While most countries offer different types of visas for people who want to live and settle there, some people don't fit into the programs set up between their home and targeted countries. So what are their options? The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) has been the most attractive program for many years, but countries are currently developing new strategies to address their economic crisis. Let's delve into these options.
The Working Holiday Visa: A popular option for young people
A unique visa, the WHV (Working Holiday Visa), allows you to live and work in a specific country for a set period, usually one year. There is also an age limit for applying for the visa, in most cases between 18 and 30. The WHV is the result of a bilateral agreement between two countries. Currently, many countries offer the WHV. In the Asia-Pacific region, these include Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and Slovenia are among the many European countries that offer the Working Holiday Permit. The United States, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, South Africa, Israel and Cyprus also offer similar programs.
However, only citizens of countries that have signed bilateral agreements are eligible for the WHV. For example, New Zealand citizens can apply for a WHV in the United Kingdom if they meet the requirements, and vice versa. The two countries have been working more closely together since the summer. The age limit for applications has been raised from 30 to 35. The length of stay has been extended from 2 to 3 years, but only for nationals of these two countries. The age limit for French citizens applying for a New Zealand WHV remains 30. The length of stay is one year. An extension of 3 months is possible (Working Holidaymaker Extension Visa) for candidates who can prove that they have worked in the viticulture and horticulture sector for at least 3 months.
What are the limits of working with a WHV?
Nationals of countries that do not have a bilateral agreement with another country cannot apply for a WHV. For example, under the agreements signed between Canada and Japan, Canadian citizens can travel to Japan with a WHV. Belgians, on the other hand, cannot benefit from this visa because there is no agreement between Belgium and Japan. To live and work in Japan, Belgian nationals must apply for a work visa or another program offered by their country (under other agreements, such as a free trade agreement).
It's important to keep in mind that the WHV is not a work visa. While it authorizes work, like a student visa, it has restrictions resulting from agreements between countries. Time limits are often imposed, and certain occupations may be prohibited. In fact, WHV jobs are odd jobs that help finance part of the trip. The primary purpose of a WHV is not to work but to explore the country. Work or study should only be a secondary interest. In theory, applying for a PVT is not advisable if your only goal is to work for 6 months. Of course, it is always possible to only stay in the country for part of the duration of your visa. However, the WHV application can include a detailed program of activities planned during the stay. If work time dominates the trip, the WHV application may be rejected.
Kenya's emigration treaty: A case study
Promoting foreign investment and, at the same time, encouraging the emigration of skilled professionals. This is Kenya's new strategy to boost its economy and strengthen its currency. Two years of devaluation of the Kenyan shilling have left millions of Kenyans in precarious situations (rising prices, loss of purchasing power). By the end of 2022, the Kenyan shilling was already suffering from the rising dollar. Currently, it takes 144.4 Kenyan shillings to buy 1 dollar. The country is still suffering from the effects of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Add to that the effects of climate change, with an unprecedented drought.
Unemployment is on the rise in Kenya, especially among young people. The country of 53 million people has a majority of young people: 75% of the population is under 35. This is both a source of wealth and a challenge for the Kenyan government, which is seeking new partnerships.
Kenya is embarking on a government-to-government agreements strategy to solve the intertwined issues of youth unemployment and the weak shilling. The idea is simple: providing Kenyans with visas to work abroad, especially in sectors with significant labor shortages. The East African economic powerhouse wants to create 1 million jobs a year for its citizens abroad. The announcement was made on August 3 by Florence Bore, Minister of Labor and Social Protection, at a meeting with leaders of the National Labor Council in Mombasa.
Work contracts and job opportunities
Minister Bore points to the many opportunities for Kenyans to work abroad: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait are all countries in demand for workers. A special institution, the National Employment Authority (NEA), has been set up to present job opportunities.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz used an express visit to East Africa to sign bilateral employment agreements with his counterpart William Ruto. On the one hand, Kenyans will be able to live and work in Germany with more flexible rules in some instances. On the other hand, German companies will increase their investments, especially in the energy sector. For the government, Kenyan expatriates (estimated at around 4 million worldwide) greatly contribute to the country's wealth. In 2022, remittances from expatriates to their families back in Kenya reached nearly 560 billion shillings (some USD 4.030 billion). Kenya is also targeting other countries. According to Florence Bore, Saudi Arabia needs about 10,000 workers, especially nurses. Currently, about 210,000 Kenyans are already working in Saudi Arabia.
Free trade and easier access to work permits
Other government-to-government agreements exist, such as the one between Canada, the United States and Mexico. The 3 countries signed a new free trade agreement on November 30, 2018, called the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMEA) or Nafta 2.0. The new 2018 agreement maintains the principles of the previous free trade agreement (NAFTA). Thus, eligible Mexican and U.S. nationals continue to benefit from facilitated access to work permits.
Canada has other free trade agreements, notably with Peru, Panama and South Korea. The Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA), which entered into force in 2009, sets out the conditions for International Mobility Programs (IMPs), making it easier for Canadian employers to hire qualified Peruvian expatriates. Similar provisions are included in the Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (CPAFTA), which entered into force in 2013. The Canada-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA), which came into force in 2015, facilitates the mutual employment of Canadian and South Korean nationals.
What are the limits of government-to-government visas?
Obviously, these agreements do have certain limits. In Kenya, Minister Bore acknowledges that working conditions for Kenyans are sometimes tricky. Citing Saudi Arabia, she acknowledges exploitation cases by employment agencies and employers. According to her, 185 Kenyan expatriate workers died in Gulf countries between January 2020 and October 2022. When opportunities do exist, they seem to be concentrated in sectors with difficult working conditions and low-paid jobs with few career prospects: cleaners, truck drivers, security guards, nurses, etc. The NEA's latest job offers are mainly in these sectors. Only teachers seem to have escaped the crisis, although salaries vary greatly depending on the position held (assistant, teacher, etc.).
Job nationalization in Gulf countries and the nationalist positions adopted by governments (as evidenced by the sometimes virulent policies in Kuwait or Oman) also weigh heavily on the lives of expat workers. The safety and integrity of workers seem to be at the heart of the Kenyan government's policy. It has already shut down recruitment agencies accused of exploiting workers. Similar questions arise concerning FTAs, which in some respects could be of greater benefit to the country requesting the labor.
Working Holiday Visas, on the other hand, have a fundamental limitation: they are not work visas. While it is possible to use these hybrid visas to try out living and working in a foreign country, it is not possible to use them for the sole purpose of working. A short, non-renewable visa, in most cases, the WHV is intended more as a means of exploring the foreign country.
Useful links:
New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Working Holiday Programs in Japan
