Earlier this week, NewsWire reported that Australians could soon be able to live and work in Europe without a visa.
This set off a flood of headlines reporting that Australians should pack their bags and get ready to move to Europe. But what exactly is going on here, and should Australians get excited just yet?
This would be great news… if true
Of course, the opportunity to move to Europe without first securing a job would be very welcome news for many Australians.
Currently, to live and work in Europe, Australians need a visa. Working holiday visas are an easy option if you’re aged 18-30, but generally only let you stay in a country for one year and cannot be renewed. Other visa pathways are more complicated and often require you to have an employer sponsoring you or family ties.
What’s being proposed
According to NewsWire, the European Union (EU) proposed a two-way mobility scheme with Australia as part of current Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
Australia has been negotiating an FTA with Europe since 2018. It was close to closing a deal in 2023, but this still hasn’t been finalised. Apparently, the European Union has suggested making it easier for Australians to move to Europe – and vice versa – as a sweetener to try to get the FTA over the line.
The details of the proposal are not yet public, but NewsWire reports that this would allow Australians to move to Europe without first securing a job. Aussies would then be able to live and work in Europe for up to four years, with long-term settlement options also available for people who decide to stay permanently.
The same deal would be available to European Union citizens, who would be able to live and work in Australia more easily. This would help to fill skills shortages in various Australian industries.
How likely is this to go ahead?
At this stage, it appears there’s a reasonable chance of this actually happening. And wouldn’t that be great news!
But it’s still subject to negotiations between Australia and the EU. For the mobility scheme to become a reality, two things still need to happen:
- Australia and the EU both need to agree to include this as part of their FTA, and
- The FTA actually needs to get signed.
It appears there’s momentum at the moment for this deal to get done sooner rather than later. The EU just signed an FTA with a bloc of South American countries – albeit after a quarter of a century of negotiations – and they’re now looking to sign their next one with Australia.
The EU reportedly considers this deal a priority at the moment as it tries to diversify away from its reliance on the USA. And on our side, Australian industry groups are calling for the Australian government to get a move on.
There’s certainly a lot of mutual benefit to be had from such a deal – not just in terms of visa restrictions, but also from the huge increases in trade that could follow.
When would this start?
At this stage, it’s anyone’s guess as to when the European Union and Australia might actually, finally, sign their much-anticipated Free Trade Agreement. It could happen within months, or talks could continue to stall for years.
Hopefully it’s the former. And hopefully, if or when an FTA does get signed, it will include the proposed provisions for an improved mobility scheme.
Once an FTA does get signed, though, it typically takes a few years before any changes to visa requirements would take effect.
This was the case, for example, when Australia and the UK signed their Free Trade Agreement in December 2021. Following this, Australians had to wait until January 2024 to get access to the improved UK Youth Mobility Visa terms that came with the trade agreement.
Still, that was worth the wait. Aussies can now stay in the UK for up to three years with a Youth Mobility Visa (instead of two), and the age limit increased from 30 to 35. Let’s hope the deal with the European Union also proves to be worth the wait!
Matt is the founder of Working Holidays for Aussies. Passionate about travel and always looking for great deals, he believes that a gap year is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture and learn all the things they didn’t teach you in school!
Originally from Australia, Matt has travelled to over 100 countries, lived in 7 countries, and has extensive real-world experience with working holiday visas.
