Immigration Rules: Immigration Rules Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme Eligible Nationals
gov.uk change note: Changes made with reference to Statement of Changes HC 1691.
Headline
The 2026 Youth Mobility Scheme allocation numbers and fallback provisions have been restructured without substantive policy changes, moving from numbered paragraphs to a bullet-point format.
Changes in detail
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Paragraph 1 allocation numbers — The specific 2026 allocation numbers for all 13 countries/territories have been reformatted from a numbered paragraph structure to a bullet-point list format. The actual numbers remain identical: Australia (38,500), Canada (10,000), India (3,000), Japan (6,000), Republic of Korea (5,000), New Zealand (8,000), Hong Kong (1,000), Taiwan (1,000), Iceland (1,000), Monaco (1,000), San Marino (1,000), Andorra (100), and Uruguay (500).
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Paragraph 1A fallback provisions — The continuity provisions for future years when allocations are not yet updated have been moved from their original position after the country list to before it, but the substance remains unchanged: countries with quotas under 1,000 get the same number as the previous year, others get either 1,000 or 50% of the previous year's places, whichever is greater.
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Invitation to apply arrangements formatting — Paragraphs 2 and 3, covering the invitation arrangements for Hong Kong, India, and Taiwan, have been reformatted from numbered paragraphs to bullet points, but all substantive content including the random selection process and expression of interest requirements remains identical.
Practical implications
None. This is purely a formatting change with no impact on eligibility criteria, allocation numbers, or application processes. Practitioners can continue advising clients based on the existing allocation numbers and invitation procedures.
Administrative changes
The entire document has been restructured from a numbered paragraph format to a bullet-point format, with additional white spacing added throughout. All substantive policy content remains unchanged.
Diff
@@ -1,37 +1,50 @@ ## Countries and Territories participating in the Youth Mobility Scheme, and annual allocation of places for 2026 + + + + +- 1. The maximum total allocation of places available for use by nationals or citizens of countries and rightful holders of a passport issued by territories participating in the Youth Mobility Scheme in 2026, are as follows: + + +- • Andorra - 100 places + +- • Australia – 38,500 places + +- • Canada – 10,000 places + +- • Hong Kong - 1,000 places + +- • Iceland – 1,000 places + +- • India - 3,000 places + +- • Japan - 6,000 places + +- • Monaco – 1,000 places + +- • New Zealand – 8,000 places + +- • Republic of Korea - 5,000 places + +- • San Marino – 1,000 places + +- • Taiwan – 1,000 places + +- • Uruguay - 500 places + + + -1. The maximum total allocation of places available for use by nationals or citizens of countries and rightful holders of a passport issued by territories participating in the Youth Mobility Scheme in 2026, are as follows: +- 1.A. In order to ensure the continuity of the scheme in subsequent years, where the annual available places are yet to be updated the following number of places will be made available: -• Andorra - 100 places +- (a) for countries whose quota is less than 1000, the same number of places as the previous year; and -• Australia – 38,500 places - -• Canada – 10,000 places - -• Hong Kong - 1,000 places - -• Iceland – 1,000 places - -• India - 3,000 places - -• Japan - 6,000 places - -• Monaco – 1,000 places - -• New Zealand – 8,000 places - -• Republic of Korea - 5,000 places - -• San Marino – 1,000 places - -• Taiwan – 1,000 places - -• Uruguay - 500 places +- (b) for all other countries, either 1000 or 50% of the previous year’s places, whichever is the greater. @@ -39,30 +52,20 @@ - - -1.A. In order to ensure the continuity of the scheme in subsequent years, where the annual available places are yet to be updated the following number of places will be made available: - - -(a) for countries whose quota is less than 1000, the same number of places as the previous year; and - -(b) for all other countries, either 1000 or 50% of the previous year’s places, whichever is the greater. - - - +1B. The maximum total allocation of places listed in paragraph 1 does not apply to nationals in the UK with valid permission under the Youth Mobility Scheme and who are eligible and applying for permission to stay under the scheme. - - -1B. The maximum total allocation of places listed in paragraph 1 does not apply to nationals in the UK with valid permission under the Youth Mobility Scheme and who are eligible and applying for permission to stay under the scheme. 1C. DELETED. + 1D. DELETED. + 1E. DELETED. + 1F. DELETED. @@ -72,51 +75,49 @@ ## Invitation to apply arrangements - -2. Where places are being allocated under the Youth Mobility Schemes for the countries or territories listed below, the Home Office will apply invitation to apply arrangements: +- 2. Where places are being allocated under the Youth Mobility Schemes for the countries or territories listed below, the Home Office will apply invitation to apply arrangements: -(a) Hong Kong +- (a) Hong Kong -(b) India +- (b) India -(c) Taiwan +- (c) Taiwan - -3. Under these arrangements: +- 3. Under these arrangements: -(a) the Home Office may publish a request for expressions of interest from nationals or citizens of, or rightful holders of passports issued by, the countries and territories in paragraph 2, and will publish at least one annual request for expression of interest when a scheme is available for UK nationals under a reciprocal arrangement; and +- (a) the Home Office may publish a request for expressions of interest from nationals or citizens of, or rightful holders of passports issued by, the countries and territories in paragraph 2, and will publish at least one annual request for expression of interest when a scheme is available for UK nationals under a reciprocal arrangement; and -(b) the Home Office will determine the number of rounds of expressions of interest and the number of places available for any round, and may have regard to the implementation of the reciprocal arrangement; and +- (b) the Home Office will determine the number of rounds of expressions of interest and the number of places available for any round, and may have regard to the implementation of the reciprocal arrangement; and -(c) a prospective applicant must submit an expression of interest in accordance with the process published by the Home Office; and +- (c) a prospective applicant must submit an expression of interest in accordance with the process published by the Home Office; and -(d) no more than one expression of interest per person will be accepted by the Home Office during each period in which they may be submitted; and +- (d) no more than one expression of interest per person will be accepted by the Home Office during each period in which they may be submitted; and -(e) a prospective applicant must only submit an expression of interest for a country or territory that they are a national or citizen of, or the rightful holder of a passport for; and +- (e) a prospective applicant must only submit an expression of interest for a country or territory that they are a national or citizen of, or the rightful holder of a passport for; and -(f) the Home Office will: +- (f) the Home Office will: -(i) select at random those to whom an invitation to apply for entry clearance under the Youth Mobility Scheme relevant allocation is to be issued from the pool of those who have submitted an expression of interest; and +- (i) select at random those to whom an invitation to apply for entry clearance under the Youth Mobility Scheme relevant allocation is to be issued from the pool of those who have submitted an expression of interest; and -(ii) keep a record of those individuals to whom an invitation to apply is issued; and +- (ii) keep a record of those individuals to whom an invitation to apply is issued; and -(g) the Home Office may: +- (g) the Home Office may: -(i) place a time limit on the period during which an expression of interest is to be submitted; and +- (i) place a time limit on the period during which an expression of interest is to be submitted; and -(ii) determine the number of invitations to apply that may be issued in any calendar month; and place a time limit on the validity of an invitation to apply. +- (ii) determine the number of invitations to apply that may be issued in any calendar month; and place a time limit on the validity of an invitation to apply.