MINISTER for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, has confirmed a new agreement with authorities in Canada to lift the age limit for Working Holidaymaker Visa holders to 35 (TD 07 Sep).
The amended Memorandum of Understanding concerning Youth Mobility allows Australian young adults aged 18 to 35 to work and travel through the International Experience Canada program.
Reciprocally the age range of Canadians has also been expanded to allow them to undertake working holidays within Australia.
The move has been applauded by YHA Australia, with ceo Julian Ledger saying the Working Holiday Maker visa scheme had been a “resounding success for over 40 years.
“This age extension is welcome as career paths have become less linear and will enable those who were not able to take a working holiday when younger to do so.”
Currently Australia has Working Holiday Maker arrangements with 41 countries, with applicants generally needing to be aged under 31 when applying.
Extending the age limit to 35 is understood to be a future objective of the program, with the new MoU seeing Canada the first cab off the rank.
Source: traveldaily