IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Australia and Vietnam have reached a reciprocal Work and Holiday visa arrangement.

What does the change mean? Under the agreement, 200 individuals aged 18 to 30 from Australia and Vietnam will be able obtain Work and Holiday visas. The visas will allow for Australian and Vietnamese nationals to travel, work and study in each other’s countries for up to a year.

  • Implementation time frame: 1 March 2017.
  • Visas/permits affected:Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas.
  • Who is affected: Eligible Australian and Vietnamese nationals, ages 18 to 30, interested in travelling, studying and working in Australia or Vietnam.
  • Business impact: Employers in Australia can generally hire individuals on Work and Holiday visas for up to six months.
  • Next steps: Additional details are expected to be available

Background: Once the arrangement is implemented, Vietnam will join a host of countries that have work and holiday arrangements with Australia.

The countries that currently have reciprocal work and holiday visa arrangements in place with Australia include Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United States and Uruguay. Australia and Ecuador signed a reciprocal work and holiday visa arrangement in January, but that agreement has yet to take effect.

Australia’s current work and holiday program allows foreign nationals to visit for up to one year, during which time they may study for up to four months and work for up to six months for an employer.

BAL Analysis: The Work and Holiday visas provide an opportunity for employers with global programs to employ Australian or Vietnamese nationals.

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

MARN: 0101248

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