The UK government has confirmed the second and final ballot of 2026 for the India Young Professionals Scheme, the route that lets Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 live and work in the UK for up to two years. The ballot opens at 1:30pm India Standard Time on Monday 21 July 2026 and closes at 1:30pm IST on Wednesday 23 July, a 48-hour window. Entering is free, and 3,000 places are available under the scheme for 2026 in total, most of which were allocated in the February ballot. Anyone who misses this round has no further chance to enter until the 2027 ballots are announced.
Background
The India Young Professionals Scheme opened in 2023 as part of a UK–India migration and mobility agreement. It mirrors the UK's Youth Mobility Scheme but is limited to Indian citizens and uses a ballot because demand far exceeds the 3,000-place annual quota. The scheme runs two ballots a year: a large one in the spring covering most places, and a smaller summer round that redistributes what remains. The July 2026 round is that final redistribution, with dates announced on gov.uk on 14 July.
How the ballot works
Entry is through the official gov.uk ballot page while the window is open; the timing of your entry within the window does not matter, as winners are drawn at random after it closes. You can enter once per ballot, entry is free, and results arrive by email within two weeks. Selected entrants then have 90 days to submit the full visa application, pay the £340 application fee and the £1,552 immigration health surcharge, and provide fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre. An unsuccessful ballot entry cannot be appealed, but eligible people can enter again in future rounds.
The key requirements
- Indian citizen, aged 18 to 30 at the time of application
- A qualification at bachelor's degree level or above
- Savings of at least £2,530
- No children under 18 who live with you or whom you financially support
- Costs after selection: £340 visa fee plus £1,552 healthcare surcharge
What the visa allows
The visa lasts up to 24 months from entry. Holders can work in most jobs, study, and be self-employed — self-employment is allowed as long as the business has no employees and equipment worth no more than £5,000. The visa cannot be extended, and time on it does not by itself lead to settlement, so it suits people who want two years of UK work experience rather than a permanent move. Our United Kingdom country guide (/country-guides/united-kingdom) covers the longer-term routes, and the India guide (/country-guides/india) has context for the return leg.
What this means in practice
For anyone eligible, the concrete step is to have documents ready before 21 July: a passport, evidence of the qualifying degree, and proof of the £2,530 in savings held for the required period. The entry form itself asks only for basic details and a passport scan, but winners have just 90 days to complete the full application, so the savings and document requirements are worth confirming against the official guidance before entering rather than after being selected.
When it happens
Ballot opens 1:30pm IST, 21 July 2026; closes 1:30pm IST, 23 July 2026. Results by email within two weeks of closing (per gov.uk).
Key Takeaway
The last 2026 ballot for the UK's two-year India Young Professionals visa runs 21–23 July; entry is free and takes minutes, but the window is 48 hours.