UK and EU move closer to post-Brexit visa deal for young people
Agreement could allow under 30s to live and work in opposite countries, but is not a return to freedom of movement UK insists
The scheme is a key part of the EU’s plan for a post-Brexit deal
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An agreement on a work-and-travel scheme for young Britons and EU citizens is close to completion, after the EU reportedy said it was open to UK government restrictions on the number of people who could access it.
The scheme would allow young Britons (aged between 18 and 30) to live and work in the EU on a temporary basis under a special visa, with EU citizens of the same age offered the same conditions in the UK.
The EU has been a vocal supporter of such a scheme since Brexit, and sees it as a cornerstone of a wider post-Brexit deal between the two.
Both major political parties in the UK were previously against the scheme, but Labour announced last year it would be open to some kind of measure.
Read more: UK-EU plan for easy work and study for under-30s: what is proposed?
The UK government remains open to such a deal, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves believing it could boost economic growth.
However, it wants to place several restrictions on the scheme such as the maximum length of the visa as well as potentially limiting the sectors young people could work in.
The UK also wants to set a limit on the number of young people who could move to the UK on a temporary basis using the scheme, either through a hard cap or a reciprocal ‘one in, one out’ agreement with the number of visas to enter the UK tied to the number of young Britons who leave to the EU on the scheme.
The UK is adamant this is not a partial return to ‘freedom of movement’ between the UK and EU, and that restrictions will be in place.
Previously, the EU was unwilling to accept hard limits on the number of people who could access the scheme, but has now signalled several major member states are open to the UK’s conditions.
Full details are not known, but it is possible that a UK-EU youth mobility visa would have a 12-month validity period, with the potential to extend it for a further one or two years depending on the person’s situation.
What could the scheme look like?
Viewed as a ‘youth mobility’ scheme between the UK and EU, it would work similar to other such programmes run both by the UK and France, that allow young people to stay in the country for a limited period.
Currently, a young person would need to fulfil certain conditions to move from the UK to EU or vice versa, such as studying at university, getting a job prior to moving and being sponsored by their employer, or due to their family situation, such as if they had a spouse from that country.
The scheme however would allow them to move without such conditions already being in place.
A young person with the visa for example may be able to move from London to Paris, find a place to live, and then begin their search for a job.
The UK has a youth mobility scheme with 12 non-EU countries, and in 2023, 23,000 entered the UK.
Over 9,000 of these came from Australia, which has an annual cap of 42,000 entrants.
In the EU, each country has its own scheme.
France has the scheme with varying countries including Australia, Canada, Brazil, and New Zealand among others. The ‘working holiday’ visa allows people to arrive and work without needing special approval from the French government.
There is a 12-month cap on how long young people can remain before they must leave (although for young Canadians the visa can be extended for a further 12 months).
Read more: What is France’s working holiday visa?
