New Zealand is a dream travel destination for many travelers: it's naturally beautiful, with a rich culture, and it's generally safe, with easy-going people.
Because our country is quite expensive to get to and travel around, many travelers want to extend their visit here and make the most out of their trip. However, unless you have some very substantial savings, it may not be possible to spend months on the 'land of the long white cloud'.
That's where the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) comes in. Getting a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa lets certain people work to support their travels around the country; this is a great way to extend your time in New Zealand without running through all of your funds.
Many people are eligible for the WHV, but there are some important conditions. Working Holiday Visas tend to work reciprocally with other countries, so the conditions for each nationality may depend on the conditions that the country puts on travelers from New Zealand.
Here are the basic eligibility requirements of the WHV:
· First, you must be between 18 and 30, or 35 for some countries.
· You must show that you have adequate funds to pay for a return ticket, and depending on your nationality, funds to support yourself while in New Zealand.
· You must also demonstrate that you're mainly coming for tourism purposes and working will be your secondary activity. That is, you need to be a bona fide tourist with the intention of supporting your travels with a bit of work.
Working Holiday Visa holders won't need to show evidence of English language ability or educational qualifications. Medical examinations might be necessary depending on the length of the visa, which can be different for some nationalities. For most countries, a Working Holiday Visa will only be granted for 12 months, but for travellers from the U.K. or Canada, it will be valid for 23 months.
While on a WHV, travelers can't accept a permanent job, so this is certainly not a way to immigrate to New Zealand. To move to New Zealand permanently, it would be necessary to apply for a different visa category. What we suggest if someone wants to stay longer in the country would be to find a job while on a Working Holiday Visa that gives them the experience and skills to apply to a work visa in the future.
These are the kinds of work you're most likely to find on a Working Holiday Visa, amongst others:
- Dairy Farming jobs
- Factory work
- Construction labour
- General Farming jobs
- Truck driving
- Hospitality jobs
At Trinity, we can help you decide which are the best options for you, and we can help you find jobs to suit your availability! If you are a WHV holder, get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help you!
