Youth Mobility Scheme for Canadians

Eligibility for Canadians

Canadian citizens can apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme if they meet the published requirements:

• Age. 18 or over when the visa starts, and 35 or under when you apply. GOV.UK says you can apply before you turn 18, and can be over 35 by the time the visa starts.
• Nationality. A valid Canadian passport.
• Savings. At least £2,530, held for 28 days in a row, with day 28 within 31 days of applying.
• No previous use of the scheme. You cannot apply if you have already been in the UK under it.
• Children. You cannot apply if you have children under 18 who live with you, or children you are financially responsible for.

There is no ballot for Canadians. Canada is also not one of the four countries (Andorra, Iceland, San Marino and Uruguay) whose applicants must supply a criminal record document — see our requirements guide for the full document list.

Costs

• Application fee: £340
• Healthcare surcharge: £1,552, which is £776 a year for 2 years at the reduced rate this route pays
• Total: £1,892
• Savings to show: £2,530

See our Youth Mobility Scheme cost guide and UK visa fees guide.

Work Conditions

GOV.UK says you can work in most jobs, with no sponsor and no published limit on hours, and can study — some courses need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate. You cannot work as a professional sportsperson, for example as a coach, and you cannot get public funds. Self-employment is allowed only if your premises are rented, your equipment is worth no more than £5,000 and you have no employees. Our work rights guide sets out each condition.

How to Apply

Apply online on GOV.UK — the earliest is 6 months before you travel — and pay the £340 fee and healthcare surcharge as part of the application. You then prove your identity, either by scanning your document with the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or by having your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre; GOV.UK says you will be told which applies when you apply. You provide your passport and a bank statement showing at least £2,530, and a decision usually follows within 3 weeks. See our biometrics guide.

Extending, and Staying Beyond 2 Years

Canada is one of only three nationalities GOV.UK allows to extend this visa. The published rules are:

• you can extend by one year, and only once
• you must be living in the UK and hold a valid Youth Mobility Scheme visa
• apply no more than 28 days before the current visa expires
• the fee is £340 plus £776 healthcare surcharge, so £1,116
• the new visa runs from the day after the old one ends, and a decision usually comes within 8 weeks
• you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get that decision

Other published options for staying longer:

• Applying to switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, with a job offer from a licensed sponsor. The general salary threshold is £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. Canada is on the GOV.UK list of countries whose nationals do not have to prove their knowledge of English for that route.
• The Ancestry visa, open to Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the UK. Canada is a Commonwealth country. That visa is granted for 5 years and can lead to settlement.
• Other routes, if their published requirements are met.

Time on the Youth Mobility Scheme, including any extension, does not count towards indefinite leave to remain.

Next Steps

Related guides:

• Youth Mobility Scheme: How It Works
• Youth Mobility Scheme Costs
• Youth Mobility Scheme Work Rights
• Switching to a Skilled Worker Visa
• Youth Mobility Scheme Requirements

Questions and answers