Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending Tier 5 visas for overseas 18 to 30 year olds; and if she will make statement.
The Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) is a cultural exchange programme, allowing young people aged 18 to 30 from participating countries and territories to experience life in the UK for up to two years.
The UK currently operates nine Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, San Marino, Japan, Monaco, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. We have indicated our desire to negotiate further agreements with our international partners.
However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK Nationals, the Home Office will not add nations to the scheme unilaterally in the absence of such an agreement.