Valid from date on YMS Visa

My UK YMS Tier 5 visa "Valid From" date is 1 July. I set this as the "Estimated" travel date in my paperwork. I didn't realize that was the date they would actually set it as Valid From. I wanted to leave earlier than that.... as in maybe 3 weeks from now (1 May).

Is there any way to get this changed/fixed? Is there any way I could enter the UK and begin my travels before my visa is active? I am a Canadian, I believe I can travel for 90 days before needing a visa anyway?

Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated.

If you travel to the UK before the date of issue, you'll probably be refused as a visitor. Immigration officers at the borders will know that a YMS visa was issued in your name by checking both the system and your passport. Having a YMS visa suggests that your intentions are not really to visit the UK and then go back, but to live and work in the UK for a longer period of time.

You can try and have the date changed by contacting the visa application centre where you applied. There are little chances they will agree to change it as it's the date you submitted in your application, but it's worth trying.

VisaWise | Immigration Consultancy
OISC Registered Immigration Advisers
London, United Kingdom
info@visa-wise.co.uk
http://www.visa-wise.co.uk

Ottawa has refused to change the date. They seem pretty adamant the Valid From was documented and this is my error. As YMS can not be re-issued, it's 1 July.

Hey bradcanuck,

Whereabouts are you traveling to in the UK? I hope to get my visa approved (I said I wish to travel by June 1st, so I anticipate this is when it'll be valid if it's approved). How long did it take for your visa to go through?

Nottingham

2 days