UK announces ballot for Indians to apply for new youth scheme

The British High Commission in New Delhi has announced the opening of a ballot this week for Indians interested in applying for the new UK-India Young Professionals Scheme. The ballot will run between February 28 and March 2 and successful Indian applicants will be invited to apply for visas under the scheme to work and study in the UK for up to two years.

"The ballot will randomly select ballot entrants and if successful,will invite you to submit your visa application," the British mission said. 

The Young Professional Scheme is a reciprocal programme that will allow up to 3,000 degree-holding citizens between 18 and 30 to live and work in each other's countries for two years. It was formalised by an exchange of letters between the Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram K. Doraiswami and Matthew Rycroft, the Permanent Secretary at the UK Home Office, in London earlier this year.

Successful candidates could look for a job, educational or cultural opportunity once they arrive in their host country, or they could use the time just as a visit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the launch of the young professional scheme at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November last year, where both the leaders met in person for the first time.