Australia Opens New Opportunity “Work & Holiday Visa” For Indians

After 10 years and more long discussions and negotiations, finally, Australia & India came on a common platform and signed a Free Trade Agreement on 2nd April 2022. As per Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison: “this Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI ECTA) will open a big door into the world’s fastest-growing major economy for Australians.”

On the other end, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, “the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement is a “watershed moment” for bilateral ties.”

According to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, “currently, there are more than 1 lakh Indian students enrolled in various courses in Australia, and many of them will be benefited from this agreement”

As per the deal, India will eliminate almost 85% tariffs on Australian goods that export to India. On the other side, from the Indian perspective, this is a historic event in terms of an economic corporation because with the agreement Canberra not only provides duty-free access to more than 6000 Indian broad sectors but also opens new opportunities for the Indian students and skilled workers.

Impact On Australia Immigration with The Latest Bilateral Free Trade Agreement

• As per the agreement, Australia Immigration will launch work & holiday visas for Indian citizens in a couple of years.
• This set-up allowed young Indians to Apply for Work and Holiday Visas. Every year around 1000 Indian youngsters work and earn in Australia for at least one year.
• Along with this 1000, backpacker’s holiday visa Australian government is also about to open a long post-study work visa for top Indian IT, engineering, mathematics and science graduates.
• This long post-study work visa provides Indian students to stay in Australia for a longer period. The visa terms include Indian graduates, postgraduates and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) specialists.
• There are two types of working holiday programs in Australia.
  • Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417) and
  • the Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462)
• The Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417) category includes 19 countries like Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong.
• As per the announcement, the Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462) has been considered for Indian citizens. Along with India, 26 countries like the USA, China, Singapore, and Indonesia fall Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462) category.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462) program, there are certain criteria have been decided, which are given below.

• Candidates are must be between the age of 18 years to 30 years.
• Holding a valid Indian passport
• They are must be from outside of Australia while visa application and visa granted.
• Candidates have primary intentions to holiday in Australia for up to 12 months.
• They will not accompany by the dependent child.
• Show a sufficient fund that supports during the stay.
• Must meet the health and character requirement.
• Candidates who have held work holiday program visas are not eligible for this program.
• The backpacker visa holders can work in several sectors in Australia like hospitality, tourism, restaurants, farms, resorts, etc.
• This will be a multiple-entry visa, and allow the candidates to stay for at least 12 months in Australia.
• Under one employer, candidates can work for up to six months.
• Those candidates are eligible to apply for second and even third work and holiday visas, which will undertake a minimum period of a specific time,

Conclusion

The statement from the Australian Prime Minister’s office: This new era of the bilateral relationship between Australia and India will build a strong security partnership. This new change supports Australia in the post-COVID recovery, contributes to both workforce requirements, and boosts the tourism sector. Additionally, as to the Australian government, this working holiday program is a pathway for cultural exchange and a win-win situation for both countries.