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Joint Media Release

2 October 2003

The Minister for Foreign Affairs The Hon Alexander Downer MP and The Acting Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Gary Hardgrave

Working Holiday Arrangement with Italy Benefits Australians

Working Holiday Makers from Australia and Italy will soon be able to apply for working holiday visas in a new reciprocal arrangement between the two countries.

The Acting Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Gary Hardgrave today welcomed the new arrangement signed in Italy by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, and the Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Margherita Boniver.

Italy is a welcome addition to this program and its inclusion from 1 January 2004, underlines the close relationship Australia enjoys with Italy.

The arrangement emphasises the importance of people-to-people links between the two countries and will increase the opportunities available to young people to experience other cultures and societies at first hand.

Apart from the strong cultural benefits of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program, research shows that it has a positive effect on the Australian economy.

The WHM program boosts tourism and benefits industries that rely heavily on casual labour at peak times, particularly the hospitality, horticultural and rural industries.

People aged between 18 and 30 can apply for working holiday visas for up to 12 months’ duration. Work undertaken in Australia must be incidental to the main purpose of holidaying, and work for longer than three months with any one employer is not allowed.

The Working Holiday maker program has expanded to more than 88,500 visas (2002-03) since its introduction in the mid-1970s.

Italy will become the 16th country to sign a reciprocal WHM arrangement. The others are Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Cyprus and Belgium. The agreement with Belgium is expected to come into effect later this year, once the ratification process has been finalised.

Since 1 July 2002, working holiday makers have been able to lodge applications on the Internet. Electronic lodgement allows clients to apply for a visa 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where-ever there is Internet access, even if they do not have easy access to a DIMIA office or if they live in regional or remote locations.

 

SEPTEMBER 2011

Expansion of Pacific Seasonal Workers pilot scheme

THU 08 SEPTEMBER 2011

Prime Minister

Prime Minister Julia Gillard today announced that Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu have been invited to join the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme.

This will provide an important economic boost to communities in our Pacific neighbourhood and offer Australian producers an avenue to source workers, where seasonal demands outstrip the local supply of labour.

Workers from Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu will have the opportunity to join those from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu participating in the pilot scheme.

Under the pilot scheme, Pacific workers come to Australia for four to six months to work for horticultural enterprises who demonstrate that they cannot find enough local labour to meet their seasonal harvest needs.

With over 560 workers recruited so far, the pilot scheme is delivering benefits to participating Pacific countries.  Workers remit money back home, benefiting their families and broader communities.

In Australia, the pilot scheme is delivering productivity gains for the horticulture industry, particularly in regional areas where access to a reliable labour supply has been a longstanding challenge.

Demand for Pacific seasonal workers by the horticulture industry is increasing following the introduction of more flexible arrangements by the Australian Government in December 2010 and as the horticulture industry recovers from the severe drought and floods.

The expansion reflects strong support for the scheme from Pacific countries and the Australian horticulture sector.

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Posted October 12, 2011

 

AUSTRALIA AND PNG SIGN WORK AND HOLIDAY DEAL

 

Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have signed a work and holiday agreement allowing young people to enjoy an extended holiday in the two countries, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, announced today.

Mr Bowen and the PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Hon Ano Pala, signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the work and holiday visa at the 20th annual Australian-PNG Ministerial Forum at Parliament House in Canberra.

The agreement means university-educated Australian and PNG travellers aged between 18 and 30 years old will now be able to work and holiday in each other’s country for up to 12 months.

“This agreement provides a unique opportunity for young adults from partner countries to immerse themselves in a new and different cultural experience,” Mr Bowen said.

“Work and holiday agreements foster people-to-people links, wider economic ties and continued dialogue between governments.

“The forum itself reinforces our historically strong relationship with PNG, which is based on shared interests, greater economic cooperation, ongoing development assistance, and growing trade and investment links between the two countries.”

PNG is the latest country to agree to a reciprocal work and holiday visa agreement with Australia, joining a number of other countries including Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the United States of America.

The work and holiday visa (subclass 462) differs from a working holiday visa. It requires an applicant to have the support of their government, hold or be studying for tertiary qualifications and to speak functional English.

There will be an annual limit of 100 work and holiday visas for both countries.