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Changes to Working Holiday Scheme Agreement between Czech Republic and New Zealand

(This article expired 16.11.2012.)

Long awaited changes to the Agreement between both countries become effective.

The Protocol to the Agreement on a Working Holiday Scheme between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of New Zealand which changes the conditions for the Working Holiday Scheme (WHS), signed on 25 November 2010 in Prague, will enter into force on 1 December 2011.

The Government of New Zealand side began to provisionally apply the Protocol on 7 November 2011, which means that Czech applicants can now apply for WHS visas under the new conditions.
The WHS gives young people from both countries the opportunity to stay in the other country for up to one year. They are allowed to enrol in short-term training or study courses and to take up temporary employment to supplement their travel funds.

The Protocol increases the maximum age limit for WHS applicants from 30 to 35 years. It removes the restrictions on the time the visitor can work for one employer(the original Agreement limited the employment to three months), which means that the visitor can work for one employer throughout the whole year. However, it is important to note that the employment must be on a “fixed term” (not “open-ended”)basis. The Protocol also removes the original study restrictions – the visitor is now allowed to enrol in more than one training or study course, and the maximum total duration of such course(s) is extended from three to six months.Applicants for WHS visas must be citizens of the Czech Republic/New Zealand, and are no longer required to prove that they are permanently resident in the country of their citizenship.

Czech applicants should use the WHS online application service. Currently there are 1,200 WHS visas available on each side every year.