If you are planning to apply for a visa under the India Young Professionals Scheme in 2026, the first step is not the visa application itself, it is entering a ballot. The next ballot for the India Young Professionals Scheme will open at 2:30 PM India Standard Time on 17 February 2026 and close at 2:30 PM India Standard Time on 19 February 2026. Applicants can enter the ballot at any time while it remains open. The official link to submit an entry will be made available on the relevant government page once the ballot opens. For more clarity, check gov. uk.
Who can enter the ballot?
Only Indian citizens who meet the eligibility criteria for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa can enter.
Before submitting an entry, applicants are advised to carefully check that they meet all visa requirements.
This includes eligibility conditions such as holding a qualifying educational qualification and having sufficient funds to support themselves.
Entering the ballot is free. However, individuals should only enter if they genuinely intend to apply for the visa and meet all eligibility requirements. The visa application itself costs £319, in addition to the immigration health surcharge.
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Information required for ballot entry
To enter the ballot, applicants must provide the following details:
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Full name
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Date of birth
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Passport details
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A scan or photo of their passport
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Phone number
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Email address
Only one entry per person is permitted for each ballot. Any additional entries submitted by the same individual will not be counted.
How the selection process works
Successful entries are selected at random.
Applicants will receive the results of the ballot by email within two weeks of the ballot closing. There is no fee to enter, and selection does not depend on the timing of submission within the ballot window, entries can be made at any point during the open period.
For 2026, there are 3,000 places available under the India Young Professionals Scheme visa.
Most of these places will be allocated through the first ballot in February.
The remaining spots will be made available in a second and final ballot later in the year.
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If you are selected
If your ballot entry is successful, you will receive an invitation to apply for the visa.
You will have 90 days from the date of the invitation email to:
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Apply for a visa online
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Pay the visa application fee and immigration health surcharge
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Give biometric details (fingerprints and photo)
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If you are invited to apply for a visa but choose not to, then no further action is required. You do not need to formally decline the invitation.
If you are not selected
If your ballot entry is unsuccessful, the decision is final. There is no appeal process. However, unsuccessful applicants are allowed to participate in future ballots, as long as they are still eligible at that time.
With limited spots available and most likely to be assigned during the first ballot, applicants are encouraged to check their eligibility criteria and prepare necessary documents in advance.
