WORKING HOLIDAY VISA ADVICE FOR NZ

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Introduction

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Hello and thank you for purchasing this guide. I hope you will find it useful, I'm pretty confident I'm about to save you a lot of money. New Zealand is an amazing diverse country and you’re going to have a great time. It may seem really nerve racking right now and tempting to go through a travel agent to sort your visa etc, but doing it by yourself will save you hundreds of dollars!!!

The guide takes you from the start, getting your visa, finding work and even where to get cheap beer. I've tried to include everything I learnt whilst I was in New Zealand. This is an independent guide so you may find things are slightly different, but on the whole I think you will find it useful. If you have any comments or suggestions that I can add to this guide, please email at richard@borntraveller.co.uk

Getting your Visa

General requirements

You can apply for a WHV if you are from these countries. Please note that conditions and availability varies between countries. Click here to see your countries availabilities.

Argentina,Austria,Belgium,Brazil,Canada,Chile,China,Czech,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,Fra nce,Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands,Norway,Peru,Poland,Singapore(workexchangeprogramme),Slovakia,Slovenia ,Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vietnam.

New Zealand varies their conditions a lot as to which country you are from, so please use this link to see if your are eligible. (Scroll to Start Application if you know you are)

Don't book any flights till you have your visa!!!(Please note that they MAY ask for the financial information off you to confirm you have sufficient funds to travel. In

If you have a Criminal Record, If I have been charged, convicted or are being investigated for an offence in any country, what information should I provide?

If you have been charged, convicted or are under investigation for any offence against the law in any country, you should provide the following information in the space provided on the “Character” page of the online application:

When were you charged? Where were you charged?

The circumstances surrounding the offence for which you were charged/being investigated.

Were you convicted and if so, what was the penalty imposed by the court.

If you still have questions I haven’t answered please click here.

Starting your application for New Zealand

You will need to apply for this outside New Zealand. If you are on a tourist visa you will need to ring Immigration as how to proceed. Contact them on the appropriate number

To call us from outside of New Zealand, please phone: +6499144100

To call us within New Zealand but outside of Auckland, please phone: 0508558855

So to apply for your visa you’re going to need is a Debit card of some kind. If you don't have one, click here to apply for one. Cashcard (UK).

One you have that make sure you have these things with you.

Passport (valid for at least 6 months)

A debit Card

Good Internet connection

Pen and Paper

A valid E-mail Account

NZ$187(12 Months) (NZ$337 23 months) (Visa Cost, Subject to Change)

Ok so now you have those things, go to Online Application. This is the easiest options, you must first register online. Once you have done this you then make your application. Take your time filling out this application. If you enter the details wrong it WILL get reject and you will lose NZ$187. Above all don't lie, if you’re caught out it will get rejected and you may be banned from.

Fill the application out with all your correct details. They will save the application and give you a number, don’t lose it, you may need at a later date.

One tip is for UK citizens it will ask country of residence, it’s under British Citizens for some reason. If you have visited certain countries they may ask for chest x-rays to prove you haven’t got tuberculosis. Don’t be alarmed this is normal procedure, its pain in the arse but it’s a necessity I’m afraid. I had to do this for my WHV. They will send you an e-mail telling you which clinic you need to go to, costs can vary from country to country. You must complete this form Medical and Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1007) PDF They will not grant your visa until you have complied!!!

Best advice is to save the application and double check all the information that way when you go to pay and click submit you know it’s right.

Ok so you have submitted your application. Generally it’s granted within a few hours; don’t be alarmed if you haven’t received yours in that time it depends on how busy they are. Make sure you check your e-mail regularly. A granted visa should look something like this.

Preparing for New Zealand

Great you have your visa. What's next?

Don't buy any tours or try and apply for bank accounts, tax file numbers before you get to New Zealand. You will save a lot of money this way!!

Book your flight. For great deals, click here Cheap flights. If you’re looking for a round the world ticket multi-stop click here Round the world flights.

Get a guidebook, The Lonely Planet to New Zealand is the best on the market. To buy online click here Lonely Planet Books.

Get travel Insurance. There are plenty of travel insurance companies. The best but not the cheapest is World Nomads. The advantages with this company is you can get insured not matter who you are. You can be from any country and they will insure you.

So if you’re travelling for more than a year, use the World Nomads.

If not there are various company doing good deals, it depends on which country you’re from. Out of the rest STA Travel is the one I’d recommend. Google them and add you country as they have different websites. The main advice I can give you is check what they actually cover you for. Medical expenses are the main one, I've been serious ill when travelling abroad trust me, and money is the last thing you want to think about when you’re abroad. I was with STA travel insurance and one phone call and it was all sorted.

Don't think you can do without insurance, every smart traveller has it!!

Health

Vaccinations

Firstly I'm not a doctor and the best thing you can do is go to your local clinic and ask them. However, here are the vaccinations I would recommend as I have had them. These will cover you for the whole world. The reason I done this is traveller tend to start in New Zealand then starting heading off other places soon after.

Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG)

Recommended for all vaccinated people travelling to or working in countries with an intermediate or high level of hepatitis A virus infection (see map) where exposure might occur through food or water. Cases of travel-related hepatitis A can also occur in travellers to developing countries with "standard" tourist itineraries, accommodations, and food consumption behaviours.

Hepatitis B

Recommended for all vaccinated persons travelling to or working in countries with intermediate to high levels of endemic HBV transmission (see map), especially those who might be exposed to blood or body fluids, have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment (e.g., for an accident).

Typhoid

Recommended for all unvaccinated people travelling to or working in 3rd world countries, especially if staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas where exposure might occur through food or water.

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is caused by toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae biotype mitis, gravis, intermedius, or belfanti. The bacteria produce an exotoxin that, if absorbed in the bloodstream, may damage nerves and organs such as the heart and kidneys. Recommended for all unvaccinated people travelling to or working in 3rd world countries, especially if staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas where exposure might occur through food or water.

Polio

Recommended for adult travellers who have received a primary series with either inactivated polio virus vaccine (IPV) or oral polio vaccine (OPV). They should receive another dose of IPV before departure. For adults, available data do not indicate the need for more than a single lifetime booster dose with IPV.

Yellow Fever

Requirements: Required upon arrival from all countries if traveller is ≥1 year of age

Recommendations: Recommended for all travellers ≥9 months of age

Vaccination should be given 10 days before travel and at 10-year intervals if there is on-going risk. Find an authorised yellow fever vaccination clinic. Many countries when you will travel ask for a yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival.

Rabies

Recommended for travellers spending a lot of time outdoors, especially in rural areas, involved in activities such as bicycling, camping, or hiking. Also recommended for travellers with significant occupational risks (such as veterinarians), for long-

term travellers and expatriates living in areas with a significant risk of exposure, and for travellers involved in any activities that might bring them into direct contact with bats, carnivores, and other mammals. Children are considered at higher risk because they tend to play with animals, may receive more severe bites, or may not report bites.

Money

How much money you will need for New Zealand really depends on what kind of person you are. If you like to drink and party then you are going to get through your money very fast. I would say $5000 would be a great amount to have, to get you started. I’ve known people who have arrived in New Zealand with a few hundred dollars and survived. I would only do this if you have a lot of work experience in farming or construction. The main thing to bear in mind is New Zealand is a long way from anywhere and import most things economy is booming, which mean nothing is cheap.

To see how much your currency is worth against the New Zealand dollar, go towww.xe.com. It’s free and up to date.

How much do things cost?

This section is probably the one that will go out of date the fastest. The NZ dollar is weak a lot weaker than the US/AUS dollars, so you get more for your money. Having said that things cost more Hostels at the moment are typically between$20-

30/night. Self-catering with decent food is $10-15/day. A budget of$80-100NZD/day whilst travelling will let you get by and occasionally splurge on the things like bungy jumps. In the one and half months I spent in NZ this past June & July, I averaged $125 NZD/day. That was travelling on my own in a good rental car doing lots of driving, staying at hostels, self-catering most of the time plus bungy, skydiving, skiing etc . The summer season is more expensive, mainly due to the rental car being more expensive. Petrol is expensive sitting around $2.20 a litre, same as the UK. A beer in NZ costs around $4.50. The trick is to drink before you go out; bottles shops are a lot cheap if you buy a crate.

What to take and what to leave at home

This is actually probably the hardest section for me to right as we are all individuals but there are some things that you should take. This is only a short guide for a full run down click here.

TO TAKE

Laptop- I’ve been travelling for a number of years now and I can say this is the one thing to take. Buy a netbook or ultrabook as they are light to carry. You can go the internet, watch movies, edit your photos and listen to music. It does come in very handy and will save you loads of money in internet costs!

Camera-Photos provide the best memories.

Mobile Phone in New Zealand you will need one to look for work. Smartphone would be even better.

Cashcard and cash- Take at least to form of money as if you lose one you still have some money. Don't keep all your money in one place; spread it through your gear.

Raincoat-Yes it does rain in New Zealand and it can get really cold so takewarm clothes are a must.

Toilet Roll- You never know, New Zealand is a remote country!!

Condoms- Need I say why-always play safe!!!

First Aid Kit-Make sure you have emergency contact numbers too.

So you arrive in New Zealand now what?

Hostels where to go

I’ve put together a list on my website of the working hostels in New Zealand. Here is the link or if you need to book a hostel/hotel?

Getting an Address

Ok so you have arrived in New Zealand, amazing isn't? You’re going to have a great time here, believe me. You want to go travelling first yes? Well this is where most backpackers go wrong, don’t plan. The thing you’re going to need to get work is an address; YOU MUST firstly get your address sorted. This is easier than it seems, every hostel in New Zealand will let you send your mail to their address. This is very normal you get used to this practise very quickly.

IRD number applications

So to get your IRD number you to go to the post office and apply there, this is the only place you will be able to get it. To apply you will need your passport and your visa number handy. It’s free to apply and is very simple. You’re not going to get it straight away; it can take up to three weeks to arrive.

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This doesn't mean you can't work, you just have to tell your employer you have applied for it and they may put you on a higher tax rate.

Bank Account

This can be tricky if you’re planning on going travelling as soon as you get to New Zealand. They are going to send you a bank card but obviously if you’re travelling you’re not going to know what address. So my advice would be wait until arrive at the place you will be looking for work and go the bank to open an account the first day you arrive.

Opening an account

All you will need to open an account is your passport and your address. Most banks will accept this as proof of ID. ANZ, Kiwi are good banks in NZ. I would recommend

ANZ, I’ve banked with them for 2 years now and I'm very happy with them, but all four are good. Make sure you not your bank account number and right it down so you can give it to your employer. Your card is going to take up to 10 working days and believe me it will be at least a week.

Finding work

Ok, first off I'm going to break some bad news to you, if your reading this and your 18 years old straight out of college with no work experience it’s not going to easy to find work. However I have learnt a few tricks to help you on the way so don’t fear. If however you have some kind of work experience then things are a lot easier. You will earn anywhere between $10 and $18 an hour on average. It’s much lower than Australia, so don’t count on saving loads of money here.

I'll just quickly list the skills that employers are after in New Zealand are mainly:

Farming

Construction

Any trade (Plumbers, Electricians etc)

Bar experience

Office work (temporary)

Fruit pickers with experience

Retail

There are of course hundreds more fields; I've just listed the ones that backpackers generally find easy to get work in.

So how to find a job? There are lots of websites that you can search for work on, the best being Gum tree. The great thing about this website is that you can advertise yourself as well as look for jobs listed. So if your say looking for harvest work then you can put yourself on there, believe me farmers will ring you if you have tractor experience. I found 2 jobs this way. Here are all the website I know of that you can search for work.

Backpackers/working holidays

www.backpackerboard.co.nz

www.bunac.orgwww.stayatbase.com

www.worknewzealand.org.nzwww.fourcorners.co.nz/new-zealand/working-

holidayswww.jasons.com

General jobs

www.anyworkanywhere.com

www.aupairlink.co.nz

www.job.co.nz

www.jobcafe.co.nz

www.jobstuff.co.nz

Agricultural

www.fres.co.nz

www.canstaff.co.nz

Horticultural

www.taylorcorp.co.nz, 

www.satara.co.nz.

www.picknz.co.nz

Each of these sites will provide you with plenty of information to finding a job, as well as lots of listings. The trick is you have to be online at the right time as the jobs go quickly. Friday and Saturday nights are a good time to luck as everyone else is out partying. Speaking good English is also a great advantage, its one thing New Zealand employers are very particular about. The one I will say whatever job you are doing take it seriously, employers still expect you to work hard.

I can't find work and I no money what do I do?

Volunteering

Ok first thing don’t panic, there are a few things you can do to make money you have left last longer. The first thing you can do is to ask the hostel you are staying at, if they offer free accommodation in exchange for cleaning. I did this for 3 months whilst

I was working and saved a lot on rent. It’s not easy when you have been drinking the night before to drag your ass out of bed at 9am but if you stay motivated for travelling it’s well worth it. This will give you time to still look for work and not cost you as much to be just hanging around. This can happen if you are waiting for say a harvest season to start.

Ok so if the hostel doesn't provide this there is one more thing you can do, work for free. Sounds rubbish right? Well it is but if you have the right mind frame about why you are there it can be enjoyable. There are two main websites for this type of thing:

WWOOF

HELPX

Wwoof is the most popular. This site asks for a year subscription of $65 and with that you are giving a guidebook which has details of farms that will offer free food and accommodation in exchange for one day’s work. The hours can vary from4-8hours a day. They have the most farms. You can't get around the membership as when you go to the farm they will ask for your membership number.

From the reports I heard it really depends on the farm you are as to how you are treated, some are great and take you on days out and will teach you loads of skills. Whilst other make you work hard, give you bad food and treat you like kids. Overall though I think it’s a good idea if you low on money. Firstly it will again give you time to look for work; just make sure you have your phone close to you at all times. I miss a job whilst fruit picking because I didn’t have a signal!! Secondly if you are good and a hard- worker a lot of times, the farmer will find you job at another farm that is paid. All farmers talk to each other and word of mouth recommendations are what they prefer.

Thirdly is that if you’re on a farm that has a tractor get the farmer to teach you how to drive it, this will put you ahead of thousands of people.

Helpx is exactly the same as WWOOF just a cheaper version. They charge $29 for 2 years so it’s quite a saving and they cover the whole world. The only down side is that it has fewer farms than WWOOF. I prefer Helpx, its offer a lot better value than WWOOF. They also offer other opportunities other than farm like construction to teaching etc.

Other Ideas

Well if you have a car, you can always opt to sleep in the car. Just be careful where out park, you can get a fine for parking in the wrong place.

Mobile/Internet

Sim card

When looking for work in New Zealand it’s imperative you have a mobile phone. The cheapest way is to just bring your unlocked phone from home and buy a sim card in Australia. They can be purchased for $2 in most Coles/Woolworths or K-mart. You will need your passport as ID to buy it. Just top it up for around the $30 and you are good to go.

Here are two good options for sims Vodafone or 2 Degrees. Sim cards are cheaper on 2 Degree and are very simple to use. From what I can make out they are cheaper than Vodafone if you don't purchase the 'add ons' which Vodafone offers - eg regularly called numbers.

Mobile Broadband

Saving money on Internet by getting a mobile broadband stick!

Internet is very expensive in New Zealand, the cheapest way I found is to get a mobile broadband stick for your mobile. Telecom New Zealand seems to be the best value and fastest internet option for national use across New Zealand. It has a network is 3G HSPA network. They cost around $79 and you get 500 MB worth of data which should last you a month for browsing. If you need to download anything then head to the nearest McDonalds or coffee shop those offers free Wi-Fi.

Buying a car

It’s very easy to get ripped off when by a car in New Zealand. You will find the cars have very high mileage on them and generally not that well look after.

Firstly is not to rush into buy the first car you see and the second is try to avoid buying off backpackers!!! The reason for this is because backpackers are going to the very minimum maintenance on the car. Try and find a car being sold by a New Zealand citizen, they actually value cars low than backpackers and you can find some bargains.

So you have found a car you like and you think it’s reliable. You will have to change the ownership of the car with the Department of Transport. You will find one in almost every town. Make sure that you fill the paperwork out correctly and that the car you are buying has an immobiliser.

Tours of New Zealand

There are plenty of tour companies that are great for different areas of New Zealand. You could do one of the many hop-on, hop-off buses that run up the east coast. One of the best companies to this with is Kiwi experience. I did this myself back into 2008 and really enjoyed it. It’s a great way to meet people and they stop in all the places you want to go.

Other tours include Gap Adventures who have 7 trips around New Zealand. I can recommend this company as I did a tour with them in 2008. The other good one is Intrepid Travel who also does alot of great tours. There isn’t much to choice between them in price or quality so just browse the tours they have and see which you like the most.

Road Trips

Doing a road trip in New Zealand is the best way to see the country. There are a few things that I’ve learnt about New Zealand Firstly it’s a very large country and what we take for granted in Europe, like petrol stations, aren’t always there.

(Need a rental car? Try Budget)

So before you leave on any road trip out of the cities, make sure you have a spare fuel can, 5 litres of drinking water, warm clothes, spare tyre and tools to change it. A mobile phone, that’s charged and a good map. Check the tyres, oil and water and have some spare. It common sense of course but the remoteness is not to be underestimated. Things can go wrong very quickly and you can be hours even days from help. Having said that please don’t let me put you off. Road trips in New Zealand are not too missed, I travelled and it is in my top ten of the best things I’ve done.

Applying for your second year WHV

For citizens of the UK and Ireland getting a second year is just going on the internet and purchasing it like you did your first year. You can choose when you first apply to get a 12 month or 23 months visa.

New Zealand has so many different rules for each country that I cannot provide you with information on whether your country will be entitled to a second year. Click hereto check the exact status of your country’s agreement.

Getting your tax back

There is a lot of confusion about tax back and a lot of backpackers don’t know that you can claim back the tax you have paid. It depends on how much tax you have paid for that year, as to how much you can get back.

There are a few ways of doing it. You can do it yourself at the New Zealand Tax Office, however I wouldn't recommend this. If you do mess up the application it will get rejected and you won't be to claim a penny. The way I would recommend you apply for it is through a specialist company called Backpackers Buddy. I have used these guys for the last 2 years and they are really good. It doesn’t cost you anything to make the application, once they received your refund, they will take a 9% commission. I think this is a reasonable amount.

To apply, go to Backpackers Buddy and download the form, print it out and then fill out the application form. Scan and email or fax the forms back to them and they will do the rest. Keep your final payslip from each employer. Bear in mind that you can have a lot of employers in New Zealand so it’s important to stay organised with the paperwork. It takes around 3-4 weeks for the application to be processed. The average tax back claim is $1500 so it’s worth doing!!

Getting sponsored to live in New Zealand permanently

A lot of people who go to New Zealand on a WHV tend to like what they find and look to moving there permanently. In order to do this you must firstly assess the skills you have a look on the immigration website at the skills required list. If you find you have one, next is to find the visa that is right for you. There are too many to list here but the best advice I can give you is to get yourself a agent who specializes in this field. Firstly they will assess your skills and let you know options. Secondly they will know how to word an application in the best possible light.

Your other option is to find an employer who is willing to sponsor you. This is generally how people go about moving to New Zealand. Depending on the company it will depend on what costs you have to pay yourself and which ones your employer is willing to foot.

Passport issues

There aren’t many issues in relation to the WHV that will affect your passport. The most important issue is pages in your passport. Make sure you have at least 2 pages spare for when you arrive in New Zealand, you may be refused entry if you don’t have this. I would suggest getting a new passport before you leave your home country and if you think you will be travelling a lot then get the extended 48 pages version.

Note from Author

Well that the end of this guide. I hope you find it useful. Please remember that there is more information on Born Traveller. If you have any comments or suggestions that I can add to this guide, please feel free to contact me.