Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., announces Working Holiday Agreement with Argentina
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., has announced that the Working Holiday Agreement with Argentina, signed by the two Governments in March, is now fully operational. Applications are being accepted to participate in the Working Holiday Programme, which will enable 100 Irish citizens, between 18 and 30 years of age, to travel and work in Argentina for up to 9 months. It will also enable 100 young Argentines to spend up to 12 months travelling and working in Ireland.
The agreement represents an important development in Ireland’s historic relationship with Argentina. By travelling and working for an extended period of time in each others countries, young people will build important connections which will help to foster stronger business, cultural and social links between Ireland and Argentina.
Similar Working Holiday Agreements are in place with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. The Minister also recently announced a Work and Travel Agreement with the US, which will enable up to 20,000 Irish citizens with post-secondary educational qualifications to travel and work in the US for 12 months.
Irish citizens wishing to apply should contact the Embassy of Argentina in Dublin. Argentine citizens wishing to apply should contact the Embassy of Ireland in Buenos Aires.
To contact the Embassy of Ireland in Buenos Aires, visit www.embassyofireland.org.ar or telephone + 54 11 57870801.
Contact details for the Embassy of Argentina in Dublin are:
Embassy of the Argentine Republic
15 Ailesbury Drive, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Tel: 01 2691546
Fax: 01 260 0404
Email: embassyofargentina@eircom.net
Note for Editors:
The Irish and Argentine Governments signed the Working Holiday Agreement in Buenos Aires on 18 March 2008 and it entered into effect on 22 September 2008. Applications are accepted from 1 October 2008 onwards. A maximum of 100 Working Holiday visas will be issued each year to citizens of each country.
Under the terms of the Agreement, Irish and Argentine citizens, aged between 18 to 30 years of age, are entitled to travel in each other’s countries: they are also entitled to engage in short-term study courses or to take employment as an incidental aspect of their holiday in order to supplement their travel expenses.
The Irish-Argentine Community is the largest community of Irish descent outside of the English-speaking world. The community is mostly made up of descendants of those who left Westmeath, Longford, Wexford and other parts of Ireland in the 19th and early 20th centuries and settled in Argentina. It is estimated to number approximately 500,000 people.
The Government has been active in developing these historical links with Argentina. Since 2006, grants totalling €136,400 have been allocated to Irish community organisations in Argentina under the Government’s Emigrant Support Programme.
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Press Office
30 October
2008
