Hong Kong and Canada signed on Sunday a working holiday arrangement to benefit young people from the two places starting on March 1, 2010.

The Memorandum was signed by Hong Kong Secretary for Labor and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, and Canada's Minister of International Trade Stock well Day.

Canada is the sixth country to establish such a bilateral arrangement with Hong Kong. According to the scheme, 200 participants from each side will be allowed to stay for up to one year in each other's place for a holiday, and take up employment to finance their stay.

Hong Kong has established such working holiday schemes with New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Germany and Japan.

More than 9,450 Hong Kong young people have benefited from these schemes.