Reciprocal work and holiday visas announced

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Australia and Spain have entered a reciprocal Work and Holiday Visa arrangement.

What does the change mean? The agreement provides 500 Work and Holiday Visas for each country per year.

• Implementation timeframe: The countries have signed an agreement, but an implementation date has not been set.
• Visas/permits affected: Work and Holiday (subclass 462) Visas.
• Who is affected: Young adults from Australia and Spain seeking to travel and work for up to one year.
• Next steps: The two governments will work on implementing procedures for the visas over the coming months.

Background: Australia announced that an agreement with Spain was signed at Parliament House on 3 September. Australia already has Work and Holiday agreements with Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, the U.S. and Uruguay. Work and Holiday visas provide that young adults, generally aged 18 to 30, may travel and work on a short-term basis usually for up to one year.

BAL Analysis: Australia has been actively expanding its Work and Holiday visa program to more countries in the past year. The program fosters cultural exchange and benefits employers with global training programs.

This alert has been provided by BAL Australia. For additional information, please contact australia@bal.com.

MARN: 9683856

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