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• Eligible age for Working Holiday Visas extended to 35-year-olds
• Length of stay extended to three years
• Work period extended to three years

Young Brits will be able to stay and work longer in New Zealand, and fill regional labour market gaps, thanks to the extension of the UK Working Holiday Visa from today.

“We’re implementing the visa upgrades early so we can support businesses and regions experiencing labour shortages,” Immigration Minister Andrew Little said.

“We’ve heard the concerns about skill gaps, particularly in our regions, and that’s why we’ll now see more UK Working Holiday makers coming to New Zealand for longer periods of time, and working for the full duration of their visas.

“We expect over 3,000 young Brits currently visiting New Zealand to be able to benefit from this, and for our employers to benefit from their skills.”

Today’s changes are part of successful negotiations alongside the NZ UK Free Trade Agreement signed last year, which allow for UK and New Zealand citizens to travel and work in each other’s countries for longer.

From 29 June, young Kiwis will also be able to stay and work for an extra year in the UK, and can depart later for their OE.

“These changes speak to the strong relationship we have with the UK and it’s great we can provide better opportunities for our young people travelling under these schemes,” Andrew Little said.