The Countries Next in Line for Australian Working Holiday Visas
At the start of 2025, the Australian government already offers working holiday visas (or Work and Holiday visas) to young citizens of 49 countries. The most recent countries to be added to this list include India, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia and Brazil.
In the vast majority of cases, eligible young Australians can also apply for a working holiday visa in each partner country as Australia’s agreements are based on reciprocity. There are just a few exceptions, with China and India being the main ones. (Switzerland also doesn’t specifically offer working holiday visas to Aussies, but that country has instead made it easier for Australians to move there more generally.)
With Australians now able to enjoy working holidays in around 46 countries, there are already plenty of options. But there will soon be even more!
Which countries will Australia next launch working holiday visa agreements with?
The next two countries to start offering working holiday visas to Australian citizens are likely to be The Philippines and India.
Memorandum of Understanding signed with The Philippines
Australia has already committed to offering Work and Holiday visas to citizens of The Philippines at some point in the near future.
Australia and The Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 8 September 2023, but the start date and specific details have not yet been announced. Once this happens – likely within the next 1-2 years – up to 200 Filipinos per year will be able to apply for an Australian Work and Holiday visa. The same number of young Aussies will be able to do the same in the Philippines.
Indian Work & Holiday visas for Australians coming soon
Australia started offering Work and Holiday visas to Indians in 2024. Up to 1,000 Indians who’ve registered in a ballot are now being invited each year to apply for this visa.
Unfortunately, although this is a reciprocal agreement, India is not yet offering working holiday visas to Australian citizens. But this will happen once the Indian government launches its own working holiday program. The hold-up is that this program doesn’t yet exist in India.
Other working holiday visa deals under consideration
According to the Department of Home Affairs’ Working Holiday Maker visa program report from June 2024 (pdf), the Australian government is also currently negotiating new Work and Holiday visa agreements with 12 other countries.
In alphabetical order, these countries are:
- Andorra
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Fiji
- Iceland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Solomon Islands
This is exciting news for Australians as new reciprocal working holiday agreements will mean even more opportunities to live and work in other countries.
But don’t rush to book plane tickets just yet.
These bilateral negotiations are complicated and it can take years before an agreement is finalised. Working holiday visas for each country will only become available once these processes are completed. But if you’re planning ahead for a working holiday in 2-10 years from now, it’s good to know what new partnerships are in the works!
