“It’s a great symbol of the growing links and ties and partnership between Australia and India and it comes on the back of other areas where Indians have been studying in Australia under student visas, working in our industries under skilled visas. This is just another opportunity to build those stronger ties between our nations,” he added.
Strengthening India-Australia ties
Matt noted that the Working Holiday Maker Program is an opportunity for young members of the Indian community to be able to either work, study or travel around Australia and experience Australian life and Australian culture. He stated that the ties between India and Australia are going from strength to strength. He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia in 2023.Prime Minister Modi’s “rock star” reception
Highlighting the ties between India and Australia, he said, “I think that the relationship is going from strength to strength. Australians were very positive and buoyed by Prime Minister Modi’s visit last year. He was given a rock star welcome in Australia and we’ve got a growing Indian diaspora in Australia.” “When I return home, one of the first things I’ll be doing is going to a Diwali festival in Sydney and they’re getting more popular. We’re seeing more and more Australians come to visit India and more and more Indians come to either study or to work here in Australia and it’s a great symbol of our growing economic ties and our people-to-people links,” he added.
Australian PM’s India connection
He also recalled Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to India as a young university student. He noted that Albanese used his experience in his “partnership and growing friendship” with PM Modi.A new cultural exchange initiative
Speaking about the Working Holiday Maker Visa, he said that young Indians between the ages of 18-30 will be able to apply for the Working Holiday Maker Visa to come to Australia for up to 12 months to study and to work, but most importantly, to get to know Australia, to get to know Australians and to experience the country’s beautiful environment and wonderful culture. He stated that young Indians will get the opportunity to experience Australian culture.Overwhelming response from Indian applicants
The visa ballot process opened on October 1 and already 40,000 young Indians have applied to update this visa, and we look forward to them coming early in the new year. He said that it is a “great symbol and a great demonstration of the growing friendship and partnership” between the people of two nations and governments. (With ANI Inputs)
