India Young Professionals Scheme visa: ballot system

You need to enter a ballot if you want to apply for a visa for the India Young Professionals Scheme.
The next India Young Professionals Scheme ballot will open at 1:30pm India Standard Time on 21 July 2026, and will close at 1:30pm India Standard Time on 23 July 2026.
You can enter the ballot at any time while it is open. The link to enter the ballot will be on this page.
Entering the ballot
You can enter the ballot if you are an Indian citizen and you are eligible for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa.
Check if you are eligible for the visa
before entering the ballot.
You will need to provide:
your name
your date of birth
your passport details
a scan or photo of your passport
your phone number
your email address
Successful ballot entries will be picked at random. You will be sent the results by email within 2 weeks of the ballot closing.
It is free to enter the ballot. You should only enter if you:
plan to apply for the visa, which costs £340
meet all the eligibility requirements for the visa - such as having an eligible qualification and enough money to support yourself
There are 3,000 places available for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa in 2026. Most places were made available in the first ballot in February. The remaining places will be made available in the second and final ballot later in July.
You can only submit one entry per person for each ballot. Any further attempts to enter will not be counted.
Successful entries
If you are successful in the ballot, you will be invited to apply for a visa.
You have 90 days from the date of the email to:
apply online for the visa
pay the visa application fee and
immigration health surcharge
provide your fingerprints and photo (biometric information)
If you are successful in the ballot but choose not to apply for the visa, you do not need to tell us.
Unsuccessful entries
The results of the ballot are final. You cannot appeal if you are unsuccessful.
You can enter future ballots if you are unsuccessful, as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria.