Hong Kong inks working-holiday deal with France

It'll roll out on 1 July.

Hong Kong and France have signed a bilateral working holiday scheme agreement to benefit the young people of both places from July 1.

The agreement was signed by Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung and French Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius at Government House in the presence of Chief Executive CY Leung today.

Under the agreement, young people in Hong Kong and France can gain living and working experience while they are travelling. It will also boost bilateral ties between the two jurisdictions.

Two hundred participants from each side annually will be allowed to stay up to a year in France or Hong Kong on holiday and take up employment to finance their stay.

It is the eighth bilateral working holiday scheme Hong Kong has set up with other places. So far 30,000 youngsters have benefited from the endeavour.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department or French Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau will issue the working-holiday visas.