London is the most popular working holiday destination for Commonwealth citizens. Literally thousands of young people head to the UK every year to gain valuable work experience to boost their careers, while being conveniently placed to explore the wonders of the UK and Europe. If London doesn't appeal, there are plenty of other options such as Edinburgh, Cardiff, Brighton, Manchester or other towns to consider having a working holiday or gap year in.

The reason London & the UK is so popular is because of the availability of work, the close proximity to Europe for travelling and the entry clearances (visas) that are available to Commonwealth citizens. These include:

If you have a British Passport, Dual Citizenship or a Passport of any EU member country, you are eligible to work in the UK without obtaining any further visa or paperwork. For more details on the European Union visit the European Union website at www.europa.eu.int.

In 2008, the UK revamped its immigration system to consolidate the many existing visas into five tiers. Each tier represents a points-based category through which you can gain a visa to work in the UK.

Visa: Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa (formerly known as the working holidaymaker visa)
Available to citizens of: Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan
Length of stay: 2 years
Age: 18 to 30 years
Contact: Your nearest British High Commission or www.ukvisas.gov.uk

Visa: UK Ancestry Visa
Available to citizens of: The Commomnwealth
Length of stay: 5 years
Age: 17 or over
Eligibility: Must have a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Mann or you have a grandparent born in the Republic of Ireland prior to 31 March 1922.
Contact: Your nearest British High Commission or www.ukvisas.gov.uk

If you are considering heading to the UK on a working you will no doubt have many questions like, where will I live, what work is available, what is a national insurance number, to name a few. Our guide, LiveWork&Play in London & the UK has been answering FAQs about working holidays and gap years in the UK since it was first published in 1995. The fifth edtion is now available as an e-book only.