4.
The WHM scheme allows Commonwealth citizens aged 17-27 to
take working holidays in the United Kingdom for up to 2 years
before settling down in their own countries, provided that they
take only work which is incidental to their holiday, and that they will not have recourse to public funds. Only Australia and Canada operate reciprocal schemes for young British citizens, but theirs are more restrictive than ours, having a time limit of one year and a mandatory visa requirement (all visitors to Australia require visas, not just WHMs).
5. Introduced in 1962, the scheme was principally aimed at
citizens of the old Commonwealth but in its existing form has
become an avenue for full-time employment and impossible to
monitor. It is difficult to reconcile the Government's policy
that visits to the UK should be strictly limited to six months with a prohibition on work, with the present facility for
Commonwealth citizens to stay for up to two years and to take
"incidental" casual work. Abuse of the scheme is on the
increase and the number of persons entering as visitors and switching to WHM status (over 1800 Nigerians in 1991) is rising at a rate unacceptable to the Home Office.
To resolve this problem, the Home Office want to introduce
no-switching (from visitor to WHM status) and prior entry
clearance; and to make certain other adjustments to the WHMS
6.
scheme.
ARGUMENT
7.
MVD have consulted a number of geographical and other
departments who have in turn consulted some Posts. The current
state of play on the Home Office's proposed changes is as
follows:
(a) No-switching. No difficulty with this.