Visa News: The visa will be available to Indian citizens aged between 18 and 30 years, allowing them a stay of 12 months.
Australia is preparing to give 1,000 Work Visa and Holiday Visa annually to Indian citizens from 1 October 2024. This move is part of the Australia-India Economic Corporation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), which has come into effect from December 2022. This initiative is being considered a big step towards increasing relations between the two countries, especially mobility and people-to-people connectivity.
Work and Holiday Visa operational from 1 October 2024
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has praised this initiative. He recently returned from his day-long visit to Australia. Goyal said in a post on X, “During the visit, it was a pleasure to know that a major commitment under the Australia-India Economic Corporation and Trade Agreement, Work and Holiday Visa, will be operational from 1 October 2024, which will facilitate mobility and deepen people-to-people contact.”
Who can avail this benefit?
This visa will be available to Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 years, giving them a stay of 12 months. During this time they can work, study and travel in Australia. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria set by Australian law to qualify. This visa has a multiple-entry provision, which allows the recipients to re-enter Australia during the validity period.
Cooperation on multilateral and regional forums
Goyal’s visit was important to review the progress of expanding AI-ECTA into the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The aim of both the countries is to take the existing trade agreements forward. Its aim is to take bilateral trade to 100 billion Australian dollars by 2030. Both the countries also discussed increasing cooperation on multilateral and regional forums to further strengthen economic relations.
Meanwhile, India and Egypt held the sixth session of the India-Egypt Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in New Delhi on September 16-17, 2024. During this, key sectors of cooperation were identified, including trade and investment in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewelry, engineering and electronics manufacturing. The Government of India also announced that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the MSME Development Agency (MSMEDA) of Egypt has been approved.
