The Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the occasion of the signing the Free Trade Agreement. Photo / Reuters
Up to 1000 young Chinese a year will soon be able to come on working holidays to New Zealand for up to a year - but the deal does not apply to Kiwis wanting to do their OE in China.
A new working holidays scheme with China was
set up alongside the free trade agreement unveiled yesterday, but the scheme has been criticised because it offers nothing for New Zealanders travelling to China.
It will allow up to 1000 Chinese aged between 18 and 30 to visit New Zealand each year for up to 12 months on working holidays.
It will be the the second working holidays scheme New Zealand has entered which does not carry reciprocal travel rights.
The agreement with the United States in 2004 applied only to Americans visiting New Zealand, although last year the US offered a trial scheme for tertiary students and recent graduates from New Zealand and Australia to visit for 12 months.
Trade Minister Phil Goff said China did not have the legal set-up to grant a direct vice-versa scheme.
"The Chinese have not ruled out being able to extend something to New Zealand in the future, and that provides us with the same sort of incentive for them to do so as it did for the Americans to broaden out the scheme they had."
Bex Gilchrist, general manager of International Exchange Programmes, which organises working holidays, said it was disappointing to see the Government repeating the US experience with China.
Under the deal with China, up to 1000 young travellers a year can travel and do short-term work or study if they meet health, character and English language requirements.
Applicants must have the equivalent of a seventh form qualification, and will not be able to work for one employer for more than three months.
