Young Australians can now live and work in the United Kingdom for three years under an initiative that came into effect this week.
From Wednesday, Australians aged 18-35 became eligible to add an extra year to their working holiday visas.
Extending the previous two-year visa was part of a 2021 free trade deal signed by the Australian and UK governments.
New visa rules for the UK
Under previous working holiday visa conditions, Australians aged 18-30 could apply to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
Eligible Australians on a current two-year visa can now extend their stay by another year. Visas granted under the new agreement will include three years of working rights in the UK. The same changes will apply to young British travellers coming to Australia.
UK trade deal
The free trade agreement was signed by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British counterpart Boris Johnson in 2021, and came into effect last year.
It included a commitment to lift all trade taxes paid on UK exports to Australia over six years. It also removed over 99% of tariffs on Australian goods entering the UK.
The Australian Government has been pursuing a free trade deal with the European Union since 2018. Talks collapsed in October after another round of failed negotiations, with any agreement unlikely until next year.
