Updated changes to Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) quotas for 2026

The UK Home Office has updated the 2026 quotas for each eligible country under the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) route. The quota is updated annually, and this year particular changes were introduced in relation to Australia and New Zealand.

The Home Office published the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules on 5^th March 2026, introducing new updates across work, study, family and visitor routes. Among these updates, the Home Office has confirmed changes to the allocation of places for nationals applying under the YMS scheme in 2026.

Who is eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme?

The YMS scheme is designed to provide cultural exchange programmes for young people from overseas, and it allows participants from eligible countries to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years without requiring employer sponsorship, and up to 3 years for certain nationalities.

The eligible countries or territories who can participate in the YMS scheme in 2026 include:

Andorra, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong (SAR passport)*, Iceland, India, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, San Marion, Taiwan* and Uruguay.

*These individuals must be selected for the YMS Scheme ballot prior to applying for a visa.

In addition to the above criteria:

• Applicants must be between 18-30 years old (or between 18-35 years old if they are nationals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea) to apply successfully for the YMS scheme.
• Applicants will also be required to show that they have at least £2,530 in savings to demonstrate that they can support themselves in the UK. The funds must be available for at least 28 consecutive days, and within 31 days of applying for the visa.

Changes to the YMS Scheme quota in 2026

The YMS has different quotas for each participating country, and it limits the number of places available for participants. These quotas are reviewed and updated annually through Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules. These changes will take effect as of 8 April 2026.

In 2026, the quotas for most YMS partner countries mainly remain unchanged. However, the only changes apply to Australia, with a noticeable reduction of places from 42,000 to 38,500, and to New Zealand, with a reduction from 9,500 to 8,000 places.

The remaining countries on the list have their specific allocation ranging from 100 to 10,000 places.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on all UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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