Culture shock on a Working Holiday Visa

Before you know it, time has flown by and the end of your WHV draws near. Suddenly, the stress of wrapping up life in your WHV country and planning where to go next takes over. You might decide to go home, and feel happy to be reunited with your family and friends. You might not want to leave, and need to look into complicated immigration laws to find another way to stay. You might feel ready to leave but not ready to go home, in which case it’s time to plan another WHV and start the entire emotional whirlwind again!

You can find many reasons to worry. What if everything at home has changed? What if you’ve changed too much to fit back in with your friends and family? What if they’ve forgotten about you or stopped caring about you? Not to mention your new friends; what if they forget about you too? What if you never see them again?

Possible emotions you might experience in the pre-return stress phase

• Worry
• Excitement
• Sadness
• Gratitude
• Doubt

Examples

“This is the last time I’ll ever need to drive this route home. I’m going to miss my neighbourhood so much.”

“I’m so lucky to have had this view of the ocean for all these months.”

“I can’t believe this could be the last time hanging out with my flatmates. I wonder if they’ll still include me in the group chat when I’m home.”

What you can do to manage your pre-return stress

Enjoy the last moments. Be grateful for the time you have gotten to spend on a WHV, the opportunities and memories that you’ve had the chance to experience.

Focus on saying goodbye to your friends and avoid having too much contact with your loved ones at home. They mean well but messages like, “Woo, only 10 days until you come home!” can be unhelpful. Try to be present in the time you have left on your travels, and ignore comments that might make you feel worse (especially if you don’t feel ready for your WHV to end yet).