United Kingdom: India Young Professional Scheme Ballot to Open July 22, 2025
June 16, 2025
Country / Territory
Share
At a Glance
- The Home Office has announced that the second (and final) ballot for the India Young Professional Scheme will open on July 22, 2025 and close on July 24, 2025.
- The scheme is reciprocal – nationals of each country can apply to live, study, travel and work in each other’s country. The reciprocal Indian program does not use a ballot system. Instead, eligible individuals can apply throughout the year.
The situation
The Home Office has announced that the second (and final) ballot of 2025 for the India Young Professional Scheme will open on July 22, 2025 and close on July 24, 2025. Under the scheme, successful applicants can live, work and study in the United Kingdom for a period of 24 months.
A closer look
- Ballot period. The second ballot for the 2025 India Young Professional Scheme will open at 13:30 Indian Standard Time on July 22, 2025 and will close at 13:30 Indian Standard time on July 24, 2025.
- 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 and who have no children below 18 with whom they live or support. Individuals selected by ballot then have 90 days to apply for a visa under the scheme, pay the visa application fee (including immigration health surcharge) and provide biometrics.
- Quota. In 2025, the United Kingdom is making 3,000 places available under the scheme, with most spots already allocated in the February 2025 ballot. The remaining 2025 places will be issued in this July ballot.
- Costs. Entering the ballot is free but it costs GBP 319 to apply under the Scheme. Those who are not chosen in the upcoming ballot can submit another application in future ballots.
- Reciprocal arrangement. The reciprocal Indian program does not use a ballot system. Instead, eligible individuals can apply throughout the year through applying for the so-called ‘Employment Visa – E 1’.
Impact
When the application window opens, interested applicants will be able to 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.
Background
- Previous ballots. In 2024, the United Kingdom held India Young Professionals Scheme ballots in February and July. The first ballot for the 2025 intake under the scheme was held in February 2025.
- Other youth mobility schemes. The Indian Young Professional Scheme (IYPS) is similar to the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) which also allows a person from a participating country or territory to experience life in the UK. Nationals of some countries eligible under the YMS, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, are also selected under a ballot process.But in contrast to the IYPS, applicants under the UK’s YMS scheme do not need to evidence any educational qualifications.
- UK-India migration partnership. The Young Professionals 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.
Looking ahead
Further immigration related concessions between the United Kingdom and India were also included as part of an India-UK trade agreement confirmed in May 2025. We will track and report future developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
