Working Holiday Maker Scheme

This is one of the best schemes  available for enjoying holiday in UK and also take up the work in UK.

Conditions to be satisfied by you and your family members  for selection under Working Holiday Scheme.

• You should of age between 17 to 30 years (both inclusive)
   

• You must be a Commonwealth Citizen, a Citizen of British Dependent territory or a British Overseas Citizen.
   

• You must be ready to take employment as part of your visa to UK under this scheme. Employment must not be primary motive for living and working in UK.
   

• If you are married your spouse should not be less than 17 years and more than 30 years.
   

• If you are married your dependent children should not be over the age of 5 years or will be completing age of 5 years before your two years visa expires.
   

• You should be in a position to support yourself throughout the duration of your holiday and for the return journey trip, without resource to public funding.
   

• You must have an intention to leave the  country at the end of the duration of your visa.
   

• You should not have an intention to engage in business or work as professional sports person during you stay in UK for the duration of this visa.
   

• You have not been granted previously visa under Working Holiday Scheme.
   

• You intend to leave UK at the end of your Working Holiday Maker status.
   

• You should be able to support yourself without needing help from public funds.
   

• You should be able to show that you have enough money to pay the cost of at least your journey to the UK, and show that you have enough money for your accommodation and living expenses for the first two months after you arrive, or for at least one month if you can show that you have arranged a job in advance, and that this job will pay you enough to cover your accommodation and living expenses.

DURATION OF VISA :::::

This visa is granted for a maximum stay of two years in the UK.  This is visa is available only once in life time.

You can spend up to two years in the UK as a working holidaymaker. This two year period starts as soon as you enter the UK on this status and will last exactly two years. For example, if you enter the UK for six months and then decide to spend the following one and half years outside the UK you will have used up your two years as a working holidaymaker.

EXTENSION OF VISA :::::

This visa is available only for the once in the life time and can not be extended for more than 2 years. The scheme is temporary in nature and will not lead to indefinite leave to remain in the UK (ILR) often referred to as UK permanent residence, nor will there be any progression towards British naturalization through UK citizenship.

You can extend your stay by getting work permit visa after one year of your stay in UK  as the job is on the skill shortage list. However  You should note that work permits are normally available for the high level jobs which are on the skills shortage list and employer is in a position to show that there is shortage of people to fill such vacancy.

You can also switch your Working Holiday Visa to the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) after one year in the UK. You can also under certain circumstances extend you stay as student for your study in UK.

WORK :::::

You can take on any part-time or full-time job as long as this is incidental to your holiday. You can pursue your career in the UK as long as this is a purely incidental part of your holiday.  You must intend to take work in the UK only as an incidental part of your holiday, so you must intend to spend no more than 12 months working, and to spend the rest of your stay on holiday. You can take most types of work including voluntary work, but you may not engage in any business, or provide services as a professional sportsperson. (Any other type of professional work is permitted.) You can choose when to work and when to take your holiday breaks as you wish, but you must not work for more than a total of 12 months or you will be breaking the conditions of your stay.

You will not be allowed to do business in the UK unless it is a very small business probably only employing yourself.  If the business will involve commitments such as investment in premises or in expensive equipment, or require you to employ staff this is not permitted under the working holidaymaker scheme. You are not allowed to work as a professional sports person.  You should be on holiday for at least one year out of the two year period on the working holidaymaker visa. You do not have to take this holiday all at once and you could, for example, decide to take this holiday at various times during the two years.

Accompanying Spouse and Children :::::

Your wife and children can accompany you under this visa to UK under the following circumstances.

• Your spouse must qualify under the regulation of the scheme under his/her own right.  This scheme does not work like dependency visa or a marriage, based on being a partner or dependent of someone who is settled in UK as a Permanent Residence.
   

• You must have sufficient fund available to take care of all the expenses of your spouse and dependent children during their stay in  UK and their return journey expenses.
   

• Your dependent children should not be over the age of 5 years or will be completing age of 5 years before your two years visa expires