RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1306
OF 281253Z AUGUST 92
RESTRICTED
78
165265
MDLOAN 4911
3
WORKING HOLIDAY MAKERS
SUMMARY
1. WOULD A TIGHTENING UP OF THIS SCHEME, APPLICABLE TO ALL COMMONWEALTH VISITORS TO THE UK, CAUSE HONG KONG PROBLEMS?
DETAIL
2.
THE WORKING HOLIDAYMAKER (WHM) SCHEME, INTRODUCED IN 1962, ALLOWS COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS (INCLUDING BDTCS) AGED 17-27 TO TAKE WORKING HOLIDAYS IN THE UK BEFORE SETTLING DOWN IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES, PROVIDED THEY TAKE ONLY WORK WHICH IS INCIDENTAL TO THEIR HOLIDAY AND WILL NOT HAVE RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS. UNFORTUNATELY THE SCHEME HAS BECOME AN AVENUE FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT, AS YOUNG PEOPLE, OFTEN WITH SPOUSES AND CHILDREN, ENTER THE UK AS VISITORS AND SWITCH TO WHM STATUS: MONITORING IS IMPOSSIBLE. NIGERIANS, GHANAIANS AND MALAYSIANS ARE THE MOST NUMEROUS BENEFICIARIES, BUT HONG KONG IS ALSO IN THE TOP FOUR: IN 1991 IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 452 HONG KONG BDTCS SWITCHED TO WHM STATUS AFTER ARRIVAL IN THE UK (NONE ENTERED WITH THAT STATUS).
3. TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM THE HOME OFFICE WANT TO MODIFY THE SCHEME: TO INTRODUCE A NO-SWITCHING REQUIREMENT AND A PRIOR ENTRY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT AND TO MAKE CERTAIN OTHER ADJUSTMENTS (EG TO REDUCE THE MAXIMUM STAY TO ONE YEAR AND REGARDING DEPENDENTS). WE ARE DISPOSED TO ACCEPT NO-SWITCHING BUT TO RESIST PRIOR ENTRY CLEARANCE (FOR RESOURCE REASONS AND BECAUSE OF LIKELY NEGATIVE REACTIONS IN COUNTRIES CONCERNED): WE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER THE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS PROPOSED IN SLOWER TIME.
4. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER YOU SEE ANY DIFFICULTY WITH OUR PROCEEDING IN THIS WAY. OUR INITIAL VIEW IS THAT, ALTHOUGH THE HONG KONG MEDIA MIGHT TAKE AN INTEREST AND REPRESENT THIS AS A FURTHER EROSION OF THE BENEFITS OF THE FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY WHICH MOST PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ENJOY, REACTIONS SHOULD BE MANAGEABLE IF WE PRESENT THE CHANGES IN THE RIGHT WAY: THIS IS A LOGICAL AND WORLD-WIDE TIDYING UP OF A 30-YEAR OLD SCHEME.
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HELD 34511
01 SEP 1992