The Youth Mobility Scheme opened its doors to Indian nationals on January 1, 2022. Being one of the friendlier parts of Immigration rules, the Youth Mobility Scheme is a route designed to enable people aged 18–30 to live and work in the UK. What makes this route better than other work visa options is firstly its straightforward application process, which doesn’t require an employer to sponsor the visa or even for the applicant to necessarily intend to work in the UK. Youth Mobility visa applicants can use their two years in the UK for the purpose of study too. Secondly, this route is also less expensive than most, with a £244 application fee and a lower Immigration Health Surcharge rate of £470 per year, totaling up to roughly £1,200 for the two-year visa. As of right now, the Youth Mobility visa is only available to citizens of a select list of 11 countries plus British Overseas Territories. Namely, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Japan, Monaco, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, San Marino, and Iceland. Each of these countries has an annual quota of Youth Mobility visas available to its citizens. Currently, the scheme is only open to 3,000 Indian national applicants. The impact of the cap on potential applicants varies based on the nationality of the applicant. Large allocations exist in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, but they are never filled. Even before the pandemic, around 9,000–10,000 Youth Mobility visas were awarded to Australians each year, far less than the 30,000 threshold. On the other hand, a lottery system is used by the Home Office for applicants from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and India. Applicants submit an email expressing their interest, and the Home Office sends out "invitations to apply" at random. As Indian citizens qualify for the Youth Mobility Scheme for the first time in 2022, the rules are comparatively more restrictive than for other nationalities. This is with respect to the qualification and ability requirements that need to be fulfilled by the Indians as compared to their counterpart members of the scheme. To qualify for the Youth Mobility Visa, an Indian must have either an undergraduate degree or a minimum of three years of work experience. In addition, there are several restrictions on a Youth Mobility application. A participant in the Youth Mobility Plan in the UK cannot apply to prolong their stay under the scheme. They are also unable to return to their home country to apply for another place. However, once in the UK, a Youth Mobility Scheme holder can apply for a skilled worker visa if they can find a suitable job offer from a sponsoring firm that holds a Home Office-issued sponsor license.
Where a successful applicant gets a two-year entry clearance, it comes with a few limits in terms of constraints of self-employment, i.e., a person has no premises which they own, other than their home, from which they carry out their business, total value of any equipment used in the business does not exceed £5,000; and the person has no employees. The planned changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme not only benefit Indian nationals as it extends their range of visa options, but also UK businesses too, who are struggling to recruit staff from the pool of British and settled workers. It’s not just the UK but also other countries in Europe, namely: Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Norway, and Ireland, which offer visa options for professionals, digital nomads, and freelancers, making it easier for self-employed individuals to get a work visa. Germany is focused on bringing in more immigrants to mainly fill in the gap that has arisen due to its aging population and labor shortage. The shortage of skilled people in various areas and professions, ranging from engineering, manufacturing, information technology, and health, has prompted the Federal Government to look for additional ways to cover up. Two of the most popular options it provides are a job seeker visa and a freelance visa. The Long-Term Residency Permit for Germany is a job seeker visa that permits an individual to stay in the nation for six months while looking for work. If one finds a job during this term, he will be granted a work permit. A job seeker visa doesn’t allow an individual to begin working in Germany right away. It means that you can travel to the country and look for work while you're there. One must change their job seeker visa to a residence permit for employment after getting a job. To be an eligible applicant, one must hold a Bachelor's or Master's Degree, have a minimum of 5 years of work experience, have travel or medical insurance, and have sufficient funds to cover their stay in Germany. On the other hand, a German Freelance Visa is for those whose intention of coming to Germany to work is within a liberal profession, i.e., in the fields of law, healthcare, tax and business counseling, scientific and technical, linguistic and information-transmission. A freelance visa is typically granted for three months. This can be further converted into a residence permit with an extension of up to three years. A successful freelance business is a must to be eligible for such an extension. This means one should have sufficient money to cover living expenses and those of dependent family members. After three years with a freelancing residence permit, if an individual decides to start a retail or manual trade, they become eligible for a settlement permit.
This comes as great news for opportunistic people across the globe, as these work visa options open doors for skilled individuals and also come as a savior for governments who are looking to fill the huge labor gap they face in current times.
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