The New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme
is similar to the Australian Working Holiday Visa, except that in my personal opinion, it’s less popular and therefore perhaps easier to obtain. Another important factor is that it’s cheaper too! (Free for U.S citizens)
Photo by Paula May on Unsplash
✐ Other Useful New Zealand Working Holiday Guides:
New Zealand Working Holiday Chest X-ray Guide
How to Prepare for Working in New Zealand
The Right Job For You | New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
30 Essential Resources For Your New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
First Month Budget Breakdown on New Zealand Working Holiday
What is the New Zealand Working Holiday?
The New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme allows you to work and travel in the country for up to 12 months (and for citizens of U.K and Canada, up to 23 months). It is a great way to see a new place and have the opportunity to work while you’re at it!
Depending on the country you are a citizen of, there are different application windows and number of applicants New Zealand Immigration accepts each year. For U.S citizens, the application window is open all year and the number of applicants are unlimited.
Who is it for?
The New Zealand Working Holiday Visa is available for people between the ages of 18-30 and in some cases 18-35.
If you love being on the road but find your bank account looking a little unhealthy, then going to a country that offers working holiday is a great way to continue your exploration while making some money at the same time.
Photo by Jean-Pierre Brungs on Unsplash
NZ Working Holiday Requirements
- Must be age 18-30: You may apply anytime before your 30th birthday.
- You must have enough money to support your time living and traveling in New Zealand: The official amount stated in the application is 4,200NZD
- Must have a return ticket or sufficient fund to purchase one.
- Must have travel medical insurance: I used Orbit because I liked that they have one specifically tailored for the NZ Working Holiday, and their rates were great too!
💡TIP:
I was not asked to show proof of anything upon arrival. They actually have machines that simply scan your passport and you’re all set to go. However, I would suggest and recommend you have those documents ready in case an immigration officer asks. (Better be safe than sorry)
The Cost of New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
This is dependent on which country you are from. As I mentioned earlier, it is FREE for U.S citizens, and for example it was approx. 180Euro for French citizens. To obtain the full list cost by country, please visit: The official New Zealand immigration website
💡TIP: If you need to get a TB chest X-ray scan, this will add to your overall visa fee. The cost also varies depending on which country you’re currently in. (For example, one blogger got his for 250USD in American, and another got it for 25USD in Thailand)
Photo by Adam Edgerton on Unsplash
How to use the visa?
After you have successfully received your NZ Working Holiday Visa, you may hold onto it for 12 months. This means you don’t have to feel rushed to use it right away, especially if you need to square some things away at home or make preparations for your new journey.
The actual date of your visa begins on the day you arrive in the country. For example, I arrived on June 21, 2018. Therefore, I am legally allowed to stay and work in New Zealand until June 21, 2019.
If your visa is “multiple entry”, this means you are allowed to leave New Zealand anytime during those 12 months and return to continue your work or travels before your visa expires.
How long does the visa process take?
Personally, my process took longer compared to the research I found. I have heard from other travelers that they received their visa in 3 days, I got my approval letter 9 days after I submitted my application.
- The application itself took about 15-20 minutes to complete.
- I received an email hours later in regards to obtaining a chest X-ray.
- My assigned case worker emailed me the next day asking for additional information. (this may not happen to you)
- I went in to get my chest X-ray a few days after and the doctor’s office sent in the results on the same day.
- I received my approved visa on the 10th day, counting from when I submitted my initial application.
Photo by Petr Vyšohlíd on Unsplash
And there you go! Now you’re ready to get started on your new adventure in New Zealand! Be sure to pack smart because the weather can be unpredictable! Especially if you plan on working in the agricultural fields.
Don’t miss these work related topics for your New Zealand Working Holiday:
How to Prepare for Working in New Zealand
The Right Job For You | New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
30 Essential Resources For Your New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
Essential Things to Pack for New Zealand:
- A lightweight rain jacket will save you a lot of trouble during those random showers.
- Hiking boots are essential for both outdoors and great to use when working in the fields.
- I always recommend packing cubes to everyone. They are a real game changer for packing smart!
- It can definitely get chilly here in NZ. Find a cute beanie, they’re so easy to pack and have definitely saved me on several occasions.
Make sure you set up TransferWise to get your hard-earned New Zealand money in your own bank account without a ridiculously amount of fees.
The reason for this is when you do a bank to bank transfer, the sending AND receiving banks take a chunk of fees. For example if I were to send money from my New Zealand bank account into my American Chase account, I would’ve incurred 15-30$ of fees, but with TransferWise, it was only 4.88$ It’s free to sign up and you can download the app onto your phone!
📌PIN IT
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Wow, Dia, this is informative. I think what you’re doing is so cool! It’s so easy for people to make excuses for why they can’t travel. “I don’t have money” is def one of them. A working holiday visa is such an awesome way to make your dreams happen regardless of your budget. Thanks for sharing!
Alex | http://backpackingbrunette.com/
Hi Alex! You’re so right in that there are ways to travel AND save money at the same time:) Thanks for reading!