Australia suspends China working holiday visas to overhaul scheme
- The government said citizens from China, Vietnam and India will need to take part in lottery-style bids for the programme from next year
- Under the working holiday visa, people aged 18 to 30 years old can make longer-than-normal visits to Australia and work to fund their stays
The intake of Chinese applicants in the current financial year has been “paused” while the changes are being put in place, the spokesperson added. The application process is expected to restart later in 2024.
Under Australia’s working holiday visa, people aged 18 to 30 years old can make longer-than-normal visits to the country and work to fund their stays. The initial visa runs for 12 months, but can be extended for a second or third year under certain conditions.
Australia offers 5,000 such places each year to Chinese citizens, under a previous free-trade agreement struck by the two countries. But demand for the visa class was expected to “substantially” exceeded availability going forward, the home affairs spokesperson said.
The government would also introduce a new innovation visa to attract exceptionally talented workers, replacing a controversial investor migrant programme that it argued had few economic benefits.