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.

25 Networking Opportunities for Expats

by Susan Musich, Managing Director, www.PassportCareer.com

Networking seems to be the key to finding most employment wherever you may live in this globalized world. Following are some ways that expats “network” in many countries:

1. Official receptions
   National days in embassies, farewell or welcome parties in companies, UN, NGOs.
2. Social and private events and gatherings
   Dinners, parties, functions, cocktails, formal and informal drinks, Sunday lunch, coffees, teas, bars, clubs. Make yourself known and promote your skills as much as you can. Let people identify you as a “professional person” as much as possible.
3. Private invitations
   Invite someone or get invited.
4. Ask for professional meeting
   Meet people at a social level (dinner, party), then call back your contact and ask for a professional appointment (with an Ambassador, a manager…)
5. Sports activities and clubs
   Mainly sports clubs, golf clubs (inside info and contacts for senior positions), gyms, mountain climbing clubs.
6. Meeting someone by chance
   Expats seem to visit the same restaurants, same supermarkets.
7. Go to the “in” places
   Markets frequented by expats, popular restaurants, coffee shops, and others.
8. Through accompanying spouse’s contacts
   Getting inside information from spouses (of international employees), spouse’s contacts and spouse’s current or former colleagues.
9. Friends
   Through friends in similar fields.
10. Professional events
    Go around, check what is happening and attend meetings and conferences.
11. Identify groups
    Professional groups are good ways of networking, including women associations, clubs and committees, professional groups, sectoral professional associations.  Join groups, penetrate them, participate in their meetings, talk to someone attending, try to be included on their mailing list.
12. Through colleagues
    Former colleagues, former contacts from previous jobs.
13. Word of mouth
    The expatriate community is big and very concentrated in some areas of the capitol city, so word of mouth is a very direct way to get information. The expatriate community is not hard to penetrate.
14. School
    Expatriates’ children go to the same schools.
15. Places of worship
    Widely used by locals, also some expatriates. These places are havens for networking. 
16. Internet
    Electronic resources listed throughout this blog and recommendations by others in the country.
17. NGO network
    Someone you contacted in an NGO can mention you to another NGO or share with you the opportunities in another NGO.
18. Canvassing
    Someone who knows you will push you and promote you in a position.
19. Conferences
    Attend conferences, workshops, seminars  (select those that are targeted to your career or where you know there will be HR professionals and executives.) Get the info in newspapers/magazines/ advertisements, Internet, the expat community, the Chambers of Commerce.
20. Clubs and associations for expats
    Spouse organizations, such as the Local Expatriate Spouse Associations (LESAs) set up by UN organizations that are focusing on support for dual career couple, the Association for American Women Abroad, and other associations that are focused on expat communities.
21. SMS, mobile phone calls
    Landlines can be challenging in some countries, so SMS and mobile are increasingly widely used and are an easy way to network (easy to send a message to several recipients). It is common in many countries to take your phone and say: Hello, I have heard you are doing this, could we meet?
22. Email
    Widely used also in many countries. Same logic: Easy to send short messages to plenty of people.
23. International hotels lobbies: info on meetings, seminars, conferences
    Check the event announcements in the lobby of the major international hotels, which host conferences, seminars, activities, meetings, which are often regional or international and are attended by many international staff. Also keep in mind that many expats frequent large hotels for their restaurants, bars, social activities, swimming pool, and other resources.
24. Mingle with locals
    Leads developed through locals and expats.
25. Extracurricular activities.
    Weekends away, safaris, cinemas, vacations at the beach, skiing trips.

What tips would you add? Add your comments and tips here!

5 Steps to Launching an International Job Search

by Susan Musich, Managing Director, www.PassportCareer.com

There are many things to consider when planning for a global career transition. Here’s a pre-departure job search checklist to help you get organized!

1.     Access local resources. You will find many resources available to you in your destination country, such as expat networks, libraries, the internet, and chambers of commerce. Try to avoid relying on just one or two resources. Identify and use a variety of resources to ensure balance in your job search approach.

2.     Find out the restrictions and permissions for working in the destination country. You will want detailed information about the work permit process, such as what documents are needed, how long each will take to process and whether your nationality may cause any delays, etc. A great website to check is the Permits Foundation at www.PermitsFoundation.com.

3.     Identify organizations to research for possible job leads and make contacts there. Although it can be daunting trying to go through the myriad online resources to find organizations in different countries, it is important to develop a list of 15-20 target organizations. There are many websites that have lists of organizations, and one site to find organizations that may have listings on their website is the International Chambers of Commerce at http://www.iccwbo.org/id100/index.html. There are many ways to identify contacts in organizations, such connecting with other expats in the area and asking them to help you identify professionals in the organization. See some of the other blogs on this site for more ideas on how to network!

4.     Learn the business etiquette and communication culture for your new country. You can learn the dos and don’ts for the destination country by keeping your eye on this blog, reviewing the information on the Passport Career (www.PassportCareer.com) website (if your organization has a subscription), or through the many great books that are out there on this topic. There is also information scattered across the internet, but be careful to ensure that the website is reputable and the information is accurate and appropriate.

5.     Create a networking resume and organize important career-related papers that may be requested. Create a resume appropriate to the standards in your destination country to use for networking purposes and gather relevant papers.  What documents might you need? Plan to take copies of the following: transcripts from your college, vocational or other educational institute (if you have numerous degrees, then you will need copies of each), awards and training activities, proof that you attended relevant conferences (usually only needed if you have a certificate from a training at a professional conference), and other related documentation.

Preparing for job seeking in another country requires a lot of work, but it will reduce the frustration once you arrive at your new destination. Many spouses/life partners fail to prepare well, either because they don’t have the time, they don’t think about it, or they simply do not know what steps to take to prepare adequately. However, I strongly encourage you to spend some time on these 5 Steps before you depart so you can get started with a solid step forward in your job search.

Good luck!

Passport Career has launched!

by Susan Musich, Managing Director, Passport Career, LLC

Passport Career’s international job search system launched August 15, 2009 with 55 countries and more than 100 destinations…and we’re quickly expanding to more! Now that we are officially available for organizations to subscribe to this extensive international job search system, we are delighted to inform you that this blog will be posting frequent entries about international job searches, profiles of expats around the globe, and tips for different destinations.

The idea for Passport Career began several years ago after working with thousands of international professionals who were moving to different countries in search of meaningful employment. I learned that the key to finding employment was not just understanding the legal framework of the work permit, but truly comprehending the business culture that intersects with the job search. By understanding the cultural nuances as they relate to the varied aspects of the job search, an international professional can make that strong first impression with those they meet. Making contacts is the key to a successful international job search, but you can’t make solid, viable contacts if you don’t reflect cultural finesse. Thus, Passport Career is designed to integrate the business culture with the many job search strategies, tools, and resources it makes available for each destination.

Our team of more than 100 consultants around the globe ensures the information is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to today’s job seeker.

We have had many requests from individuals who are interested in accessing the Passport Career system. Unfortunately, at this time we do not offer individual subscriptions. However, stay connected to this blog for future updates and enhancements. In the meantime, if you would like us to approach your organization to see if they can make this system available to you, please let us know by sending an email to Susan Musich, Managing Director, at smusich@passportcareer.com.

Lastly, if you are an expat and interested in joining our team of global consultants, we’d love to hear from you. Simply send an email to smusich@passportcareer.com with your name, city/country where you are living, home country, reason why you are interested, and why you think you are qualified. We are always in search of top-notch consultants for different projects and welcome your interest.  We can’t guarantee a job, but we will get back to all serious inquiries.

We look forward to staying connected through this blog and wish you the very best of success with your international job search! We also want to hear from you on this blog. What are your best tips for international job seekers? Post your top one to three tips here and share with the world!