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The Labour Department (LD) announced today (May 1) that another round of registration for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) under the Hong Kong/United Kingdom (UK) Working Holiday Scheme will be conducted from June 19 onwards. Youths holding Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports who are interested in applying for the UK's Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) can submit their registrations to the LD from June 19 to July 2 this year to obtain a CoS, before applying to the UK for a YMS visa from this year's remaining quota.
According to the agreement between Hong Kong and the UK on the working holiday scheme, youths from Hong Kong can apply for a visa under the UK's YMS, which will allow them to stay in the UK for up to two years. During this period, they can take up employment to finance their stay, study self-financed courses or participate in volunteer services. There will be a quota of
1 000 for HKSAR passport holders every year. Holders of British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passport will not be subject to any quota. Applicants from Hong Kong have to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- The applicant must be an ordinary resident of Hong Kong possessing a valid HKSAR passport or BN(O) passport;
- The applicant must be aged between 18 and 30;
- The applicant must not be accompanied by dependent family members;
- The applicant must possess a departure ticket or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket, and sufficient funds for his/her maintenance during the period of initial stay in the UK or Hong Kong; and
- The applicant must hold insurance for medical and health care for the duration of stay.
In addition to meeting the aforementioned criteria, HKSAR passport holders must possess a valid CoS.
Hong Kong youths who are interested in obtaining a CoS can download the relevant registration form online (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/pdf/UK_regform.pdf) and submit the completed registration form together with the required supporting document to the LD during the registration period. Registrations that are submitted outside the registration period will not be processed.
For details on obtaining a CoS, please refer to the LD's website: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/guidance.htm. As for details relating to the working holiday scheme, please visit www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/whs.htm as well.
Ends/Thursday, May 1, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:01
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