by Ryan Henderson

1,000 young Indians get working holiday visas in NZ.

Young Kiwis get zero from India.

The India FTA locks this in. NZ commits hard. India’s promise: “maybe later… if we feel like it.”

New Zealand’s commitment is locked in and concrete: Up to 1,000 multiple-entry working holiday visas a year for Indian citizens aged 18-30.

12-month stay with full work rights the entire time (max 6 months per employer).

Paragraph 3 of the Working Holiday Side Letter.

India’s commitment in full:

“If India implements a similar youth mobility program in the future with any country, it will extend the opportunity to participate in such a program to New Zealand’s citizens.”

One sentence. No quota. No date. Purely conditional.

Paragraph 2.

India signed a working holiday deal with Australia 1½ years ago in Sept 2024.

Indians can go to Australia (capped at 1,000).

18 months later we signed the NZ version. The “if India implements” clause in the side letter hasn't happened yet, and isn't going to happen.

NZ has working holiday deals with ~45 countries.

Most are reciprocal:

• Australia: full freedom of movement
• UK: uncapped both ways
• Canada: capped but fully reciprocal

NZ-India is the outlier. One-way only.

Meanwhile, in the year to Sept 2025:

72,700 NZ citizens left the country; record numbers.

38% were aged 18-30. Young Kiwis heading to Australia for jobs.

The FTA’s answer? Import 1,000 young Indians on working holiday visas.

Working Holiday isn't the only one-way commitment.

NZ committed to three quota arrangements specifically for Indians:

• 4,100 skilled-worker visas (engineering, IT, construction, teachers, nurses, physios)
• 600 iconic-occupation visas (yoga, chefs, music, Ayush)
• 1,000 working holiday visas

India committed to zero quota arrangements for Kiwis. Some FTA categories (ICT, business visitors, contractual services) were reciprocal. These three weren't – by India's choosing.

NAT/LAB/ACT signed a deal that lets 1,000 young Indians work in New Zealand each year. India agreed to zero for young Kiwis.

Meanwhile, 72,700 young NZers just left for Australia because there's nothing here for them.

We're losing our youth and importing replacements. India isn't doing the same.

India protected their young people. Why aren't our politicians?

Originally published by Ryan Henderson on X.