Our Guide to Working Holiday Visas

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Many of us try to travel for extended periods of time on limited budgets, and working working holiday visas are a great way to do this. Obviously there are quite a few options such as doing freelance work online, or volunteering in exchange for food and board which might not require a work permit (Depending on the country you are in).

For lots of people though, working holiday visas are one of the best way to stay in a country for an extended period of time with permission to find paid work. There are lots of countries offering working holiday visa some of which have stricter application terms and a narrower eligibility. In the post we are going to look at the most popular working holiday visa outlining eligibility by country, skill set, age, time period and cost.

Australia

Working Holiday Visas - Australia

There are two types of working holiday visa offered in Australia, subclass 462 and subclass 417 the main difference are outlines below. As well as these you need to be able to show you have the financial means to support yourself in Australia and have the funds to be able to afford an onward travel ticket at the end of your stay (5000AUD is recommended).

Subclass 417 (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price: From $520 AUD
Educational Requirements: None
Period: Up to 1 Year (Possibility to extend after completing 3 months of specified regional work)
Eligible Countries: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom.

Subclass 462 (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price: From $440 AUD
Educational Requirements: Various (Dependent on country of origin)
Language Requirements: Must be able to provide evidence that you are at least functional in English.
Period: Up to 1 Year
Eligible Countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Uruguay, Vietnam.
Other Requirements: A letter of support from your government is required, with the exception of those from China, Israel, Singapore and the USA. Further details on which agency you should obtain a letter of support from are on the Australian visa website.

 

Canada

Working Holiday Visas - Canada

There are two types of working holiday visa available for Canada, which are dependent on which passport you hold. Due to the large amount of applications Canada receive for working holiday visas they operate a pool system. Anyone that has registered their interest is entered in to a draw, people are selected at random and then invited to complete the application process. There recommended minimum cash on arrival is $2,500 CAD and either a return ticket on the cash equivalent to prove you are able to support your visit.

Age 18-30 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price: $250 CAD
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: Up to 1 Year
Eligible Countries: Australia, Belgium, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Other Requirements: Proof of travel insurance on arrival.

Age 18-35 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-35
Price:  $250 CAD
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: Up to 1 Year
Eligible Countries: Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan.
Other Requirements: Proof of travel insurance on arrival.

 

France

Working Holiday Visas - France

As with many of the other working holiday visas offered there is a requirements to prove you have the financial means to support yourself during your stay. The application process will also include a general background check, additional checks are documents may be require dependent on your own personal circumstances.The application process may also requires you to attend a visa application meeting at the french embassy in your country of origin.

Age 18-30 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price:  €100
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: 12 Months
Eligible Countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan.
Other Requirements: Proof of travel insurance required.

 

Italy

Working Holiday Visas - Italy

Applications for Italian working holiday visas are processed by the Italian embassy in the country in which your passport is issued. The visa permits a maximum of 6 months work out of the 12 month stay and a maximum of 3 months with any single employer. As with other WHVs you are required to show you have the means to support your stay.

Age 18-30 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price:  €116
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: 12 Months
Eligible Countries: Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Korea.
Other Requirements: Proof of travel insurance required.

 

Japan

Working Holiday Visas - Japan

The Japanese application process goes through the embassy in your country of origin, many of the requirements are similar to those mentioned previously although there is a specific mention of being in good health.

Age 18-25 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-35
Price: Around ¥3000 JPY (Dependent on nationality)
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: 1 Year
Eligible Countries: Australia, Canada, South Korea.
Other Requirements: Participants are prohibited from working in bars, cabarets, nightclubs or gambling establishments.
To note: It is possible for residents of the above countries to apply for a visa up to the age of 30, although the processing of the application is at the discretion of the Japanese authorities.

Age 18-30 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price:  Around ¥3000 JPY (Dependent on nationality)
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: 1 Year
Eligible Countries: Argentina, Denmark, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom.
Other Requirements: Participants are prohibited from working in bars, cabarets, nightclubs or gambling establishments.

 

The Netherlands (Full Details)

Working Holiday Visas - The Netherlands

Age: 18-30
Price:  €51
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: 1 Year
Eligible Countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea.
Other Requirements: Medical Insurance and sufficient funds to support your trip and return flight.

 

New Zealand

Working Holiday Visas - New Zealand

The application process is completed online and specific requirements and restrictions for some countries are in place, all of which are all listed on the New Zealand immigration website. The recommended amount of money to enter on a WHV varies dependent on your country of origin and the amount of time you intend to stay for.

Age 18-30 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price:  $130 -165 NZ (Dependent on nationality)
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: Mostly 12 Months (See below for exceptions)
Eligible Countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA.
Other Requirements: Return ticket or enough funds to pay for one.
Different Duration: Austria (6 Months), Malaysia (6 Months), Singapore (6 Months) and United Kingdom (23 Months)

Age 18-35 Visa (Full Details)

Age: 18-30
Price:  $130 -165 NZ (Dependent on nationality)
Educational Requirements: None listed
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: Mostly 12 Months (See below for exceptions)
Eligible Countries: Argentina, Canada, Chile, Czech, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, Uruguay, Vietnam.
Other Requirements: Return ticket or enough funds to pay for one.
Different Duration: Canada (23 Months)

Singapore (Full Details)

Working Holiday Visas - Singapore

Age: 18-25
Price:  S$150 (+ S$30 for each Multiple Journey Visa)
Educational Requirements: Undergraduate or Graduate
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: 6 Months
Eligible Countries: Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.

 

United Kingdom (Full Details)

Working Holiday Visas - United Kingdom

The current visa requirements for the UK will be valid until 29 March 2019, when the UK leaves the European Union. The requirements and eligibility will be updated once available.

Age: 18-30
Price:  £235
Educational Requirements: Undergraduate or Graduate
Language Requirements: None listed 
Period: Up to 2 Years
Eligible Countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Taiwan. (British overseas territories may also be eligible, see further details)
Other Requirements: £1,890 GBP in savings is required to support yourself during your stay. Citizens from Hong Kong or South Korea require sponsorship in order to apply for a working holiday visa.

 

There are further options available for those not eligible for the above working holiday visas. Many of the countries listed in the post offer professional working visa or tourist visas (although working isn’t permitted, some may allow volunteering) to a wider variety of countries. The best way is to visit the immigration website of the country you wish to visit in under to best understand their visa options.

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