Q: How can I apply for a working holiday visa? Is it better to apply through a visa agency, like BUNAC, or independently and directly through Immigration?
A: There are two ways to apply for a working holiday visa (regardless of which country you’re applying to): how you do this depends on how much help you think you need.
You asked me and my team of traveling experts about this #workingholidayworry; to help you compare and decide which method will be best, we’ve broken down the basics of these two application options.
Apply through a visa agency:
- Method: online or over the phone
- Cost: standard visa fee + agent processing fee; the standard visa fee is refundable, should your visa be denied
- Processing time: determined by a country’s Immigration department; depends on the time of year, number of applicants and details of visa (standard processing times should be listed on Immigration sites); this time cannot be influenced or sped up by visa agents
- Checking your status: requests can be made online or over the phone, and are facilitated through visa agents to the Immigration departments in question
- Staff support: email, phone and online chat support; physical branches in assorted international locations
- Additional benefits: 24/7 assistance from visa agents; tax numbers and bank accounts arranged; some agencies also organize transportation upon arrival in the country; access to employer and job databases
- Gone Workabout Team opinion: If you’ve never applied for a visa before, are not confident in English or just don’t have the time to deal with all the little details of moving to a foreign country, then this is the option for you! There’s no shame in having trained experts plan and prepare with you – this means important to-dos, like a tax file number, are done properly prior to arrival. Plus, some agents connect you to other applicants, so you’ve got an instant community of friends as soon as you land. Just remember that applying through a visa agency will cost you more than if you apply independently.
Apply through a government Immigration department:
- Method: online or on paper, via the mail
- Cost: standard visa fee (+ postal costs, if mailed); the standard fee is nonrefundable, should your visa be denied
- Processing time: determined by a country’s Immigration department; depends on the time of year, number of applicants and details of visa (standard processing times should be listed on Immigration sites)
- Checking your status: online or over the phone
- Staff support: email and phone support; embassy or consulate offices in every capital city
- Additional benefits: assistance from Immigration officers during business hours; translations and language help available
- Gone Workabout team opinion: Do you consider yourself a competent traveler, or don’t want to pay someone else for what you can accomplish yourself? All working holiday visas are designed to be straightforward and, with Immigration-provided guides and checklists, you should have no issues fillimg them out correctly. And though they may have an intimidating reputation, when contacted with questions or concerns, Immigration officers will be just as polite and helpful as visa agents.
Have you applied for a working holiday visa? Which option would you recommend?
~ Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli
Photo credits: Visa hell by John Barker , Flickr; Australia Sydney entry visa by Slleong, Wikimedia