6 ways to get your working visa

So many countries offer working holiday visas these days, allowing you to earn some extra money while you travel and take in the culture. Here are the countries that offer such visas and how to go about applying for them – and, for those that don't, the other visas that are available to you.

1. Australia

Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Australia's Working Holiday programme allows people aged between 18-30 to travel and work within the country for 12 months. Travel is open, you can enter and re-enter as much as you want during this time, but the employment must be the secondary purpose, and only be for six of the 12 months. Employment can only be extended in exceptional conditions.

Visitors from America apply for the Subclass 462 visa, while travellers from the UK, India and Canada for the Subclass 417 visa. New Zealand passport holders can work in Australia without restriction.

For non-US applicants, generally you can apply for a second working holiday visa after completing three months of work on your first visa. Working holiday visa holders are permitted to undertake any kind of temporary or casual work.

2. UK

UK Border Agency

The UK's Youth Mobility Scheme is available to nationals of Australia, Canada and New Zealand aged 17-30, allowing holders 24 months to work and travel during the full two-year period. Although this is a time limit which cannot be extended or put on hold, travel is open for you to leave or re-enter the country to your heart's content.

There are no restrictions on the type of work you are allowed to do, except that you can't start up your own business, work in professional sports or as a trainee doctor. You also don't need a UK sponsor.

Indian citizens require a general visitor visa for tourism, which extends to no longer than six months and does not include employment. However, if you visit the UK on a regular basis, you can apply for a multiple-entry, long-term visa for one, two, five or ten years.

You can also apply under British ancestry if you are want to work in the UK and are a Commonwealth citizen and can prove that at least one of your grandparents was born in the UK. This allows you to stay and work in the UK for five years or more.

3. America

American Visa Bureau

Those hoping to visit America just for travel from the UK, Australia or New Zealand can be covered for three months' travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), as long as an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application is completed. Under the B2 American Tourist visa, you can extend this up to six months, however no employment or financial gain is permitted. The J1 visa does cover on the job training for the extent of an exchange program, both for casual and more specialised work environments.

America unfortunately does not offer work holiday visas, but there are temporary employment and tourist visas available. The H1B required a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in the specialty, the relevant work experience and any lisence, registration or certificate needed to authorise practice. These are generally issued for three years, and may be extended. L1 applicants must be related to an American organisation, have continuously worked for the organisation for at least one year in the past three and be a person of specialised knowledge.

There are 10,500 E-3 visas open on a first-come, first-serve basis to Australian nationals, provided they have an offer of specialty employment already in place. These are valid for two years and can be renewed indefinitely on a two-year basis. Canadians can also be employed under a TN visa as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

4. New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand

Conditions for a working holiday visa in New Zealand vary from country to country, but Australian nationals are able to live and work in New Zealand at any time for any duration. Working holiday visas are available for US, UK and Canadian citizens. British eligibility requires that applicants be between 18-30, and can apply for a 12 or 23-month stay, although must not work for more than 12 months of this time.

Americans and Canadians have the opportunity of 12 months with a working holiday visa. Applicants from the US must be between 18-30, whereas Canada extends this up to 35. Most travellers can also enrol in one training or study course of up to three months during this time. Visa holders are free to leave and re-enter the country at will during the allotted time.

For purely tourist purposes, Canadians can visit New Zealand for up to three months without a visa. British citizens for up to six months.

5. Canada

Canadian Visa Bureau

Canadian working holiday visas, or International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits are open to nationals of Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and the age restrictions, type of work allowed and duration varies.

New Zealanders between 18-35 can apply for a year's work permit, while British nationals between 18-30 can apply for a year. Australians aged 18-30 can apply for a visa for up to two years.

In terms of temporary work visas, not all jobs require a visa (such as clergy, film and media crew, public speakers, judges etc), although may need a temporary resident visa. The Canadian Visa Bureau has also advertised that certain IT workers can have their work permits processed faster, due to demand.

Most don't need a visa just to visit Canada, although Indian nationals do. A temporary resident visa may be required. Under NAFTA, US citizens are also able to access Canada more quickly and easily for business.

6. India

Indian Visa Application Centre UK

India unfortunately does not offer working holiday visas; those hoping to visit the country must instead apply for a tourist or an employment visa.

Employment visas for India require that you be employed by an Indian company or do honourary work with registered NGOs in India. The visas will have limited validity, irrespective of the length of contract you have with your organisation, but can be extended for up to five years.

Tourist visas are available for three months, six months or a year, and are non-extendable and cannot be converted into any other type of visa. Depending on how often you plan to leave and re-enter the country, you must apply for a single, double or multiple-entry visa.

This visa advice has been sourced for citizens of the UK, US, Canada, India, New Zealand and Australia. Many visas are open to other nationalities. Please see individual visa application websites (above) for further info.

Top 5 things to prepare before moving abroad

Research Visa Requirements

Visa requirements will vary from country to country, so it is important to research the different types of visas and find out which one suits you and your situation best. Some visas, such as the Canadian International Experience Class visa, have very limited places and fill up quite fast. For this reason, it is useful to research your visa options well in advance so as to be best prepared should a limited places approach apply to your desired visa. Our website has detailed information on the visa requirements of all of the countries listed from Australia and America to Germany and New Zealand.

Make copies of your I.D., Passport Photos and documents

Before you leave for your new country make sure to make photocopies of your ID and passport. Perhaps leave one of the copies with a friend or family member, so if you ever lose something you have a copy of it for the Embassy. Also make sure to bring along a few spare passport photos, these are handy to have when you first arrive and need to apply for local ID cards or travel cards.

Get your Qualifications Recognised

Remember that your qualifications may not be compatible to the qualification standards of your chosen country. Make sure to research if your qualifications are recognised and if not, you will have to get them recognised by the local authorities in the country. For more information on getting your skills recognised see the Where to go section on our website.

Update your C.V.

The layout of a C.V. will differ from country to country. Some countries prefer detailed descriptions on previous work experiences while other countries will only be looking for concise details of your experience. You should update your C.V. to suit the requirements of your chosen country as it will work in your favour when applying for jobs. Remember also for some countries it is a good idea to get your C.V. translated into the local language, even if it is not a requirement it will present a good image of you being prepared.

Create a Budget

It may sound like a boring idea but creating a budget will enable you to know how long you can live in your new country off your savings and what is your time limit for finding a job. You should also check if your destination country requires you to have a minimum amount of money in your bank account, and factor this into your budget. Something else that is important to factor in, is the cost of living in your destination country, as this will have a huge influence on how far your money will go.

The most important thing to remember is research. Some people will move to a country with little or no research completed and as a result they are not prepared for what is ahead. Once you research and plan you will be prepared for whatever your new move throws at you and you can enjoy it to the full, as it is going to be one of the best times of your life.

Australia is now increasing the places for skilled migrants from 2012-2013

The Government of Australia has announced an increase to the 2012–13 migration program, providing additional places to help fill skills shortages in parts of the country’s economy.

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Bowen MP said the planned migration program in the 2012–13 Budget would provide support to the growth regions and sectors of Australia's economy struggling to meet acute skills shortages.

“The measured increase of 5,000 places—from 185,000 to 190,000—comes in the context of significant skills gaps in both the short and medium term in certain sectors of our patchwork economy,” Mr. Bowen said.

The 2012–13 migration program includes a skill stream of 129,250 places, 60,185 family places and a special eligibility stream of 565 places.

Mr. Bowen said regional visas would also continue to be given high processing priority to recognise the needs of regional employers and encourage regional migration.

Up to 16,000 places have been reserved for the regional sponsored migration scheme (skilled) to ensure those areas have the support they need to fill skills gaps, grow local economies and strengthen communities.

“Skilled migrants are increasingly moving to growth regions and places where there is demand—they are complementing rather than competing with our domestic labour force,” Mr. Bowen said. “Further recent reforms have made employer-sponsored programs more streamlined and responsive.”

Mr. Bowen said the Government recognised the important social benefits of close family reunion, reflected in the increase in family places from 58,600 to 60,185.

“It's obviously important that people be able to live with family members, which is recognised in the increased places to help meet growing demand. Importantly, partners and children can also be great contributors to our nation's productivity,” Mr. Bowen said.

He added that Australia’s skilled migration program was driven by the country's “genuine skills needs and not simply by those who wish to become Australian residents. We believe we have the balance right.”

New Australian Program to Assist Overseas Engineers Get Jobs

Available reports suggest that - and contrary to a widely held belief, just one out of every two engineers, who are overseas-trained, may really get jobs in their specific and specialized domain in Australia. To positively address this matter, the creation of a new program is being mulled over in the involved nation that would cover not only the various facets of technical training, but also workplace culture and skills related to job-finding for the involved immigrant engineers.

Available statistics suggest that at the present, just 50% of the engineers born overseas and working in the country are working in their chosen domain, vis-a-vis 63% of Australian-born engineers. During the year of 2010, there were close to 9,000 engineers from abroad -- out of which nearly 2,500 are on the temporary visas of the country under the General Skilled Migration Program (GSM).

Meanwhile, a concerned person was quoted as saying that the key issue people from abroad face is thoroughly understand the work culture of the country - what they could expect in the workforce of the nation, and how best to become a part of the same. 

The program will be offered to a maximum of 20 engineers every few months. The first course, which successfully ran in the city of Perth during the month of January, saw applicant from several nations including India, the Philippines, and Pakistan, etc. The program is available to all trained engineers from abroad who have work rights in the Kangaroo Land even as this includes those possessing the nation's much-prized Permanent Residency (PR).

Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 176)

The Skilled- Sponsored (Migrant) visa (Subclass 176) is a permanent work visa for individuals who have the qualifications or skills that are needed by Australia and their occupation is listed in SOL(Skilled Occupation List), but cannot meet the pass mark required to obtain a Skilled Independent visa.

Skilled Sponsored visa applicants should score a minimum of 65 points on points assessment and must either obtain sponsorship from an eligible relative living in Australia or nomination from a participating State or Territory government.

Eligibility for 176

You are eligible for this visa if you:

• are under 50 years of age
• have the skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

applicants must also pass a points test. Points can be claimed in areas related to age, English language ability, specific work experience, spouse skills and other bonus categories.

The current pass mark for the Skilled Sponsored visa is 65 points. If you score less tha 65 points your application will be refused.

Points can be claimed in areas related to age, English language ability, specific work experience, spouse skills and other bonus categories.

To be sponsored by a relative, an applicant's relative must live in Australia* and be either:

• an Australian citizen;
• an Australian permanent resident; or
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

The applicant (or their spouse) must be related to their sponsor as either:

• a non-dependent child - including a natural, adoptive or step-child;
• a parent - including adoptive or step-parent;
• a brother or sister - including adoptive or step-siblings;
• a niece or nephew - including adoptive or step-niece or nephew; or
• an aunt or uncle - including adoptive or step-aunt or uncle.

* Some Extra requirements are there to be met if an applicant's relative lives in Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle or Wollongong.

To be nominated by a State or Territory government

State and territory governments can nominate visa applicants who have an occupation that is in shortage in their particular state or territory. This may include occupations from the Skilled Occupation List or from a broader occupations list known as state and territory Skilled Occupation List. It may be useful for you to check the websites of each state or territory government to see if your occupation is on their skills shortage list. If it is, then you could contact that state or territory government to determine if they want to nominate you. State and territory governments will also be able to provide you with information relating to employment, housing and schools in the region you may wish to live in.

NOTE :

Nomination from a state or territory government does not automatically result in the grant of a visa. Your application must also be assessed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship against a number of visa-specific requirements. You will only be granted a visa if all requirements are met.

What can I do with this Visa?

This visa allows you and any secondary applicants included in your visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia.

This is a permanent residence visa. As a permanent resident you are permitted to remain in Australia indefinitely. This visa also allows you to travel to and enter Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted.

Permanent Residents in Australia can:

• live and work in Australia on a permanent basis
• study in Australia at school, Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector or university
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare.
• access certain social security benefits
• can be eligible for Australian citizenship
• and further sponsor people for permanent residence.

Skilled – Independent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 175)

A permanent visa for people with skills in demand in the Australian labour market. Applicants are not sponsored and this visa is granted through a Points Based System.

This visa allows you to migrate to Australia if you have good English language skills and have work experience as well as qualifications in an occupation in need in Australia.

This visa uses a points test to select visa applicants who are in a field of high demand in the Australian labour market.

Eligibility for Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 175

To get one of these Australia visas, the applicant must first meet the basic criteria and then meet the points test minimum pass mark(65 points) to qualify for skilled permanent residence.

General Skilled Migration to Australia offers applicants the opportunity to migrate to Australia on the basis of their skill assessment, work experience and/or educational background.

You qualify for this visa if you

• are under 50 years of age
• have the skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

Also to qualify for a Skilled visa, applicants must be able to satisfy the basic visa requirements related to age, English language ability, occupation, skills, qualification, recent work experience, health and character.

In addition, applicants for a Skilled visa must also pass a points test. Points are scored on the basis of age, English language ability, specific work experience, spouse skills and other bonus categories.

You do not require sponsorship to apply for this visa.

What can I do with this Visa?

This visa allows you and any secondary applicants included in your visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia.

This is a permanent residence visa. As a permanent resident you are permitted to remain in Australia indefinitely. This visa also allows you to travel to and enter Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted.

Permanent Residents in Australia can:

• live and work in Australia on a permanent basis
• study in Australia at school, Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector or university
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare.
• access certain social security benefits
• can be eligible for Australian citizenship
• and further sponsor people for permanent residence.

Check whether you are eligible to apply for this visa by clicking on the following link:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/175/eligibility-applicant.htm

Skilled–Recognised Graduate visa(476) (For Engineers)

This visa allows recent Engineering graduates of selected overseas universities to gain up to 18 months of skilled work experience in occupations in demand in Australia.

An 18 month temporary visa for Engineering graduates of recognised overseas educational institutions who have skills in demand in Australia. There is no points test for this visa.

Eligibility for 476

You are eligible for this visa if you have completed an eligible degree qualification in Engineering, Within the period of two years from the lodgment of application.

An eligible degree qualification can be any of the following:

• A bachelor's degree
• A masters degree
• A doctoral degree
• A postgraduate diploma.

Your degree qualification must contain a major sequence of study or specialisation in an Engineering discipline. Engineering specialisations include but are not limited to:

• Civil Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• Mechanical, Production and Plant Engineering
• Mining and Material Engineering.

Important: The qualification that you are relying on to meet this requirement must have been completed at a recognized overseas institution.

This visa does not have a points test but other requirements must be met.

You must be under 31 years of age on the day of making your application.

You must provide evidence that you meet the English language threshold at the time you apply which can only be IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) Number to show you have a band score of at least six on each of the four components – speaking, reading, listening and writing.

What can I do with this Visa?

This visa allows you and any secondary applicants included in your visa application to remain in Australia for up to 18 months with no restrictions on work or study.  During this period you may choose to:

• travel
• work
• undertake further professional studies
• study to improve your English skills.

If you are granted this visa you are able to live and work in any part of Australia and engage in any type of employment. You and any accompanying secondary applicants must however comply with Australian laws.

Once you hold this visa, you may apply for permanent residence at any time if you are able to meet the pass marks on the General Skilled Migration points test.