The UK Home Office announced on 23 June 2026 that the second — and final — Youth Mobility Scheme ballot for Hong Kong SAR Chinese and Taiwanese nationals will open on 14 July. The ballot closes 48 hours later, on 16 July. Most of the 1,000 annual places each group receives were distributed in the February ballot; the remaining places will be allocated in this summer round. For anyone aged 18–30 from Hong Kong or Taiwan who missed February or was not selected, this is the last opportunity to secure a YMS place for the entire 2026 year.
Background
The Youth Mobility Scheme is a two-year visa that lets people aged 18–30 live, work, and study anywhere in the UK without needing an employer to sponsor them. Holders can take any job, switch employers freely, and run a small business on the side. It requires no job offer and no Certificate of Sponsorship. The UK offers this route to nationals from a defined list of countries and territories, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, under separately negotiated agreements. Because demand outpaces supply, the Home Office allocates places through a ballot rather than a first-come, first-served queue. Each year, 1,000 places are available for Hong Kong SAR Chinese nationals and 1,000 for Taiwanese nationals. The year's quota is split between two ballots: a larger first round in February and a smaller second round in summer.
How the second ballot works
Entry is free and done by email. Hong Kong nationals email [email protected]; Taiwanese nationals email [email protected]. Emails must arrive between 00:01 on Tuesday 14 July 2026 and 00:01 on Thursday 16 July 2026 — using Hong Kong time and Taipei time respectively. The subject line must contain your last name, first name, date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format, and your passport number. The body of the email must repeat your name, date of birth, passport number, and include a mobile phone number. The Home Office selects winners at random from valid entries. Results go out by Thursday 30 July 2026.
What your ballot email must include
- Subject line: Last name, first name, date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY), passport number
- Body: Full name, date of birth, passport number, mobile phone number
- Send to [email protected] (Hong Kong time) or [email protected] (Taipei time)
- One entry per person — duplicates are automatically disqualified
Who can enter
The ballot is open to Hong Kong SAR Chinese and Taiwanese nationals who will be between 18 and 30 years old on the date they travel to the UK under the scheme. You must hold at least £2,530 in savings and have no dependent children under 18 living with you or financially reliant on you. If you have previously held a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, you are not eligible to apply again. There is no restriction on where you currently live — you can enter the ballot from outside the UK or, in some cases, from inside it, though the visa must be applied for from abroad.
What happens if you win
Winning the ballot is not the same as having a visa. It is an invitation to apply. After being notified by 30 July, you have 90 days to complete the full application: pay the £340 visa fee, book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre, submit supporting documents (including bank statements and a passport photograph), and provide biometric data — fingerprints and a facial photograph. The Home Office typically decides within three weeks of the biometrics appointment. If your application is approved, you receive a vignette in your passport that allows you to enter the UK, followed by a Biometric Residence Permit confirming your leave. The YMS visa lasts 24 months from your date of entry. For background on living and working in the UK, see the GoMate UK country guide at /country-guides/united-kingdom.
Key dates
Ballot open: 00:01 on Tuesday 14 July 2026 (HK/Taipei local time). Ballot close: 00:01 on Thursday 16 July 2026 (HK/Taipei local time). Results: by Thursday 30 July 2026. Application deadline after winning: 90 days from notification.
How many places remain — not publicly stated
The Home Office has not disclosed how many of the 1,000 annual places for each group are available in the second ballot. GOV.UK states only that "most places are allocated during the February ballot." Based on prior years, the second ballot typically distributes a smaller proportion than the first. Do not assume the second ballot is equivalent in size to February's round.
Key Takeaway
If you are a Hong Kong SAR Chinese or Taiwanese national aged 18–30 and want to live and work in the UK without employer sponsorship, 14–16 July is your last chance to enter a ballot in 2026. Entry is free; email the correct address during the 48-hour window.