The United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed to cooperate on the development of a Youth Mobility visa scheme, described as a youth experience scheme by the United Kingdom Prime Minister.
Under any new agreement, it is expected that younger United Kingdom nationals will be able to work across European Union countries and younger European Union nationals would be able to work in the United Kingdom.
No details have been released beyond the commitment to cooperate, but reports suggest that the scheme will allow two years residence for 18 to 30 year old visa holders from the United Kingdom and European Union.
The United Kingdom already operates 13 Youth Mobility schemes with different combinations of age requirements and length of stay. All arrangements have a quota to control numbers. It is a self-sponsored visa, which can only be granted once in a lifetime and does not lead to settlement in the United Kingdom. At the end of their stay, visa holders can apply to switch into another visa type such as Skilled Worker if they are eligible.
| Country | Age requirement | Length of stay |
| Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, Uruguay, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India | 18 to 30 | 2 years |
| South Korea | 18 to 35 | 2 years |
| Australia, Canada, New Zealand | 18 to 35 | 2 years and one year extension |
The European Union does not have a common immigration scheme for youth mobility of non-EU nationals into the European Union. Instead, some member states have similar schemes in national law, usually based on bilateral arrangements with a limited number of countries. The Youth Mobility scheme proposed by the United Kingdom and European Union would require unique cooperation between all member states and the United Kingdom. However, challenges may be expected when legislative proposals are discussed, with member states likely to put forward policy positions that mirror their current national schemes, most notably in respect of labour market access.
Once officially agreed, this new deal for United Kingdom and European Union nationals will be welcome news for young people and employers. In particular, those in the retail, hospitality, construction and tourism sectors will welcome the easier access to younger workers without the need to sponsor nor pay high application fees. The Youth Mobility Visa is also useful for internships and some graduate schemes; particularly in light of the proposed curtailment of the Graduate Visa to 18 months.
The absence of sponsorship requirements and comparatively low application costs renders the Youth Mobility Visa a compelling option for temporary employment and internship pathways, pending further legislative or policy announcements concerning implementation and enforcement.
European Union member states would need to either implement their own Youth Mobility Visa or agree to a European Union wide approach. This also opens the possibility of the European Union agreeing an extension to other countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Lyudmyla Davies
Partner (Solicitor)
Ian Robinson
Partner
Andrea Als
Director (Solicitor)
Tom Marsom
Director (Solicitor)
Lucy Vaux
Senior Manager (Solicitor)
Awale Olad
Senior Manager
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