Confirming Your Eligibility for a Working Holiday Visa
Check that your home country is eligible for the visa. Start by checking if you are able to apply for the working holiday visa to a certain country as a citizen of your home country. For example, if you are a U.S. citizen, you are eligible to apply for a working holiday visa to Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, and Ireland. You cannot apply for a working holiday visa to any other countries as a U.S. citizen. The eligibility will vary depending on which country you are a citizen of. For example, if you have an EU passport, you are likely eligible to work in many European countries without a working holiday visa. You can find a list of countries and the citizenships eligible for a working visa online.
Determine if there is an age restriction on the visa. Most countries will have an age restriction attached to their working holiday visas, usually around 18-30 years of age. Check the government website for a specific country to see if they have age restrictions on working holiday visas. For example, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea only allow U.S. citizens between the ages of 18-30 to apply for the visa. Ireland, however, has no age restrictions for U.S. citizens applying for a working holiday visa to Ireland.
Note if you need to prove your financial status. To apply for a working holiday visa to most countries, you will need to show you have the funds to live in the country without work for several months. This requirement ensures that you will be able to do support yourself while you are in the country, even as you look for work. The amount of money you will need to have in your account before you apply for the visa can vary from $5,000-$10,000 USD, depending on the country’s requirements. Keep in mind that though you are required to have a certain amount of money saved before you apply for the working holiday visa, not all countries will check that you have this. You may or may not be required to show proof of your finances, depending on which country you are applying to for the visa. It is a good idea to have a sufficient amount of savings set aside before you apply for the visa. Even if it is not a requirement to be in good financial standing as part of your application, having savings set aside can make living in a foreign country much more feasible.
Check if you need to have a job lined up before you apply. Most countries do not require you to have a job already lined up in order to qualify for a working holiday visa. However, you should be prepared to find a job quickly once you arrive in the country. Prepare a resume focused on the field you are interested in and send out resumes to potential employers in the country. Visit employers in your area and hand out resumes in person after you have arrived. Many travellers will apply to teach English, do hospitality work, or work as au pairs. Do a search of the more popular positions for foreigners on a working holiday visa in the country you want to go to. This will give you an idea of the types of jobs you can apply for once you are in the country.
Confirm you have the necessary documents. Many countries will require you to have proof of your student status as a recent graduate or a current student at an accredited university. You will also need a current, valid passport to your home country. You will need to be in good standing at your university or college, especially if you are a current student. Having good grades at your former or current university or college will improve your chances of getting a visa.
Go for countries that are less competitive. The most affordable and least competitive working holiday visas you can apply for as a U.S. citizen are to Australia and New Zealand. They have a thriving job market, which may make it easier for you to find work once you get to the country. Some countries are ideal if your skills are in specific areas, such as tech or communications, as there are usually more open positions in this area. For example, New Zealand may be a good option if you are interested in working in the agricultural or horticultural sector, as they offer extensions on working holiday visas if you get a job in this area. Working holiday visas to Singapore are more competitive to get, but you may pursue the visa if you are interested in traveling to this country and feel you have a strong application. Keep in mind some countries will have restrictions around the sectors you can work in. In South Korea, for example, you cannot work in law, medicine, or journalism with a working holiday visa.
Applying for the Working Holiday Visa
Fill out the application online. Depending on the country you are applying to for the visa, you may be able to do the application online. Search online to find the online application for your chosen country, often on their government website. Many countries will allow you to save your application online and return to it later or edit it before you submit it. If you are required to complete the application by hand and mail it in, make sure you write clearly and legibly. Use block print, write in pen, and correct any mistakes with white-out to ensure the application is easy to read.
Provide background information and the required documents. Many applications for a working holiday visa will require background information from you, such as your full name, date of birth, home address, and contact information. You may need to provide copies of your passport and your citizenship card. The application may also require you to show proof of your finances, including proof that you have a certain amount of money in your bank account. Provide bank statements as proof of this information. You will also need to have travel insurance before you travel to the country. Some countries, like Australia or New Zealand, may not require proof that you have travel insurance as part of your application. You should have travel insurance anyway to make sure you are protected when you travel abroad.
Pay the fee for the application. The fee for processing the application can vary from $150-$500 USD. Make sure you budget for the application fee and pay it in full to ensure your application can be processed. Keep in mind that this is a non-refundable fee. If for some reason your application for the working holiday visa is not approved, you do not get the fee back.
Submitting the Application
Send the application in online. The working holiday visa for Australia and New Zealand can be sent in online and are often processed within days or hours. Singapore and other countries can be sent in online but have a longer processing time. Check if there is a note on the application that you can send it in online. Often, this is done to help speed up the process, especially for countries like Australia and New Zealand, which are popular places to apply.
Submit the application by mail. Some countries require you to mail in your application or submit it in person to a country’s consulate or embassy. If so, make sure you mail in the application in as soon as you graduate from school or within six months of doing so. This way, your application gets submitted within the required time and you can get your work visa sooner than later. Make sure you have the correct address and postage on the application before you put it in the mail.
Check on the status of your application. If you submitted your application online, you will likely find out if your application has been approved within a month. If you send your application in by mail or by submitting it in person, it may take longer than a month to process. Call the embassy or consulate within a few weeks to check on the status of your application if you do not hear back from them. If you are approved for the visa for Australia or New Zealand, you will receive the visa electronically. You can then present a printed out copy as you go through customs. For other countries, you may need to pick up your visa in the form of a pass once you are in the country.
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