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A working holiday visa is a residence permit that allows travellers to undertake employment (and sometimes study) in the country issuing the visa to supplement their travel funds. A working holiday visa enables holders to experience living in a foreign country without having to find work sponsorship in advance or go on an expensive university exchange program. Working holidays are commonly mentioned in backpacker literature due to the groups sharing some similarities. [1] Most working holiday visas are offered under reciprocal agreements between certain countries to encourage travel and cultural exchange between their citizens.
In some countries there is growing criticism around working holiday visas because governments are increasingly linking them to labour strategies rather than centring cultural exchange. This is often achieved by tweaking mobility infrastructures such as visa rules to direct working holiday makers toward certain regions and jobs. This often increases working holiday makers' precarity [2] which can make them more vulnerable to harms such as exploitation and sexual harassment. [3]
There are often several restrictions on this type of visa:
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has the working holiday visa agreements with Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. [4] [5]
Agree to hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation and liability insurance Separately, Hong Kong residents 18 to 30 ages who are British National (Overseas) can apply for UK Youth Mobility Scheme without sponsors. [6]
In the context of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, Australia has agreed to extend access to the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa to up to 1,000 Indian citizens each year.
Within two years[ when? ], Australia will put in place arrangements to allow eligible Indian citizens aged between 18 and 30 to apply for a Work and Holiday visa to visit Australia for one year and undertake short-term work and study while holidaying.
As part of a new agreement with India, the UK government has agreed (albeit in a non-binding agreement) to participate in a scheme aimed at allowing increased mobility for a limited number of young people between India and the UK. It has some similarities to the existing Youth Mobility Scheme, and will allow up to 3,000 Indian nationals per year aged between 18 and 30 to come to the UK to live and work for a period of up to two years. In return, 3,000 UK nationals a year will be able to do the same in India. [7] [8]
An agreement of the Working Holiday Programme has signed by India and Austria. [9] [10]
Citizens of Australia aged 18–30 with functional Indonesian language skills and at least two years of university education can apply for a 12-month Work and Holiday visa in the Republic of Indonesia. [11]
Citizens of Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, [12] New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan [13] between the ages of 18 and 30 can apply for a 1-year Israeli working holiday visa in the State of Israel. [14] [15]
Japan initiated its working holiday programmes with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, [16] France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iceland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands, Uruguay, Finland, Latvia, Italy, Israel, Malta, Luxembourg and Peru. [17]
Japan's Working Holiday Programmes are designed to foster young people with global perspective and enhance friendly relationship between Japan and partner countries/regions by providing opportunities for the young people to deepen their understanding about partner countries/regions.
Japan's Working Holiday participants are allowed to work for a certain period of their stay in order to cover the cost of travel funds to travel and stay in partner countries/regions.
Citizens of the following 15 countries who are between the ages of 18 and 30 are eligible for the Working Holiday Programmes in the State of Japan:
A one-year visa may be granted to citizens of Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom—with no extension possible. A six-month visa may be granted to citizens of Australia which can be extended twice and once for citizens of New Zealand and Canada. [18]
Citizens of New Zealand aged 18–30 can apply for a 1-year Malaysian working holiday visa in the Federation of Malaysia. [19] [20]
Citizens of Australia aged 18–30 can apply for a 1-year Malaysian working holiday visa under the work and holiday visa programme for the Federation of Malaysia. [21] [22]
University students in Malaysia aged 18 to 28 can apply for Winter and Summer Work Travel (under the J1-visa to the US).
Citizens of New Zealand aged 18–30 can apply for a 1-year Philippine working holiday visa in the Republic of the Philippines. [23]
Undergraduate university students or recent graduates from universities in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, [24] [25] Switzerland, United Kingdom or United States aged between 18 and 25 can apply for a 6-month Work Holiday Pass under Singapore's Work Holiday Programme. Uniquely, there are no stated restrictions on nationality, only that the applicant be a student or graduate from a university in the listed countries. [26]
Citizens of Australia aged between 18 and 30 with who have studied at university for at least 2 years may also apply for a 12-month visa under the Work and Holiday Visa Programme. [27]
The universities must be recognised by the university's home government. [28] [29]
Citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Türkiye, UK, USA, [30] Vietnam may do the Korea WHP/WHS. [31] [32]
No quota to Australia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Sweden. [33] [34]
In 2019, South Korea announced plans to improve the visa system for ASEAN states, including considering working holiday agreements with ASEAN states in the future. [35]
Note Youths of Argentina, Armenia, [36] Austria, Azerbaijan, [37] Brunei, Bulgaria, [38] Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, China, [39] Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, (since 1965) Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, [40] Pakistan, [41] Philippines, Poland, Qatar, [42] Russia, Saudi Arabia, [43] Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, [44] Türkiye, UAE, [45] Vietnam can participate in an International Youth Exchange (IYE) program. [46]
Since the program was launched, Taiwan has signed working holiday agreements with 18 countries, i.e., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. As agreements may differ with regard to the quota of participants, age restrictions, and maximum duration of stay, foreign youth are advised to check the terms of the agreement that pertains to their home country and abide by Taiwan's laws and regulations. [47] [48]
Citizens of Australia [49] and New Zealand [50] are eligible for a 1-year Thai working holiday visa in the Kingdom of Thailand.
Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30, and have tertiary qualifications (full-time courses with at least 3 years of study).
Applicants must have an Australian passport valid for at least 6 months or a New Zealand passport valid for at least 12 months, a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase one, and funds of at least A$5,000 or NZ$7,000, and must be in good health and hold comprehensive medical insurance.
Applications must be made at the Thai Embassy in Canberra or the Thai Consulate in Sydney for Australian nationals, or at the Thai Embassy in Wellington for New Zealand nationals. [51]
The Turkish working holiday visa allows a stay of up to 12 months and is available to Australia and New Zealand citizens. [52]
Citizens of personal of Turks and Koreans have already been on actually participating for a work and holiday program in a row for a few years without an official sign of the arrangement so that it would be available to be allowed officially into force maybe later. [53]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey's Working Holiday Program provides opportunities for young people aged between 18 and 30 years old (inclusive) to holiday in the Republic of Turkey and to supplement their travel funds through incidental employment. [54]
The Vietnamese working holiday visa allows a stay of up to 1 year and is available to citizens of Australia [55] [56] and New Zealand [57] in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. [58]
Citizens of Canada, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, South Korea and the United Kingdom aged 18 to 30 may apply for a 1-year Andorran working holiday visa in the Principality of Andorra. [59] [60]
Malta has working holiday agreements with Australia and New Zeland. [118] [119]
Working Holiday Visa Subclass 417: Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom. [198]
Work and Holiday Visa Subclass 462: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, United States and Vietnam. [199]
On 15 June 2021, the United Kingdom and Australia reached a Free Trade Agreement. [201] As part of the agreement, Working Holiday Visa rights for British Citizens in Australia have been expanded with the cut-off age being increased to 35 years old. In addition British citizens will no longer be required to perform agricultural work in order to be able to renew the visa, which will be able to be renewed twice for a maximum stay in Australia of three years. [202]
Argentina offers working holiday visas to citizens of Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, and Sweden. The details and quotas vary per country, from the age of 18 to 30 or 35. [210]
Citizens of France, Germany and New Zealand can apply for a Brazilian working holiday visa. [211]
As of 2020, Australia and Paraguay were negotiating a working holiday visa program. [222]
Australia, [223] Czech Republic, [224] France, [225] and Poland [226] have signed working holiday visa agreements with Peru.
As of 2017, Portugal and Peru were negotiating a working holiday visa program. [227] As of 2019, Sweden and Peru were discussing a potential working holiday visa program. [228] As of 2020, Georgia and Peru were negotiating a working holiday visa program. [83] As of 2023, Japan and Peru were negotiating a working holiday visa program. [229]