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Working Holiday window opens wider
New Zealand Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced an expansion of the country’s working holiday visa programme.
Working holiday visa holders are currently allowed to study only one course within a three-month period. However, as from July this restriction will be lifted, allowing holders to study on more than one course, as well as negotiating for the study entitlement to increase from three months to six months.
According to Coleman, these changes represent significant improvements to the system overall. ""The changes will make it even easier for young people from overseas to study a range of short courses with the same or different providers, while they also sample New Zealand life," he says. "This will make our Working Holiday Scheme study entitlements more competitive with countries like Australia and Canada."
Coleman also points out that the changes will benefit New Zealand's image and economy: "Working holiday schemes are a great way of encouraging young people to visit New Zealand. They raise New Zealand's profile and, in foreign policy terms, signify a strong bilateral relationship. Total expenditure of working holidaymakers was last year estimated to be around NZ$103 million. That is a huge contribution to our economy."
For would-be migrants, working holidays can be a good way to experience life in New Zealand before committing to the process of applying for a permanent visa.