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Coming soon: Easier travel for Singaporeans to Australia

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans can look forward to greater ease of travel to Australia, as part of a package of announcements unveiled on Friday (May 6) to promote people-to-people ties between both sides.

Qantas and Singapore Airlines planes. AFP file photo

Qantas and Singapore Airlines planes. AFP file photo

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SINGAPORE — Singaporeans can look forward to greater ease of travel to Australia, as part of a package of announcements unveiled on Friday (May 6) to promote people-to-people ties between both sides.

"Australia and Singapore have agreed in-principle on a tailored multi-year visa arrangement to facilitate travel and entry of Singapore nationals who are pre-vetted by the Singapore government," said a joint announcement by the two countries. 

The implementation details are still being worked out.

Currently, Singaporeans require visas, which are valid for up to one year, to enter Australia.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said that the new arrangements will make it more convenient for tourists, businessmen, students and young people to travel between the two countries. 

In addition to the impending change in visa arrangements, Singapore and Canberra have agreed to strengthen youth exchanges with the adoption of a 12-month arrangement that will allow Singaporean and Australian youths to travel to and do short term work in each other’s countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Friday. 

Under the work and holiday maker programme, there will be an annual quota for up to 500 youths from each country to experience living in Singapore and Australia. They will be allowed to undertake short term work and/or study to supplement their holiday and cultural experience.

“The work holiday programme will provide many more opportunities for young Singaporeans to work or study in Australia. It is a very flexible programme which will allow them to expand their horizons, make new friends and perhaps set up new ventures,” said Dr Balakrishnan. 

New exchange programmes between the teachers of Australian and Singaporean schools will also come into effect.

People-to-people ties between Singapore and Australia are robust, with 50,000 Singaporeans living in Australia and about 20,000 Australians living in Singapore. 

Every year, around 400,000 Singaporeans visit Australia while roughly a million of them come to the Republic from down under.

On the education front, improved recognition of law degrees from Australian and Singaporean universities are on the cards. Post graduate medical degrees from the University of Queensland and the Australian National University as well as 15 additional allied health qualifications in occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy will also be recognised by Singapore.

A package of bilateral cooperation initiatives, ranging from trade, defence, innovation, people-to-people ties and education were announced on Friday under the ambit of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) framework agreed between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott last year.

Dr Balakrishnan, together with Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang and Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen had travelled to Australia in March to meet their respective counterparts for follow-up discussions.

In the coming months, relevant bodies from both countries will iron out the implementation details of the various initiatives announced.

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