Canada joins guest workers scheme
Hongkongers aged 18 to 30 will be able to live and work in Canada for a year under a new working holiday arrangement reached in the city yesterday. Young Canadians will have the same privileges in Hong Kong.
There will be 200 places under the scheme for Hongkongers to live, work and have holidays while experiencing a foreign culture in Canada. Visa applications will be accepted from March. Canada is the sixth country, and the first in North America, to sign a working holiday arrangement with Hong Kong.
Witnessed by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Secretary for Labour Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and Canadian Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day signed the memorandum at Government House.
A working holiday arrangement with Japan will take effect from next month, with an annual quota of 250. By last month, more than 9,450 young Hogkongers had travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Germany under such schemes while about 1,280 from those countries had arrived in Hong Kong. The programme was launched in 2001.
The annual quota is 1,000 for Australia, 200 for New Zealand, 100 for Ireland and 100 for Germany.
Harper also attended an annual remembrance service at the Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, in Chai Wan, to honour the 1,975 Canadian soldiers who defended Hong Kong during the second world war, of whom 550 died.
Patricia Osborn, daughter of Company Sergeant-Major John Osborn, who received the Victoria Cross for his war efforts, was also present.
The service has been held annually on the first Sunday of December, since 1947. War came to Hong Kong on December 8, 1941.
