UK welcomes Hong Kong to join Youth Mobility Scheme
The UK and Hong Kong have reached an agreement on Hong Kong’s inclusion in the Youth Mobility Scheme starting in 2014.
British Consul General Caroline Wilson (left) and Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung (right) exchange the official letters on the agreement to establish the working holiday scheme.
The UK and Hong Kong have reached an agreement on Hong Kong’s inclusion in the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) to benefit young people from both the UK and Hong Kong starting in 2014.
British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao, Caroline Wilson, and Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung jointly announced the scheme on 12 December 2013. The agreement allows 1,000 young people travelling on HKSAR passports each year to live, work or study in the UK for up to 2 years, with reciprocal arrangements to allow the same number of young people from the UK to come to Hong Kong.
The Consul General said:
The UK is pleased to welcome Hong Kong young people to our youth mobility programme. The agreement strengthens long-standing social ties between the UK and Hong Kong, and should promote greater cultural, economic and business links.
The Youth Mobility Scheme will give young people from Hong Kong an excellent opportunity to broaden their horizons by experiencing life and culture in the UK. Likewise, this scheme provides a fantastic opportunity for young people from all over the UK to discover the vibrant and fascinating culture of Hong Kong.
The scheme will be open to any British citizen holding a valid British Citizen passport, or any ordinary resident of Hong Kong possessing a valid HKSAR passport, aged between 18 and 30.
Further information on the YMS scheme, including eligibility criteria, for Hong Kong applicants is on the UK Visas and Immigration website
Before making an YMS visa application, HKSAR passport holders must obtain a “Certificate of Sponsorship” (CoS) from the Hong Kong Labour Department. The CoS registration details are on the Hong Kong Labour Department’s website
HKSAR passport holders will be given further information on how to make a visa application in Hong Kong once they have been granted a CoS.
UK applicants may contact the Hong Kong Immigration Department by telephone on +852 2824 6111 or download the information from the Department’s website
Further information
British National (Overseas) passport holders are already eligible to apply for a visa under the Youth Mobility Scheme to the UK and are not subject to any quota or sponsorship requirements.