Hong Kong, being one of the world’s leading international financial centers, draws a large number of professionals each year looking for new job opportunities.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has created a Working Holiday Scheme with 14 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and others.
The program’s main goal is to provide young people in Hong Kong and the participating nations the chance to acquire first-hand experience living and working in a foreign culture while also broadening their horizons.
The initiative facilitates cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the partner economies and strengthens bilateral collaboration and promotes tourism and development.
Compared to a working holiday in Canada, where participants can stay for up to 24 months, the Hong Kong working holiday visa allows participants to stay in Hong Kong for up to 12 months under the terms of the agreement.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
If you wish to apply for the Hong Kong working holiday visa, you must meet the following requirements:
- Have a valid national passport from the participating countries
- Your main goal is to have a holiday in Hong Kong.
- Aged between 18 and 30 years old
- Provide financial proof that you will be able to maintain yourself in the HKSAR for the duration of your stay.
- Have a return flight ticket or financial proof of adequate funds to buy a return flight ticket
- Have medical, liability, repatriation, and healthcare (including hospitalization) insurance during the HKSAR stay
Each participating country will have an annual quota for citizens, and eligible applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
How to Apply for the Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme
To apply for a working holiday visa, fill out a visa application form ID(E)940, which can be obtained from the HKSAR Immigration Department’s Information Office as well as Chinese diplomatic and consular missions (CDCMs).
You must prepare the following supporting documents in order to apply:
- Application Form
- Passport-size photo
- Copy of your passport’s identification pages
- Copy of your flight ticket
- Proof that you have sufficient funds
- Medical and hospitalization insurance, as well as liability insurance
Your application can be sent by mail or in-person to the Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Mission in your native country.
Unlike a Japan or Canada working holiday visa, the Hong Kong working holiday visa requires no application fee for Irish, Japanese, and Korean nationals. In most cases, the process takes two weeks.
Working and Studying in Hong Kong Under the Working Holiday Scheme
Like a working holiday visa in Canada, New Zealand, or Australia, working holiday participants in Hong Kong can take up incidental short-term work. You can also enrol in short-term courses (except Ireland citizens) to better understand the host economy’s culture and social trends.
Young people can acquire important experience while traveling and working abroad as part of the program, which will help them build self-confidence, resilience, and interpersonal skills. Under this program, you are not allowed to work in Hong Kong permanently.