New Delhi: Get ready to pack your bags, India! Australia is opening its doors to young Indian travellers and workers, offering up to 1,000 Work and Holiday visas annually starting October 1st. This move, a key commitment under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), aims to strengthen the people-to-people connection and bolster bilateral relations between the two nations.
The Work and Holiday visa program, which will operate under a ballot system, allows eligible Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 to live, work, study, and explore Australia for a year. This includes the opportunity to pursue studies for up to four months, and multiple entries and exits during their stay in Australia.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, during his recent visit to Australia, hailed this initiative as a significant step towards enhancing mobility and deepening people-to-people connections.
The AI-ECTA, which came into effect in December 2022, aims to further expand economic cooperation between the two countries. India and Australia are now working towards establishing a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which will further strengthen economic ties.
To qualify for the Work and Holiday visa, Indian citizens must:
Be under 30 years of age with a valid passport and national identity card
Pay a registration fee of AUD 25 (Rs1,500)
Register for the visa ballot, which opens on October 1st, through the ‘Visa pre-application registration’ form in their ImmiAccount.
The visa comes with a cost of AUD 650 (approximately Rs36,748) and will be granted under an annual ballot process.
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