Youth Mobility Scheme Work Rights
The Youth Mobility Scheme carries wide work permission, but it is not unlimited. This guide sets out what GOV.UK publishes: what you can do, the conditions attached to self-employment, and the restrictions.
- Section
- Youth Mobility
- Reading time
- 7 min
- Last checked
- 6 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- You can work in most jobs. No sponsor, no employer tie, no published limit on hours.
- Self-employment is allowed only if your premises are rented, your equipment is worth no more than £5,000, and you have no employees.
- You cannot work as a professional sportsperson, for example as a coach.
- You cannot get public funds.
- You can study, though some courses need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.
GOV.UK says you can work in most jobs on this visa, with no sponsor and no cap on hours. The limits are narrower than they are often described: professional sport is out, self-employment carries three published conditions, and public funds are not available. This guide sets out each one.
What You Can Do
On the Youth Mobility Scheme, GOV.UK says you can:
- Work in most jobs. You do not need a sponsor, you are not tied to one employer, and no limit on hours is published.
- Be self-employed and set up a company — on the conditions set out below.
- Study. For some courses you will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.
- Travel. You can enter the UK at any time while the visa is valid, and leave and come back during your stay.
“Most jobs” is GOV.UK’s own wording, and it is narrower than “any job”. The published exclusion is professional sport.
The Conditions on Self-Employment
This is the part most often stated too loosely. GOV.UK allows self-employment and setting up a company only where all three of these hold:
- your premises are rented
- your equipment is not worth more than £5,000
- you do not have any employees
A freelancer working from rented space with a laptop is inside those conditions. Buying premises, buying more than £5,000 of equipment, or taking on an employee falls outside them.
What You Cannot Do
- Work as a professional sportsperson. GOV.UK gives coaching as its example of a role caught by this.
- Get public funds. Most benefits are not available on this visa.
- Bring family members in on your application. They must apply separately.
- Extend your stay, unless you are from Australia, Canada or New Zealand — those nationals can extend once, by one year.
Compared to Other Visas
- Student visa. A Student visa limits paid work during term time and does not permit self-employment. This visa publishes no hours limit and permits self-employment on the conditions above.
- Skilled Worker. A Skilled Worker visa is tied to a sponsor and a specific job, and a change of employer or occupation code needs a new application. This visa is not tied to an employer. The Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement; this one cannot, and time on it does not count towards indefinite leave to remain.
- Graduate route. Similar breadth of work permission, but it is only open to people who have completed an eligible UK course.
For a comparison of fees, see our UK visa fees guide.
Tax and National Insurance
You pay UK income tax and National Insurance contributions on your earnings. To work you will normally need:
- A National Insurance number. You apply for one online on GOV.UK. GOV.UK says it can take up to 4 weeks to get, and that you can start work before it arrives if you can prove you have the right to work in the UK.
- A UK bank account, since most employers pay by bank transfer.
If you are self-employed you register with HM Revenue and Customs and file a Self Assessment tax return. If you leave the UK part way through a tax year, HM Revenue and Customs publishes guidance on claiming back income tax you have overpaid.
Proving Your Right to Work
Since the end of 2024 the Home Office no longer issues biometric residence permits. Your immigration status is held as an eVisa in your UK Visas and Immigration account. To prove your right to work to an employer you generate a share code from that account, which is valid for 90 days.
NHS Access
You paid the healthcare surcharge with your application, at the reduced rate of £776 a year that applies to this route. That covers your use of the NHS on the same basis as a UK resident. Registering with a GP is free and does not depend on your immigration status — see our NHS access guide for how to do it.
When the Visa Ends
The visa is granted for up to 24 months. Nationals of Australia, Canada and New Zealand can apply once to extend it by a year; everyone else on the scheme cannot extend. One published option for staying longer is to apply to switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, which needs a job offer from a licensed sponsor and an application made before the current visa expires.
Next Steps
Related guides:
- Youth Mobility Scheme: How It Works
- Switching to a Skilled Worker Visa
- Youth Mobility Scheme Requirements
- Youth Mobility Scheme Costs
- Skilled Worker Visa Guide
For the official wording, see the GOV.UK Youth Mobility Scheme page.
Questions and answers
Can I work full-time on the Youth Mobility Scheme?
GOV.UK says you can work in most jobs and sets no limit on your hours. It does not restrict you to one employer. You cannot work as a professional sportsperson, for example as a coach.
Can I be self-employed on the Youth Mobility Scheme?
Yes, on conditions. GOV.UK says you can be self-employed and set up a company as long as your premises are rented, your equipment is not worth more than £5,000, and you do not have any employees. Those three conditions apply together.
Can I study on the Youth Mobility Scheme?
Yes. GOV.UK lists study among the things you can do. For some courses you will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate — this applies to certain postgraduate courses in sensitive science, engineering and technology subjects.
Do I pay tax on my earnings?
Yes. You pay UK income tax and National Insurance contributions on UK earnings in the same way as any other worker. You apply for a National Insurance number online on GOV.UK. GOV.UK says it can take up to 4 weeks to arrive and that you can start work before it does, as long as you can prove you have the right to work in the UK.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.