18th September 2015
From 2016, the quota for the Hong Kong/Ireland Working Holiday Authorisation will double, enabling up to 200 young people from Ireland to live and work in Hong Kong for up to one year, and vice versa.
The increase was announced during the visit of Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD to Hong Kong.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Bruton said: “The Working Holiday Authorisation provides a great opportunity for our young people to gain valuable cultural and work experience during their travels. I encourage them to take the opportunity that the expansion of the scheme provides to travel to Ireland and Hong Kong to experience all that our respective economies have to offer. “
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-Chung also welcomed the quota increase, stating “we are encouraged by the positive response to the Hong Kong / Ireland WHS, which provides an excellent opportunity for youths from both economies to enrich their global exposure and broaden their horizon, through living and working temporarily in a foreign culture while holidaymaking.”
The scheme, which was established in 2005, provides an opportunity for young people to gain first-hand experience of living in a foreign culture. 18-30 year-olds from Ireland can apply for the working holiday authorisation which enables them to take up short term employment while on holiday in Hong Kong for up to one year. Young people from Hong Kong holding a valid HKSAR passport or a British National (Overseas) Passport can travel and work in Ireland on the same basis.
Irish people interested in applying for the Working Holiday Authorisation can find more information on applying for the scheme on the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department (http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/working_holiday_scheme.html) and can apply for the scheme through the Chinese Embassy in Dublin.
Young people from Hong Kong can find more information from the website of the Consulate General of Ireland to Hong Kong and Macau (https://www.dfa.ie/irish-consulate/hong-kong/our-services/visas/working-holiday-authorisation/).
ENDS
For further information:
Press Office, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 01- 6312200 or press.office@djei.ie
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