UK working holiday visas to end soon for South Africans

South Africans between the ages of 18 and 30 are facing a looming deadline if they want to apply for working holiday visas to the United Kingdom. The visa scheme will end in November when it will be replaced with the Youth Mobility scheme. The cut-off date for visa applications was likely to be the end of October, although the date has not yet been confirmed by British authorities. It is unlikely that South Africans would be eligible for the Youth Mobility scheme - South Africa's likely exclusion from the new scheme was because was considered a high-risk country whose citizens might abuse their visa rights or overstay in the UK. Another factor was that South Africa did not have a reciprocal agreement for UK youth. Once the new UK laws are enacted, South Africans who want to live in the UK will have to rely on ancestral visas, spousal visas, family permits, or work visas for highly skilled professionals.