Work and holiday migration visas with Australia and Argentina now available

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Created on Monday, 05 March 2012 14:59

Written by Editorial staff

It's been  a long time coming, but there is now an agreement between Australia and Argentina that makes it easier for young people from both countries to get a taste of life on the other side of the world.

The new work and holiday arrangements were drawn up by the two governments in 2011 and came into effect on February 29.

A favourite among students taking a 'gap year' and recent graduates looking to take some time out before they begin their professional careers, these migration visas allow their bearers to experience life abroad.

They permit adults aged 18 to 30 years from the two countries to live and work in the other for a period of up to 12 months.

In Australia the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will issue the new arrangements that allow young Argentinians to apply for a subclass 462 visa that will give them the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the local society.

This is often one of the most cited reasons for undertaking a year of travel - experiencing the cultures and insights of a country other than your own can be a refreshing change from the everyday and can offer some unique insights into the values and behaviours of a host nation - not to mention family and friends back home.

These arrangements differ from the popular working holiday visas in that they require their bearers to be undertaking - or already in possession of - a university-level education, as well as functional English speaking abilities.

The employment element of the work and holiday visa is an important and attractive element to this particular demographic as it allows them to supplement the funds they have set aside for their year abroad.

While the types of roles that can be filled by the holders of subclass 462 permissions are limited, they help to provide local businesses with a source of labour that may otherwise be lacking - the temporary nature of the arrangements makes hiring travellers ideal for roles classified as semi-skilled or unskilled.

This is quite a common practice in the hospitality industry, where employers often need to supplement their ranks to meet seasonal demand - the short-term visa makes these roles appealing to their bearers.

However, the number of work and holiday arrangements has been limited by the authorities - each country is able to provide a maximum of 500 of these visas to applicants from their partner country.

This could have a bit of an impact of the workloads of registered migration professionals - the relatively small number of arrangements available means that visitors looking to gain one will want to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible.