United Kingdom: First Ballot for India Young Professional Scheme Open; Additional Guidance on Reciprocal Scheme Published

Ballot period. Further to our previous alert, the Home Office has confirmed that the first ballot for the India Young Professional Scheme is open (as of 14:30 Indian Standard Time on February 28, 2023) and will close at 14:30 Indian Standard time on March 2, 2023 (the closing time has now been extended to 20:59 Indian Standard Time due to technical glitches that resulted in the restart of the ballot).  

• Program details. The ballot is open to Indian nationals between 18-30 years old, or those who would be 18 at the date of travel under the scheme, who have a bachelor’s degree level or above, savings of at least GBP 2,530 to support themselves and who have no children below 18 who they live with or support. Individuals selected by ballot can then apply under the scheme within 30 days of being notified of selection.  
• Costs. Entering the ballot is free but it costs GBP 259 to apply under the Scheme. Those who are not chosen in the first ballot can submit another application in future ballots.  
• Guidance statements. The published guidance adds further context to the scheme and confirms it is reciprocated by India whereby British nationals will also be able to apply to enter India to live, work or study.

Interested applicants can now submit a ballot for the program online. 

The scheme provides a specific entry pathway for qualifying Indian nationals with a relatively short processing time as compared to other schemes. 

The Young Professional Scheme is part of the UK-India Mobility and Migration Partnership, signed in May 2021, which includes commitments to enhance migration arrangements and efforts to strengthen cooperation around immigration violations between India and the United Kingdom. 

This could be the start of further immigration agreements between the United Kingdom and India and the foundation for future trade agreements. We will track and report future developments.