Australia raises working holiday age limit to 35, giving Korean workers in their 30s a new reason to dream

Australia raised the age limit for Korean working holiday visa applicants from 30 to 35, effective July 1. [Generated with ChatGPT]

"I always told myself I'd do a working holiday at least once in my life — now I'm actually starting to think seriously about it."

Starting Tuesday, Koreans can apply for an Australian working holiday visa up to age 35, up from the previous limit of 30. The working holiday program allows young people from countries with bilateral agreements to live, work and study in a partner country for a set period, experiencing local culture and lifestyle firsthand.

South Korea has working holiday agreements or memorandums of understanding with 29 countries and territories, and Australia ranks as the most popular destination among Korean participants. The number of Australian working holiday visas issued to Koreans rose 41.2 percent, from 11,832 in 2022 to 16,709 in 2024, according to the Overseas Koreans Agency.

Workers in their 30s who had previously shelved the idea because of the age cap are now expressing renewed excitement. Lee Ye-rim, 33, a salaried worker, said she had long harbored a vague wish to go on a working holiday but gave it up as an unrealistic dream once she entered the workforce. "Opportunities to actually live abroad don't come around often," she said. "I'd like to use this as a turning point in my life after leaving my job."

Lee Chang-yeong, 32, another office worker, recalled that his fondest travel memories were from Australia, where he spent time during a year of overseas travel after completing his military service. "A working holiday in Australia felt completely out of reach because of my age," he said. "Now, worn out by work, it feels like I've been handed another chance to leave."

Online communities have also responded positively. Posts on a working holiday preparation forum include comments such as "I gave up because of my age, but I want to try again," "I'd love to build working holiday experience and then aim for a job overseas," and "It's great that the door has opened for people in their 30s too."

Excitement tempered by fears over career gaps, failed adjustment

Job seekers prepare for interviews at the 2026 Global Talent Fair, held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 1. [Yonhap]

The enthusiasm, however, is matched by real anxiety. For workers already established in their careers, quitting — and the resulting resume gap and pressure of finding a new job on return — remains the biggest obstacle. The considerable upfront costs, including airfare and initial settlement expenses, add another layer of hesitation.

A second-year office worker surnamed Oh, 32, said his career start was delayed because he had spent years preparing for the foreign service exam in hopes of becoming a diplomat, leaving him behind his peers in seniority. "My biggest worry is whether I'll be able to find a job again when I come back from Australia," he said.

Ha, 31, who recently quit her job and is looking for new work, said she fears going abroad as an escape only to fail to adapt and return empty-handed. "I think I'd find it hard to bear how people around me would look at me if an experience I started for a fresh beginning ultimately ended in failure," she said.

Even so, many see real value in the expanded opportunity to work and live abroad. There is also growing demand from people who want to gain substantive overseas experience — going beyond a simple language program — and use it as a springboard toward landing a job abroad.

Kim Jeong-hwan, 31, a freelancer, said his income and daily life are currently unstable and he hopes to build a career through a working holiday visa before securing overseas employment. "My ultimate goal is to obtain permanent residency and settle abroad on stable footing," he said.

The study-abroad industry expects inquiries from applicants in their 30s to grow steadily following the age limit change. An official at a Seoul study-abroad agency said that when Canada raised its working holiday age cap from 30 to 35 in 2023, the agency saw a surge in calls from workers in their early-to-mid 30s asking whether it was too late to apply or whether they could go after leaving their jobs. "People in their 30s are often at a point where they are weighing a career change, so many consultations go beyond simply wanting to experience life abroad," the official said. "A lot of people ask whether they can build overseas work experience or turn it into an actual job offer."

newday@heraldcorp.com