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 "We made the South African government aware of the introduction of the new scheme some time ago but they have not, as yet, expressed an interest in participating," says Apsara McNaught, spokesperson for the British High Commission. "In order to become a participating country, South Africa would be required to meet certain criteria, including the establishment of a reciprocal scheme for young British nationals to come here." The introduction of the Youth Mobility Scheme comes as part of the United Kingdom's biggest shake-up in immigration policy for 45 years. The new visa regime comprises five tiers covering various skill levels, each with different qualifying criteria. It is modelled on the points-based system used by Australia. Despite nearly 7000 Working Holidaymaker visas being granted to South Africans in 2007, the youth travel industry sees the abolition of the visa as a remarkable opportunity. "We're in for an incredibly exciting time," says Liezl Gericke, Commercial Manager for STA Travel South Africa. "The UK has dominated the gap-year market for many years now, and this gives us an incredible opportunity to focus on the many alternatives out there. Shannon Oddie, marketing manager for Student Flights, agrees: "The youth of South Africa are resilient and will continue to travel and broaden their horizons on an international level. The way in which they travel and the destinations they choose to travel to may change in the coming years, but they will certainly not stay at home because of a visa restriction in one country." "As long as we as youth travel providers make sure we have options available what we're going to see is a shift and not a decline," says Ms Gericke. Ms Oddie also points out that "we cannot discount the fact that many of our clients do travel on foreign passports which allows them to travel to and work in various countries without the visa restrictions of their home country." While the retail trade looks for other opportunities, British Airways says it is confident the new visa regime will not have an impact on the airline. "Younger people typically look for the lowest fares rather than being loyal to a particular carrier and may choose to fly via a third destination in order to save some money," says spokesperson Stephen Forbes. "The youth market is not one we typically court and as such we don't expect the change to have a significant effect." Ms Oddie also notes that "the number of long-term flights purchased to the UK has not shown an overall decrease" since the High Commission announced the abolition of the Working Holiday visa. For clients with their heart set on working in the UK, Stephen Atkinson, immigration expert at migration group 1st Contact, says that there are still other options for employment visas still available to South Africans. The Tier 1 visa presents an opportunity for skilled, qualified migrants, while the Ancestry visa can be used for those with a grandparent born in the UK. Lastly, Partner/Spousal visas are an option for South Africans whose spouses or partners have UK or EU citizenship. » Originally published in Travel Industry Review, December 2008 Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites            |