Most working holiday visa applications are straightforward, with few limitations. Still, there are details of fine print that often go undiscovered until a visibly annoyed Border Patrol guard points them out. Take it from a girl who has twice been escorted out of the Customs queue by armed officials, because she’s failed to follow the rules prior to arrival.
The following working holiday visa requirements may seem unimportant, but it’s best to have these sorted before you begin your new life abroad.
1. Proof of funds – Whether this is a specific amount determined by Immigration (for example, $4,200NZD is needed to enter New Zealand on a working holiday), or a lose suggestion for filling up your bank account, be prepared to show adequate proof of funds at the Customs desk. Visas are granted with the expectation that temporary employees will aid the economy through hard work and travel expenditures – not by draining the welfare system and dodging taxes.
Ways to meet this requirement:
– If you use online banking, print a screen shot of a savings or checking account and highlight the date. Make sure to print this as close to the date of your flight as possible.
– Ask a bank official to print a copy of your most recent account statement and stamp/sign this for authenticity.
– And if you don’t have quite enough money, don’t worry! Transfer or combine funds from multiple accounts into one, before printing an official statement or screen shot. You can always transfer the funds back once you pass through the Customs queue.
2. Proof of return ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase one. How can you book a return ticket, if you have no idea of how long you will be working, or where, or what destinations will lure you away afterward? I appreciate this argument, but a Customs guard will not. Dodging an exit flight is not worth the embarrassment of being publicly questioned at an Air New Zealand check-in desk.
Ways to meet this requirement:
– If your funds are tight, use a booking site such as Expedia or Skyscanner to find the cheapest available exit flight from the country in which you’ll be working. Make sure the flight date is at least a week prior to when your working holiday visa ends, or you could get in trouble for overstaying your visa. While tickets purchased through booking sites are not often refundable, you can use the money saved to purchase a better exit ticket, if needed.
– If you have adequate funds, book an exit ticket directly through the airline. Higher costs typically ensure a full refund (read the small print first!), allowing you to change the date or final destination of your ticket, if needed.
3. Proof of insurance. Though few emergency rooms will turn you away, basic health care coverage abroad – from checkups with a general practitioner, to prescribed drugs and medical tests – will be twice as expensive without some form of international travel insurance.
Ways to meet this requirement:
– If you’ve been provided with an insurance ID card, showing your name and member number, carry this with you. This works best when a policy expiration or validity date is printed on the ID, to confirm the insurance will cover you throughout the length of your stay.
– If the ID is not dated, or if you have not been provided with a member ID, print out the policy activation confirmation you receive once your international insurance is activated. This will contain sufficient information to assure Customs officials.
4. Proof of address. This simple requirement is too easily forgotten. And nothing invokes Customs anger quicker than a missing address! You may provide any domestic address, whether it’s one you’re staying at for one night or the whole year; the information may be used to locate you in case of a national disaster, immigration issue, or other emergency notice.
Ways to meet this requirement:
– Write down the address of your first hotel or hostel, so you can share this with Customs.
– Use the address of a friend or relative in the country, who can act as your liaison in case any of the above situations occur.
– Use the address of your working holiday visa agency or employer.
Do you know of another way to meet these four working holiday visa requirements? Please share! ~ Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli
Photo Credit: Creative Commons-Wikimedia; Joseph Nicolia- Flikr