Working holiday craze grows bigger in China

Alan Barry, a counselor at the New Zealand Immigration Office in Beijing, said that the recent introduction of the Australian Work and Holiday Arrangement to Chinese citizens is expected to complement his country's working holiday program rather than be considered as competition.

But New Zealand made a change last year to strengthen the attraction of its program. Applicants approved from Dec 8, 2014, onward, can now work for the same employer for a period not exceeding six months instead of the previous three months.

"This change was made to provide greater flexibility to New Zealand employers and to Working Holiday Scheme participants," said Barry.

Sun Xiangfeng, who visited New Zealand from November 2011 to February 2013 with a working holiday visa that was extended by three months, welcomed the change.

"Participants can now apply for a greater variety of jobs. Three months are enough for farming jobs, but technical and office employers expect a longer period," Sun said.

The 28-year-old quit his banking job for a gap year in New Zealand to "open his eyes to different values and ways of thinking about life".

"The diversity of lifestyles in New Zealand was a shock for me. People live whatever kind of lives they want to. In contrast, buying houses and cars seems to be the unitary goal for many people in China," Sun said.