This follows the announcement made by the British High Commission confirming that Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand have received their official deemed sponsorship status and are thus included in the UK’s newly proposed Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme. This tier allows the citizens of these four countries to work and travel in the UK.

Stephen Atkinson, immigration expert at migration group 1st Contact says that after the initial wave of disappointment that struck South Africa in June 2008, when the British High Commission announced the abolition of the working holiday visa, potentially denying South Africa’s youth the opportunity to travel and work in the UK, there still remained a glimmer of hope that SA may still be included in the UK’s newly proposed Youth Mobility Scheme.

The initial abolition of working holiday visas for South Africans was due to the SA government’s refusal to commit towards a reciprocal arrangement with Britain.

Says Atkinson: “Although we were waiting with baited breath to determine if there was one last chance of South Africa being included in the UK’s new Youth Mobility Scheme, set to come into full effect on 27 November 2008, this is unlikely since South Africa has failed to comply with three basic criteria in order to achieve a deemed sponsor status. We can therefore say with certainty that we believe the door is firmly shut for young South Africans wishing to work and travel in the UK, as they did in the past.”

According to Atkinson the 3 criteria that South Africa has failed to comply with in order to secure a deemed sponsor status, include:

• The failure to implement effective arrangements within the UK for the return of South African nationals.
• Failure to constitute a low risk status in terms of the potential abuse of the UK immigration control systems, determined by a risk value under the YMS risk formula.
• The provision of reciprocal youth mobility arrangements for UK nationals.