New Zealand WHV tutorial: How to apply for your Working Holiday Visa

New Zealand offers a working holiday to young adults from more than 40 countries. The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) allows you to stay up to 12 months in New Zealand (or up to 23 months for Canadians and up to 36 months for Brits). You have the option of picking up work during your WHV to help fund your travels.

The New Zealand WHV is a flexible and easy-to-get visa. You don’t need a job offer or an immigration lawyer—as long as you meet the requirements, you can apply yourself!

Eligibility

The two most important conditions for eligibility are age and nationality. New Zealand has signed working holiday agreements with more than 40 countries.

Eligible young adults are between:

• 18 and 35 years old from Argentina, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.
• 18 and 30 years old from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.

As well as holding a passport from one of the eligible countries above, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of your WHV. If your passport will expire before this date (e.g. 15, 26, or 39 months from your date of arrival, depending on how long your citizenship can stay in New Zealand on a WHV), make sure you renew it before starting your WHV application.

Programme description and rules

• The WHV acts as an open work authorisation, meaning its holders are not tied to any one employer. Note that you cannot accept a permanent job offer while on a WHV. Further specific employment conditions vary based on your nationality (check the rules here).
• With your WHV, you have the right to live and work in New Zealand, but not in Australia. If you want to combine your WHV in New Zealand with a WHV in Australia, click here to learn more about the Australia WHV.
• Your WHV allows you to stay in New Zealand for up to 12 months. Exception: Canadians can stay for up to 23 months. Brits can stay for up to 36 months. If you are a Canadian or British citizen, you can apply for a 12-month WHV and request the balance at a later date, or you can apply for the entire stay upfront.
• During your working holiday, you can freely leave and re-enter New Zealand.
• There are no formal language, education or work requirements. A job offer is also not required.
• You can study for up to 6 months in New Zealand while on your WHV.
• If you want to go to New Zealand on a working holiday as a couple, you must both submit your own application. All applications will be processed independently. You cannot bring children on a New Zealand WHV.
• You have a maximum of 12 months to enter New Zealand from the day your visa application is approved. The date you enter New Zealand is when your visa is officially “activated”.
• There is an annual quota imposed on certain nationalities (explained below).

Beat the annual quota

New Zealand sets an annual quota on the number of WHVs issued to certain nationalities. Here are the figures for a few countries:

• No quota: Canada, Germany, Ireland, United States
• United Kingdom: 15,000
• Hong Kong: 400
• Singapore: 300

Readers of other nationalities can check the official website. The quota for each country (where applicable) usually does not change significantly year to year. If you are from a country with a limited quota, it may be advantageous to apply early in the year for the best chances.

Overview of the application process

The online application process is very straightforward. Here is an overview of the steps:

• Step one: Create an account on the Immigration New Zealand website. Don’t use unofficial websites, as you risk being scammed!
• Step two: Fill out the online application form with your personal information. Answer several questions regarding your travel plans, background and general health.
• Step three: Submit your application form and pay the application fee.
• Step four: Wait for your application to be processed. If successful, you’ll receive an approval email or see approval on your immigration profile.

That’s it! If you meet the eligibility criteria and can commit to respecting the programme rules, then continue to the next chapter for a more detailed walkthrough on how to apply.