Working Holiday Visas in Australia and Canada
Australia and Canada have a formalized agreement with regards to working holiday visas. This program allows the citizens of these two countries to work in each other’s country with an extended holiday visa. This longstanding agreement was first initialized in the year 1975. The Australian Assistant Minister on Immigration and Citizenship, Teresa Gambaro, has reported that this program is the evidence of a great relationship between the two countries. She also said that the majority of the users enjoying this program are Canadian citizens working in Australia. There are around 60,000 Canadians who have entered Australia since 1997 who have taken advantage of this beneficial program.
This arrangement has continuously benefited both countries and has provided good results for Australia and Canada. It has given the young citizens of both countries a wider scope of opportunities to explore both worlds in terms of culture and lifestyle. Aside from that, it has also allowed the business and cultural networks to grow stronger.
John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, and Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, formalized this agreement. A Memorandum of Understanding or MoU was signed by Teresa Gambaro and Michael Leir, the Canadian High Commissioner. The Memorandum will offer new considerations for the citizens of either country. One of which is removing the annual quota on visa applications from Australia to Canada. Australians from 18-30 years of age who wish to live and work in Canada will be allowed a 2 year-stay, but will have unlimited access to this program. On the other hand, Canadians entering Australia will only be issued a 1 year visa and can work for up to 6 months and may study for up to 5 months.