Youth Mobility Visa Start Dates

When does the 2 years on the Youth Mobility Visa begin? Is it when you receive your visa, or when you enter the UK? Also, if I receive the Visa, is there a certain time I need to enter the UK by?

When does the 2 years on the Youth Mobility Visa begin? Is it when you receive your visa, or when you enter the UK? Also, if I receive the Visa, is there a certain time I need to enter the UK by?

Arrive in the UK within three months from the date the visa is issued to you.

Then, once you enter the UK the visa is activate & the 2-year period begins

When does the 2 years on the Youth Mobility Visa begin? Is it when you receive your visa, or when you enter the UK? Also, if I receive the Visa, is there a certain time I need to enter the UK by?

You can ask them to post-date the start date of your visa by up to 3 months from date of submission. (E.g., if you drop off the application at a World Bridge office on 15 November 2011, you can request that the visa start date be listed as 15 February 2012.)

The visa will expire exactly two years from the visa start date, regardless of when you enter. Both the start and end dates will be listed on the visa.

A post-dated start date is not guaranteed. Sometimes they honour the request, sometimes they don't. Therefore, it's best to wait until no earlier than three months before you're ready to go to submit your application. They get processed fairly quickly if you're a straight-forward applicant. (I dropped mine off at the World Bridge office on a Monday and my passport + visa was ready to pick up that Friday!)

A UK visa is valid from the date of issue not from the date of arrival. Once you've got your visa you can enter the UK anytime you want before the expiry date, though it's recommended to arrive within the first 3 months. For example, if your visa was issued in October 2011, it will be valid until October 2013. If you choose to travel to the UK in March 2012 only, you'll only have 1 year and a half left on your visa (until October 2013).

VisaWise | Immigration Consultancy
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