Working Holiday Visa – Work Abroad Easily

by Juliette Giannesini

Have you ever wanted to gain some work experience abroad?

Most people assume that working abroad is synonym with finding an employer willing to do the immigration paperwork on your behalf or immigrating permanently.

But there is an easier way: the Working Holiday Visa (WHV).

What is the working holiday visa?

The WHV is a work and travel permit issue by one of the many participating countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

WHV agreements are reciprocal, which means that if a French person can get a WHV for Canada and a Canadian a WHV for France.

WHV’s main goal is to allow young people to experience living in a foreign country. It strongly encourages them to explore the country and to work to supplement their travel funds. Alternatively, some participants choose to base themselves in a city and immerse themselves in the local culture.

What are usually the requirements?

Requirements vary depending on the country issuing the WHV. You will need to check information about a specific WHV with its embassy (e.g. if you are English and want to get a WHV for Canada, you have to check the Canadian Embassy’s website).

Typically, a WHV:

·     is intended for a certain age group. Generally speaking, you need to be at least 18 years old and under 35 years old.

·     is valid for one year. Some WHV can be extended; some can even lead to permanent immigration visas.

·     has a relatively straightforward application process.

·     Ii much cheaper than regular work or immigration visa. It varies depending on the country, but it ranges from free to roughly US$300.

·     is available once in a lifetime, for each country.

·     doesn’t require you to be a student.

Tips on getting a WHV

So, what’s the catch? Well, none really. However, you may want to make sure of the following:

·     When you apply for a WHV, you often need to show that you have sufficient funds. Sufficient funds are determined by the country you are going to work in and they typically aim at making sure you can cover your living expenses for a few months without working.

·     Only a certain number of WHV are issued per year per country. If the quota is reached, applicants are encouraged to apply again when the quota is reset, which is usually at the beginning of the calendar year.

·     The main goal of the WHV is to allow people to discover a new culture, to travel in the country and to work if needed. It is fine to just work and not travel or the opposite, it is fine if you want to apply for a permanent immigration visa at the end of your stay. However, the WHV is not an immigrant visa. For example, chances are your application will be denied if you state that you are applying for a WHV to stay in a country while you wait for your permanent immigration visa to be processed.

·     You are often required to buy travel insurance before you leave home. This is because as a temporary resident, you will not be covered by the local health system.

·     You may be required to take a medical exam before you leave. Some countries only require it if you have previously visited certain countries “at risk”, some require it if you declare on your application that you want to work with children. If you have to take a medical exam, you must to do before leaving, with a doctor designated by the embassy.

·     You will likely be asked to provide a resume and a cover letter explaining why you are applying for a WHV. You will not be accepted or refused based on these, so don’t worry too much. The embassy simply want to know what you plans are: are you going to travel? Where? Why did you choose this country?). It also wants to know more about your background. To not have significant work experience isn’t a problem (most 18 years old don’t!) but it should show that you are open-minded and resourceful.

So, what’s next?

Working holiday visa applications are usually processed in a matter of days or weeks. The visa will be stapled in your passport, and you are good to go!

Don’t forget that when you will arrive in your destination country, you will have to do some paperwork to apply for a social insurance number and/ or a tax number. After all, you are more than a tourist… you are a temporary worker!

Useful links

·     WHVMakers (http://www.whvmakers.com/what-is-whv/about-whvmakers.php): general information about Working Holiday Visas. Includes a forum.

·     PVTistes (http://www.pvtistes.net/): a French language WHV website, with a busy forum.

About the author
Juliette defines herself as a “world citizen”. Born and raised in France, she took an early interest in Chinese culture and foreign languages in high school. She graduated from French Langues Orientales University with a degree in Chinese language and civilization. Meanwhile, she left France to discover the world. She worked in Hong Kong, studied in China and backpacked through Australia, New Zealand and Latin America. In 2002, she landed in Canada for the first time and grew to love this cold snowy country. She settled there and started her new life in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital. She has been teaching French at the federal government since then. She also works on various projects aiming at helping newcomers in Canada. Juliette is the author of Correr Es Mi Destino (www.correresmidestino.com), an English speaking blog about life in Canada as an immigrant. She is also passionate about photography and showcase her work on this website.