WORKING HOLIDAY SCHEME

1. Introduction 2. Hong Kong/New Zealand 3. Hong Kong/Australia
4. Hong Kong/Ireland 5. Hong Kong/Germany 6. Hong Kong/Japan
7. Hong Kong/Canada 8. Enquiries 9. Experience Sharing 10.Leaflets

1. Introduction
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has established bilateral Working Holiday Scheme/Arrangement with the Government of New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Germany Japan and Canada respectively. Through the Scheme/Arrangement, bilateral cultural ties as well as tourism promotion and development could be enhanced.

Local young people participating in the Scheme/Arrangement may visit the above countries for holiday and as part of their stay, take up short-term employment so as to acquire a better understanding of the cultural and social developments of the host countries. The Scheme/Arrangement aim to enable young people to gain valuable experience while holidaying and working abroad, which would help strengthen their self-confidence, resilience and inter-personal skills.

Successful applicants will be issued a Working Holiday Visa or relevant documentation by the selected country. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment. Those who choose to go to New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Japan and Canada may also study in short-term courses.

According to the bilateral arrangements, each side will provide a fixed annual quota for eligible applicants of the other side.

To be eligible, an applicant must:

• be aged between 18 and 30, not be accompanied by any dependents during the journey;
  
• be a resident in the HKSAR and holding a valid HKSAR or British National (Overseas) passport;
  
• be going abroad primarily for holidaying/travelling;
  
• hold a return or departure ticket, or have sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket; and
• be able to produce financial proof of available funds to meet his/her living costs while staying in the host country.

For detailed eligibility criteria of individual working holiday scheme/arrangement, please refer to the respective website. While not all the Schemes/Arrangements require the applicants to take out insurance plans during their stay in the host country, working holidaymakers are strongly advised to take out suitable medical, hospitalisation and liability insurance policy before departure to cover the possible related cost incurred abroad.

Similarly, citizens of the above countries may come to Hong Kong for working and holidaying by applying to respective Chinese Embassies or Consulates-General, and the Immigration Department of the HKSAR.

Applicants may approach the relevant Consulates for application forms and enquiries about details of the Scheme/Arrangement.

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2. Hong Kong/New Zealand
The Hong Kong/New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme was established on 1 April 2001 with both sides providing an annual quota of 400. The New Zealand Consulate-General requires applicants to provide financial proof (of a bank deposit of about NZ$4,200) for maintenance during their stay in New Zealand.

Successful applicants will be issued a Working Holiday Visa by the New Zealand Government. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment of not more than three months with any one single employer, and can also study in one short-term course of less than three months' duration. Details and application forms can be downloaded from the following website: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday

For travel information, please visit the following websites: http://www.tourisminfo.govt.nz or http://www.newzealand.com/travel There are different types of short-term employment, mostly seasonal work. For details, please browse the following website: http://www.workandincome.govt.nz Information about studies can be found at the following website: http://www.immigration.govt.nz

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3. Hong Kong/Australia
The Hong Kong/Australia Working Holiday Scheme was established on 15 September 2001. There are currently 1000 places per year available under this Scheme. The Australian Consulate-General requires applicants to provide financial proof (of a bank deposit of about AU$5,000) for maintenance during their stay in Australia.

Successful applicants may be issued a Working Holiday Visa by the Australian Government. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment of not more than six months with any one single employer. They may also study short-term courses for not more than four months. Details and application forms are available at the following website : http://immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1150.pdf

For travel information, please visit the following website: http://www.australia.com There are different types of short-term employment, mostly seasonal work. For details, please browse the following website: http://www.jobsearch.gov.au Information about studies can be found at the following website: http://www.immi.gov.au

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4. Hong Kong/Ireland
The Hong Kong/Ireland Working Holiday Scheme was established on 1 March 2005, providing an annual quota of 100 for each side. The Consulate of Ireland requires applicants to provide financial proof (of a bank deposit of about HK$25,000) for maintenance during their stay in Ireland.

Successful applicants may be issued a Working Holiday Visa by the Irish Government. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment of not more than three months with any one single employer. Details and application forms can be downloaded from the following website: http://www.consulateofireland.hk/

For travel information, please visit the following website: http://www.ireland.ie There are different types of short-term employment, mostly seasonal work. For details, please browse the following website: http://www.fas.ie

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5. Hong Kong/Germany
The Hong Kong/Germany Working Holiday Scheme was established on 1 July 2009 with both sides providing an annual quota of 100. The German Consulate General requires applicants to provide financial proof (of a bank deposit of about Euro 2,000) for maintenance during their stay in Germany.

Successful applicants may be issued a Working Holiday Visa by the Government of Federal Republic of Germany. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment of not more than three months with one single employer. They may also engage in one training or study course of up to six months. Details and application forms are available at the following website : http://www.hongkong.diplo.de

For information about living, tourism and job opportunities in Germany, please visit the following websites: http://www.young-germany.de http://www.deutschland.de http://www.germany-tourism.de http://www.arbeitsagentur.de (in German only)

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6. Hong Kong/Japan
The Hong Kong/Japan Working Holiday Scheme was established on 1 January 2010 with both sides providing an annual quota of 250. The Consulate-General of Japan requires applicants to provide financial proof (of a bank deposit of about 200,000 Yen) for maintenance during their stay in Japan.

Successful applicants may be issued a Working Holiday Visa by the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment and/or study courses. Visa application procedures for Hong Kong applicants can be assessed via the website : http://www.hk.emb-japan.go.jp.

For information about living, tourism and job opportunities in Japan, please visit the following websites: http://www.japantravelinfo.com http://www.jnto.go.jp http://www.jawhm.or.jp/eng/index.html

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7. Hong Kong/Canada
The Hong Kong/Canada Working Holiday Arrangement came into effect on 1 March 2010, with both sides providing an annual quota of 200. The applicants are required to provide a financial proof of about C$2,500 for maintenance during their initial stay in Canada.

Successful applicants will be issued a Letter of Introduction by the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong, which can be exchanged for a work permit at a Canadian border entry point. During their 12-month stay, they can take up short-term employment and/or study courses not more than a total of six months. Application forms and other relevant information can be obtained via the website of the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong: http://www.hongkong.gc.ca.

For information about living, working temporarily, and travelling in Canada, please refer to the following websites: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/before-canada.asp http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp http://www.canada.travel/splash.en-ca.html

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8. Enquiries
Working Holiday Scheme
Website: http://whs.esdlife.com

Information on the relevant consulates is as follows:

New Zealand Consulate-General Hong Kong
Address: Suite 6508, Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Road, Wanchai
Telephone: 2877 4488
Fax: 2877 0586
Email: nzis.hongkong@dol.govt.nz
Website:http://www.nzembassy.com/hongkong or http://www.immigration.govt.nz/whswork

Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong
Address: 24/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wanchai
Telephone: 2827 8881
Fax: 2585 4457
Website: http://www.hongkong.china.embassy.gov.au or http://www.immi.gov.au

Consulate of Ireland, Hong Kong
Address: c/o Heidrick & Struggles, Suite 1408, Two Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Telephone: 2527 4897
Fax: 2824 9127
Email: info@consulateofireland.hk
Website: http://www.consulateofireland.hk

German Consulate General Hong Kong
Address: 21/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty
Telephone: 2105 8788 / 2105 8745
Fax: 2865 2033
Email: info@hongkong.diplo.de
Website: http://www.hongkong.diplo.de

Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong
Address: 46 - 47/F, One Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central
Telephone: 2522 1184
Fax: 2868 0156
Website : http://www.hk.emb-japan.go.jp

Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong
Address: 12/F, Tower One, Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central
Telephone: 3719 4700
Fax: 2810 6736
Email: hkong@international.gc.ca
Website: http://www.hongkong.gc.ca.

Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Telephone: 2824 6111
Fax: 2877 7711
Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk
Website: http://www.immd.gov.hk

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9. Experience Sharing
Working holidaymakers are invited to share your thoughts and experience with us by leaving messages at the Message Board of our dedicated website (http://whs.esdlife.com)

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10. Leaflets
New Zealand (PDF file)
Australia (PDF file)
Ireland (PDF file)
Germany (PDF file)
Japan (PDF file)
Canada (PDF file)

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