Tutorial: How to extend your Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand? (Working Holiday Extension)

Your Working Holiday Visa is coming to an end, but you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to New Zealand? It is possible (under certain conditions) to extend your Working Holiday Visa with the Working Holiday Extension Work Visa. This extension allows backpackers on a WHV (including French and Belgians) to stay an extra 3 months in this beautiful country (Canadians can stay up to 23 months in total). While you can apply for your WHV online, you can only apply for the Working Holiday Visa Extension by post.

To find out more, visit the official Working Holiday Extension page.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to extend your Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand.

Conditions

• Have a valid WHV: you must apply for your extension before the expiry date of your WHV, i.e. before the date on which you must leave the country.
• Be in New Zealand: you must be in New Zealand when you apply for your extension. You must not leave New Zealand while your extension application is being processed.
• Have done 3 months of seasonal work in horticulture or viticulture: i.e. 3 months of planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing in horticulture (fruit and vegetable growing businesses) or viticulture. These 3 months do not have to be full-time!
• Not have already benefited from the Working Holiday Extension in New Zealand.

When should you apply for your working holiday extension?

Since your WHV must still be valid at the time of application, we recommend you to send your application by post at least one week before the end of your WHV.

It will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour to complete the form.

How much does the Working Holiday Extension cost?

The Working Holiday Extension costs NZ$455: $420 for the visa + $35 IVL tax.

Documents to attach to your Working Holiday Extension application

To apply, you will need :

• a certified copy of your passport: this can be done free of charge at any police station in New Zealand;
• 2 passport photos;
• the INZ1153 – SSE/WHE Work Visa Application form, which you can download from the immigration website ;
• proof of 3 months of seasonal work in horticulture or viticulture (we’ll come back to this later);
• a plane ticket to leave the country or proof of funds;
• a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card number.