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The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has agreed with the German Government to further increase the annual quota under the Hong Kong/Germany Working Holiday Scheme from 150 to 300 with immediate effect.
This is the second increase of the quota of this scheme since its inception in 2009, in response to the popularity of Germany as one of the working holiday destinations of our youths.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, welcomed the further increase of the quota. He said, "The Working Holiday Scheme provides an excellent opportunity for Hong Kong youths to gain first-hand experience living overseas for a longer period and working in a foreign culture. This can widen the horizons of our youths and build up their self-confidence, resilience and interpersonal skills. We are encouraged to see that the scheme has been well received by our youths."
Any Hong Kong youth aged 18 to 30 who holds a valid HKSAR passport or a British National (Overseas) passport and has not benefited from this scheme before may apply for a visa under the Hong Kong/Germany Working Holiday Scheme. Successful applicants may stay in Germany for up to 12 months, during which they can take up short-term employment of not more than three months with one single employer, and engage in one training or study course of up to six months.
Since 2001, the HKSAR Government has established bilateral Working Holiday Scheme arrangements with nine economies. Apart from Germany, our partner economies also include New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Japan, Canada, Korea, France and the United Kingdom. So far, close to 46 000 Hong Kong youths have joined the aforementioned schemes.
Hong Kong applicants are welcome to visit the website of the German Consulate General Hong Kong for application details. German applicants may refer to the Hong Kong Immigration Department's website at www.immd.gov.hk for further information.
Ends/Monday, August 4, 2014
Issued at HKT 09:01
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