The Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector - Aviation Industry will be open for a second round of application from March 13.

As with the first round of application, importation of labour is allowed for the 10 frontline non-supervisory job types facing the most acute manpower shortages.

They are passenger services officers, ramp services agents, cabin workers, aircraft maintenance mechanics/technicians, tractor drivers, warehouse operators/cargo handlers, equipment/loader operators, customer services agents, aircraft tug drivers and maintenance technicians.

Applicants must be registered business entities which possess a contract, licence, franchise or passenger handling permit with the Airport Authority to operate their business at Hong Kong International Airport.

They also have to pay the authority $400 per month for each worker imported, while the authority will contribute an annual lump sum of the same magnitude as the total amount paid by applicants, for subsidising the transport costs of the local frontline staff responsible for airport operation.

It is expected that the relevant transport subsidy will be disbursed starting from the first half of this year.

Applicants shall submit the completed application form together with other required documents to the authority between March 13 and 26.

The approval process will be completed in approximately two weeks from the end of the application period.

A total of 2,841 quotas were approved under the first round of the scheme last August. As of yesterday, around 1,800 visa applications for imported labour have been submitted. Additionally more than half of them, about 1,020 imported labour, have arrived to work in Hong Kong.

For enquiries, call the authority at 2188 6603.

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