James Skinner
James is the Founder & Chief Executive of
CANZUK International in Vancouver, Canada
The Australian parliament has ratified its long-awaited free trade deal with the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Tuesday.
The deal, which was earlier agreed upon by Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison, was signed today in a virtual format by the UK Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
While ratified in the Australian parliament, the deal will now be laid before the UK parliament for scrutiny.
It has been hailed as a ground-breaking and first-of-its kind deal that will create new opportunities for businesses, consumers and citizens who wish to live and work in either country.
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs website, changes to visa legislation will be made under the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program and Youth Mobility Scheme within the next two years (date yet to be confirmed by the Australian and British governments).
The eligible age for UK citizens to apply for a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa in Australia is currently 18 to 30 years inclusive. When the new arrangement commences, the upper limit will increase to 35 years. UK passport holders will then be able to lodge an application for any Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa up until the day before their 36th birthday.
A major change to the current legislation also eliminates the need for “specified work”. At present, to be eligible for a second or third Working Holiday visa (granting a two or three year stay in Australia, respectively), applicants must show that they have done at least three or six months of ‘specified work’ – usually requiring agricultural work in remote areas of Australia.
When the new arrangements commence, UK passport holders will not have to meet this requirement when applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa. In addition, Australian citizens will be granted priviledged access for living and working rights in the United Kingdom under its Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme.
These new passport arrangements are incredibly significant for the CANZUK campaign as they provide the ideal framework upon which freer movement of citizens between the two nations can increase.
Former Australian Trade Minister, Dan Tehan, previously stated that Australia would be “willing to do more” than what the new trade agreement will offer on mobility, saying, “If we can’t have free exchange and movement of people between ourselves, then who can we have it with?”.
CANZUK International welcomes the announcement of the deal’s ratification in the Australian Parliament, and will continue to work with relevant ministries in both countries to promote further legislation supportive of freer movement between Australia and the United Kingdom.
(Heading photo: Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
While ratified in the Australian parliament, the deal will now be laid before the UK parliament for scrutiny.
It has been hailed as a ground-breaking and first-of-its kind deal that will create new opportunities for businesses, consumers and citizens who wish to live and work in either country.
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs website, changes to visa legislation will be made under the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program and Youth Mobility Scheme within the next two years (date yet to be confirmed by the Australian and British governments).
The eligible age for UK citizens to apply for a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa in Australia is currently 18 to 30 years inclusive. When the new arrangement commences, the upper limit will increase to 35 years. UK passport holders will then be able to lodge an application for any Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa up until the day before their 36th birthday.
A major change to the current legislation also eliminates the need for “specified work”. At present, to be eligible for a second or third Working Holiday visa (granting a two or three year stay in Australia, respectively), applicants must show that they have done at least three or six months of ‘specified work’ – usually requiring agricultural work in remote areas of Australia.
When the new arrangements commence, UK passport holders will not have to meet this requirement when applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa. In addition, Australian citizens will be granted priviledged access for living and working rights in the United Kingdom under its Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme.
These new passport arrangements are incredibly significant for the CANZUK campaign as they provide the ideal framework upon which freer movement of citizens between the two nations can increase.
Former Australian Trade Minister, Dan Tehan, previously stated that Australia would be “willing to do more” than what the new trade agreement will offer on mobility, saying, “If we can’t have free exchange and movement of people between ourselves, then who can we have it with?”.
CANZUK International welcomes the announcement of the deal’s ratification in the Australian Parliament, and will continue to work with relevant ministries in both countries to promote further legislation supportive of freer movement between Australia and the United Kingdom.
(Heading photo: Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)
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