UK to ease work holiday rules but details still on way

By BRONWYN SELL

LONDON - After more than a year of speculation, the British Government has confirmed it will ease some of the rules of working holiday visas, but is not saying when the changes will take effect.

The Home Office announced in the Budget that working holidaymakers would be able to work in any sector in Britain.

But there was no mention of other changes that have been flagged - raising the age limit to 30, allowing holidaymakers to work for the full two years and allowing people to take up more than one stint.

The British Government said the changes were being made "to ensure we are maximising young, mobile labour" by making the scheme more flexible and responsive to labour market needs.

The new scheme is expected to be announced next month.

Under present rules, New Zealanders without British parents or grandparents can apply for a two-year visa between their 17th and 28th birthdays. They are forbidden from working in their occupations and are allowed to work for only half of their time in Britain.

About 8000 young New Zealanders enter Britain under the scheme. (Those with patriality enter on four-year ancestry visas or on British passports.)

The announcement said: "The Government is introducing changes to the working holidaymakers' scheme, under which young Commonwealth citizens can work in the UK for up to two years, to make it more flexible and responsive to labour market needs.

"Working holidaymakers will, in future, be able to take up work in any sector, move freely between employers, and switch into work permit employment after one year in the UK."

The managing director of UK-based visa company 1st Contact, New Zealander Mike Kaye, said it looked as if important restrictions would be abolished but there was no detail of other major aspects of the scheme under review.

"The phrase 'move freely between employers' is a bit ambiguous, as working holidaymakers are entitled to do this presently. They are also able to switch into work-permit employment after one year in the UK."

A Home Office spokeswoman, Fiona Cookson, admitted that the announcement was "slightly vague". She said the outcome of the review would be announced shortly.

1st Contact said its Home Office sources had indicated a decision on the review would be announced next month.

It is common knowledge that many New Zealanders on working holiday visas work in their professions in defiance of the rules and work for more than half of their time in Britain.

Beverley Hughes, Home Office Minister for Immigration, said 20 million people passed through the UK each year as tourists or to work or study, and it was "neither practical nor desirable to introduce a fortress Britain with all the damage that would do our position as a strong global economy".

"We have introduced tough reforms to reduce asylum claims," she said. "Alongside this we continue to welcome legal migrants to benefit our economy and improve productivity, growth and social cohesion."

The Government also announced in the Budget that it would:

* Expand the highly skilled migrant programme by adjusting the threshold criteria to make it easier for younger, skilled applicants to work in the UK.

* Encourage foreign nationals studying maths, science and engineering at British universities to seek work in the country after graduating.

* Consult on the use of work permits on a sector-specific basis to ease shortages in industries such as construction, food processing and hospitality.

* Improve information available on the web for people the UK wanted to attract.