Recriprocal Working Holiday Visas

NZPA reports some minor criticism of the FTA with regard to Working Holiday Visas:

Under the agreement up to 1000 Chinese aged between 18 and 30 can enter New Zealand for a temporary time to work in the tourism industry or other work.

The scheme is similar to that offered to a number of other countries that New Zealand is keen to build links with.

In China’s case this deal has not been offered in return.

Miss Clark said China has a legal framework did not make that possible.

“That hasn’t been largely of concern to us,” Miss Clark said.

“Where we think it is in New Zealand’s interests to have a working holiday scheme with another country we will do it unilaterally, as we have with the United States.”

Miss Clark said it was possible China could reciprocate in the future, but New Zealand had found that with such schemes there had been greater interest in young people from emerging economies coming to work in New Zealand than the other way round.

This was probably due to the fact that developing economies paid lower wages than young New Zealanders could earn in other countries.

The PM is dead right in this regard. I can’t imagine there are great numbers of Kiwis wanting to do a working holiday in China, because the amount they will earn would be so limited.

I think it is vital NZ tries to expand working holiday opportunities in Europe and North America especially. The moves by the UK to remove traditional working rights for young New Zealanders is of great concern. But the lack of a formal programme with China is not.