"A big shake up in UK working holidays is coming soon and it could affect you and your travel plans," says Shannon Oddie, marketing manager for youth travel specialists, Student Flights.
The United Kingdom is re-working their immigration policy and it is likely that the highly popular Working Holiday visa, which thousands of young South Africans take up every year, will come to an end. This is going to impact many youth travellers who will no longer be able to enjoy the UK working holiday 'rite of passage'.
The UK aims to replace this visa with a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, which is unlikely to be available to South African citizens. However degreed youth travellers may still be able to take up the Highly Skilled Tier 1 (General) Migrant visa subject to meeting all the main categories.
"It is not clear when the Working Holiday visa will be withdrawn so we, at Student Flights, urge all travellers who wish to embark on such an experience to apply for this visa now," said Ms Oddie.
Student Flights anticipates that the visas in question will be withdrawn in totality within the next couple of months.
- Contact them on 0860 400 737 or visit www.studentflights.co.za for more information on how to get your Working Holiday visa before it is withdrawn.