 

3. Money. You must have at least £2,530 in personal savings, held continuously for 28 days, with the final day of that period falling within 31 days of your application. The balance must not dip below £2,530 at any point during those 28 days. Even a single day below the threshold can sink the application. 

There are also a few firm bars. You cannot apply if you have previously been in the UK under this scheme or the Youth Mobility Scheme, and you cannot apply if you have a child under 18 who lives with you or who you are financially responsible for. This applies even if the child lives in India. This is one of the most overlooked rules, so it’s worth reading twice. 

What it costs in 2026 

The fees changed in April 2026, so be careful with older guides that quote the previous figures. As of now: 

• Ballot entry: free. 

• Visa application fee: £340. 

• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,552 for the full two years, paid upfront. This gives you access to the NHS for the duration of your visa. 

That brings the core Home Office cost to around £1,892. Priority processing (five working days) is available for roughly £500 extra, and Super Priority (next working day) for around £1,000 extra. 

However, once you add the £2,530 you need to show in savings, a flight, and your first month or two of rent and living costs while you look for work, most people need somewhere in the region of £6,000–£7,000 accessible before they land. Ensure you have enough money for the entire move.

What you can and can’t do on the visa 

On the plus side, the freedom is the whole point of this route. You can work in almost any sector and switch jobs freely. Self-employment is also available to you. You can run your own business, provided your premises are rented, your equipment is worth no more than £5,000, and you don’t employ staff. You can study some courses (a few require an ATAS certificate). And you can travel in and out of the UK as often as you like during the two years. 

You cannot work as a professional sportsperson or coach, and you cannot work as a doctor or dentist in training unless you obtained your degree in the UK. You cannot claim public funds, extend the visa, or bring family members on it. 

Breaching visa conditions may lead to curtailment, which is recorded on your immigration history. If you’re unsure whether something is allowed, check before you do it. 

How it compares to the Skilled Worker visa 

People often weigh this route against the Skilled Worker visa, so here’s the short version. 

	Young Professionals Scheme	Skilled Worker Visa
Requires a sponsor	No	Yes: an approved UK employer
Requires a job offer	No: find work after arrival	Yes: required before application
How you qualify	Win a place in a ballot system	Have a sponsored job meeting salary and skill thresholds
Length of stay	2 years (fixed)	Up to 5 years, renewable
Extendable	No	Yes
Path to settlement (ILR)	No: must switch routes	Yes: five year path
Dependants allowed	No	Yes: partner and/or children
Age limit	18-30 at application	No age limit
Minimum qualification	Bachelor’s degree or above	Job-dependent (skill threshold)

The key difference is the lack of requirement for a sponsor or job offer. In practice, many people use the Young Professionals Scheme as a way into the UK: they arrive, find an employer, and switch to a Skilled Worker visa before the two years are up. That switch is the most common long-term plan, but it isn’t automatic, as you need a sponsoring employer and a qualifying job to make it. 

Common mistakes to avoid 

• Applying before you’ve won a ballot place. You cannot apply for the visa until you’ve been selected and invited. 

• Letting your savings dip. Your balance must stay at or above £2,530 for the entire 28-day period. 

• The dependent-child rule. Being financially responsible for a child under 18 makes you ineligible, even if that child lives in India. 

• Provisional degree certificates. The Home Office is strict about this. If you only have a provisional certificate, include an official letter from your university confirming the degree was awarded. 

• Missing the 90-day window. Once invited, you have 90 days to apply, and you’ll then need to travel to the UK within six months. 

Keeping safe from scams 

You may also see this route called the ‘UK lottery visa’, a nickname that comes from its random ballot system. This is a term scammers may deliberately target to catch people out. Remember two things and you’ll keep yourself safe from scams: entering the ballot is always free and only happens through the official gov.uk page, and the application fee is only ever paid by selected applicants through the official gov.uk visa service. Any message asking you to pay to enter the ballot or claiming you’ve ‘won’ and demanding a fee, is a scam. Be wary of lookalike websites and WhatsApp messages claiming to be from the Home Office. If you’re unsure, we at Cross Border Legal Solicitors can help you distinguish false sources and services from official government websites and systems.

Getting your application right

The ballot is down to luck, but the application is entirely within your control. A refusal at the application stage means you’ve used up the opportunity and the fees that go with it. Getting your documents, finances and timing right before you’re invited is the single best thing you can do. 

If you’d like your eligibility checked or your application reviewed before you submit, that’s exactly the kind of thing a qualified immigration solicitor can help with. At Cross Border Legal Solicitors, we offer free initial advice. Get in touch if you’d like to talk it through. 

You may contact us by filling out our Quick Enquiry Form any time you need professional support or have any questions. Alternatively, you can call us during office hours on 07544669131 / 0116 3800 744. 

Cross Border Legal Solicitors Ltd is a UK Solicitor law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It is headed by Mr Tito Mbariti, a UK Immigration and Human Rights Solicitor, practising lawyer and member of the Law Society of England and Wales.