United Kingdom: India Young Professional Scheme Ballot to Open Soon

The situation 

The UK Home Office has announced that the next ballot for the India Young Professional Scheme will open on February 17, 2026 and close on February 19, 2026. 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 first ballot for the 2026 India Young Professional Scheme will open at 14:30 Indian Standard Time on February 17, 2026 and will close at 14:30 Indian Standard time on February 19, 2026.  
    • 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 2026, the United Kingdom is making 3,000 places available under the scheme. Most places will be offered in this February 2026 ballot, with the remaining places to be offered in a second (and final) ballot later in the year (likely, July 2026). 
    • 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’. 

 Background 

• • • Previous ballots. In both 2024 and 2025, the United Kingdom held India Young Professionals Scheme ballots in February and July.  
    • 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. 

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.  

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, though still to be ratified in both India and the United Kingdom. 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.