Q: I’ve decided to apply for my working holiday visa through an independent visa agency. Which agency should I use? What do I need to know before I contact them?
A: Visa agencies act as the middle man between you and a country’s Immigration Department, helping you apply for a working holiday visa. Besides streamlining the process for you, many agencies also offer assistance with transportation, employment and accommodation after the start of your visa.
You asked me and my team of traveling experts about this #workingholidayworry; to help you decide which independent visa agency is best for your working holiday visa application, we’ve come up with a few key points to consider.
Before you contact the agency, ask:
- How much does the agency charge for a working holiday visa? Compare the costs of the visa when you apply on your own, versus the costs when you apply through an agency. Then, compare costs between agencies. If the agency’s fees are much higher than the original cost of the visa, find out why. Do those extra dollars cover your postage and provide you with membership to a job search site, or do they just pay for someone’s extra coffee in the agency office?
- What relationship does the agency have with the national Immigration Department it’s dealing with? Some agencies have direct links to Immigration Officers, which allow them to process your visa application much quicker or vouch for the application on your behalf. Others have no such special relationships and no power to speed up the process or endorse your application.
- How long does the process take? Does the agency promise to expedite the application process for you, or does it take the same length of time as it would to apply on your own?
- Does the agency assign you a case officer to your application? Who do you communicate with? While you may benefit from personal assistance of an agency employee, you may also be one of a hundred applications channeling through the same agency process. Return to question one: are you paying extra for personal help, or merely spending money for your application to get lost in a pile of others?
Do your research:
- Directly contact visa agencies with questions. Don’t be afraid to call or email with a list of your concerns and queries.
- Ask on a traveler/backpacker forum. Online discussion sites such as Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor, as well as country-specific sites, allow previous, current and future working holiday makers to discuss the visa experience.
- Read about the experiences of other working holiday makers to find out what worked for them.
Check out these, and other, agencies:
- BUNAC – One of the oldest and most well-known visa agencies, BUNAC caters toward residents of the USA, Ireland and UK, and Germany. Besides organizing working holiday visas, they also help applicants arrange volunteer and internship placements. Locations include South Africa and Ireland.
- IEP – This agency’s “Overseas Experience experts” provide working holiday and volunteer opportunities for New Zealand and Australian citizens. Travelers can find placements around the United States, Europe and United Kingdom, or join the Summer Camp USA for 8-10 weeks of youth work in American summer camps.
- VisaFirst – Over 30 different working holiday visas are organized through the agency’s online site, or through one of 15 branches around the world. They also offer assistance with Australia’s second-year visa program for Europeans and Canadians.
- The Working Holiday Club – Though a relative newcomer to the independent agency scene, TWHC claims to be the only agency with a money-back guarantee, should you fail to find a job and accommodation on your visa. Their winter season placements in Canada are especially popular with applicants from Europe and Australia.
Have you applied for a working holiday visa through an independent visa agency? Tell me about it!
Photo credits: Work visa – Jeff Nelson, Flickr;