Youth Mobility Scheme or Student Route Visa: Which One Fits a Canadian's UK Plan
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Feb 08, 2026 • Visas & Student Mobility, Canadians Studying Abroad
A Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa lets you work almost freely and study any length of course for up to 24 months, extendable to 36 for Canadians. A Student route visa ties you to one sponsoring university, runs up to 5 years for a full degree, and caps your work hours.
💵 YMS costs £340 to apply. Student route costs £558.
Both add the Immigration Health Surcharge at £776 a year, the discounted rate for students and YMS holders.
YMS work rights cover most jobs plus limited self-employment. Student route caps term-time work at 20 hours a week for degree-level study.
🎓 Only a Student route visa works for a full degree that needs a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed sponsor.
YMS suits an exchange term, a short course, or a working holiday with study mixed in.
Two different visas, two different jobs
The Youth Mobility Scheme is a general work and travel visa that happens to let you study too. The Student route is built for one purpose: enrolling in a specific course with a specific UK sponsor. Picking the wrong one costs you either work flexibility or the ability to finish a full degree on schedule.
Cost side by side
| Item | Youth Mobility Scheme | Student route |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £340 | £558 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £776 a year | £776 a year |
| Funds you must show | £2,530 in savings | Course fees, plus £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months |
Source the current fee and surcharge figures on gov.uk's Youth Mobility Scheme page , the Immigration Health Surcharge page , and the Student visa money requirements page before you apply, since rates move.
How long you can stay and study
A Youth Mobility Scheme visa runs for up to 24 months with no sponsor required. Citizens of Canada, Australia and New Zealand get the option to extend for a further year, for up to 36 months total. Inside that window you can take any course length that fits, though some regulated subjects still need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
A Student route visa ties your stay to your course length. Students 18 or older on a degree-level program get up to 5 years. Below-degree-level courses get up to 2 years. Doctoral students can move into a separate 3-year Graduate route track after finishing. Check exact stay lengths on gov.uk's Student visa page .
Work rights while you study
On a Youth Mobility Scheme visa you work in most jobs and freelance within set limits: rented business premises only, equipment under £5,000, no employees, and no professional sport. There is no weekly hour cap.
On a Student route visa, work is capped. Full-time degree-level students at a compliant higher education provider get 20 hours a week during term time and full-time hours during scheduled vacation. Students on a below-degree-level course get only 10 hours a week in term time. Full detail sits on gov.uk's Immigration Rules Appendix Student and the work while you study guidance .
Which one fits your plan
Exchange term, short course, or you want to travel and work with no sponsor tie: Youth Mobility Scheme.
Full undergraduate or postgraduate degree needing formal enrolment: Student route.
Age matters for YMS: the scheme runs from 18 to 30, or up to 35 for citizens of a shortlist of eligible countries. Confirm your exact cutoff on the gov.uk eligibility checker before applying, since Canada's band has shifted before.
Before you apply
Match your course length against your visa's maximum stay so you do not need a second application mid-course. Budget the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge on top of tuition and living costs. Ask your target university directly whether your program requires a CAS, since that decides which route is even open to you.