Tier 5 Visa for Youth and Mobility Workers

The following information is about the UK's new points based system, which has not been fully implemented yet. It's possible that information may change over the course of the following months, so please check back periodically.

Tier 5 Visa Overview

In the third quarter of 2008, the UK will introduce Tier 5 for Youth and Mobility Workers as part of its new points based system.

Young people eager to experience life in the United Kingdom will be able for a Tier 5 visa for Youth Mobility Workers. This scheme, part of the UK's new five-tier points based system, allows young people from countries with which the UK has certain agreements to live and work in the UK for up to two years.

This tier will encompass current rules involving youth mobility and temporary workers, who are people allowed to work in the UK for a temporary period of time to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives, e.g. Working Holiday Makers, Temporary Exchange Workers and Voluntary Workers.

If you wish to come to the UK under a Tier 5 visa, you will need to be:

• a citizen of a participating company; or
• a British overseas citizen; or
• a British overseas territory citizen; or
• a British national (overseas)

You will also need to be sponsored by your governent, if you are not a British overseas citizen, British overseas territory citizen, or a British national (overseas).

As a worker in the UK under Tier 5, you will not be allowed to switch out of your current tier into another tier, as you would be allowed to do in the highly skilled migrant tier, the skilled migrant tier, and the student tier.

You must be aged between 18 and 30 years of age and have sufficient funds to support yourself when you first arrive in the UK until you find a employment.

You are not eligible to come to the UK under a Tier 5 visa if you have dependant children or have previously come to the UK as a working holidaymaker.

When Tier 5 is implemented, it will replace the following schemes:

• au pair scheme
• British Universities North America Club scheme
• Gap year entrants
• Japan: Youth Exchange
• research assistants to the Members of Parliament
• Working Holiday Makers scheme

For people in the United Kingdom under one of thesecategories, transitional arrangements will be provided when Tier 5 goes into effect.