The Labour Department (LD) announced today (May 28) that another round of registration for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) under the Hong Kong/United Kingdom (UK) Working Holiday Scheme would commence on July 3. Youths holding a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport and interested in participating in the UK's Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) may submit their registrations for the CoS to the LD from July 3 to July 16 this year (both dates inclusive), before applying for a Tier 5 (YMS) visa with the UK from this year's remaining quota.

According to the arrangement agreed between Hong Kong and the UK, youths from Hong Kong can apply for a Tier 5 (YMS) visa allowing them to stay in the UK for up to two years, during which they can engage in short-term employment to finance their stay, privately-funded studies and/or voluntary work of choice. The annual quota is 1 000 for HKSAR passport holders.

Applicants for the CoS have to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be a holder of a valid HKSAR passport;
• The applicant must be aged between 18 and 30 on the day the visa application is made; and
• The applicant must not have previously spent time in the UK as a "Working Holidaymaker" or a YMS temporary migrant.

Applicants who wish to obtain a CoS can download the relevant registration form online (http://www.whs.gov.hk/res/pdf/UK_regform.pdf) and submit the completed registration form together with the required supporting documents to LD during the registration period. Registrations submitted outside the registration period will not be processed.

Holders of British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passport do not need to apply for CoS and can submit their applications for Tier 5 (YMS) visa direct to the UK Visa Application Centre in Hong Kong.

For details on obtaining a CoS, please refer to LD's website: www.whs.gov.hk/en/partners.php?location=United-Kingdom#cos. Please also visit www.whs.gov.hk for details relating to the Working Holiday Scheme.

Ends/Monday, May 28, 2018