Beyond visas, the Policy Address pledges to strengthen youth mobility through the creation of an International Young Talent Exchange Base, scheduled to launch before year-end. Administered by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), the base will partner with multiple United Nations agencies to offer paid internship rotations in fields ranging from climate tech to refugee resettlement. Under the new HYAB-UN Youth Leaders Internship Programme, up to 200 Hong Kong and international participants aged 18-30 will receive travel grants, housing stipends and fast-track employment rights in the SAR upon completion. Placements will be split between Hong Kong, Geneva and Bangkok, giving participants tri-lateral exposure to UN operations and Hong Kong’s policy ecosystem. For multinationals, the initiative provides a pipeline of globally minded junior talent already familiar with Hong Kong’s regulatory environment. Companies sponsoring UN interns will be able to convert them to IANG or Employment visas without labour-market testing—a provision confirmed by HYAB in a briefing to chambers of commerce on Wednesday. Mobility teams should note that slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis once the application portal opens in November. They should also prepare cross-border payroll solutions, as stipends will be disbursed partly in Hong Kong dollars and partly in US dollars via the UN system.
Source: news.gov.hk
