A significant milestone in Philippines-New Zealand bilateral relations was reached with the recent issuance of the first Working Holiday Scheme (WHS) visa. The visa was issued to Mr. Charles Oliver George Doole, making him the first “Kiwi” (New Zealander) beneficiary of the scheme.

The Philippines-New Zealand WHS was launched by both countries on 05 February 2014. The WHS allows Filipinos and New Zealanders, ages 18 to 30 years, to apply for the WHS visa allowing them the opportunity to stay for one year in New Zealand and the Philippines, respectively, for leisure, holiday or temporary work.

As a WHS participant, Mr. Doole may enroll in training or study for a maximum period of three months or work for one year with a limit of three months per employer in the Philippines. As a WHS participant, he will, however, have to leave the Philippines at the end of the temporary 12-month entry visa. A quota of 100 WHS visas per year will be issued to successful New Zealand applicants.

The WHS arrangement, the first of its kind for the Philippines and one of 34 arrangements with other countries for New Zealand, was signed between Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. Del Rosario and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully and witnessed by President Benigno S. Aquino III and Prime Minister John Key in Wellington on 23 October 2012.

The WHS is expected to generate closer people-to-people understanding and goodwill through tourism, cultural and educational exchanges and short-term employment and allow young participants from the Philippines and New Zealand to experience first-hand the way of life in both countries as well as to engage more closely with the local people in each country.

Interested applicants from New Zealand can get in touch with the Embassy of the Philippines in Wellington (https://www.philembassy.org.nz/) for the facilitation of the WHS.