Australians love hopping over to Europe [and Europeans over to Australia] for a holiday, but actually moving there isn’t so easy, at least for now.

That could soon change, with the European Union offering to make it easier for Australians to live and work across the bloc as part of a long-awaited trade deal with Canberra, sources familiar with the proposal say.

The plan would make it simpler for Australians to take up work in EU member states without needing to secure employment beforehand, with the same rules applying to Europeans heading to Australia.

Four-year limits have reportedly been floated, along with potential settlement pathways, one European source said.

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The Albanese Government is weighing the offer, with Australian officials noting it could help fill labour shortages in sectors with comparable training standards, such as construction.

NewsWire reports the initiative was presented as a “sweetener” to bring Canberra over the line on a free-trade agreement.

A majority of EU nations last week backed a trade deal with a five-member bloc in South America, ending 25 years of talks and fuelling optimism that an agreement with Australia could be next.

European insiders said a pact with Canberra now ranks as Brussels’ “top priority,” with one adding it was “the next cab off the rank.”

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