UK Policy Ends Working Holiday Visa for Young South Africans

The idea by thousands of young South Africans traveling every end of school year to the United Kingdom to work or explore the rest of Europe could all change as the United Kingdom (UK) tightens their immigration policy.

In one of the biggest drives to protect its borders in the past 45 years, the UK is changing its immigration system by replacing its two-year working-holiday visa with a system similar to Australia’s youth mobility scheme this year.

According to a recent statement by the UK home office, South Africans will no longer be eligible for the two-year working-holiday visa. Transitional arrangements will be made for South Africans at present in the country under that scheme.

According to the website, www.globalvisas.com, an authority on immigration and visa services, the changes in the UK are the biggest shake-up of immigration policy in the past 45 years.

The UK working-holiday visa is extremely popular with South Africans between 18 and 30 who want to travel and gain work experience for two years. About 17 000 South Africans come to the UK under this scheme every year.

Globalvisas said the working-holiday scheme would be replaced by the youth mobility scheme later this year. “South Africans will no longer meet the requirements; therefore this opportunity will soon be something of the past.”

Source African Press Agency

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