The Labour Department (LD) announced today (May 30) that another round of registration for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) under the Hong Kong/United Kingdom (UK) Working Holiday Scheme will commence on July 4. 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 registration for the CoS to the LD from July 4 to July 15 (both dates inclusive), before applying for a Tier 5 (YMS) visa for 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. Holders of a British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passport are not subject to any quota.

Hong Kong applicants have to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be ordinarily resident in the HKSAR and 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 or her maintenance during the period of initial stay in the UK; and
• The applicant must hold valid insurance for medical and health care for the entire duration of stay.

In addition to meeting the aforementioned criteria, HKSAR passport holders must also possess a valid CoS.

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

For details on obtaining a CoS, please refer to the LD's website at www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/guidance.htm. Please also visit www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/whs.htm for details relating to the Working Holiday Scheme.

Ends/Monday, May 30, 2016