What You Need to Know About Work and Travel Visas Around the World

If you plan on travelling between the ages of 18 and 30, and have a valid passport with at least 6 months available until renewal, you are eligible to apply for a working holiday visa. The working holiday visa enables travellers to stay in Australia for an extended amount of time, supplemented by work for up to 24 months.

In order to obtain a working holiday visa in Australia, you must have enough funds to support yourself when you first arrive, must not plan on working for more than six months with the same employer and must not have a previous criminal or medical background that could affect your stay; as stated on the Australian Visa Bureau website.

If you would like to extend your trip from a year to two, you will need to apply for a second working holiday visa. To get one, you must have worked as a ‘specified’ worker in regional Australia, in industries such as tree farming, mining or construction, for at least 12 weeks.

To live in Australia, you must apply for permanent residency, also known as the 189 visa. The 189 visa is designed for skilled workers who aren’t already being sponsored by an employer. Those who hold a 457 visa are able to switch to this visa if they don’t want to be held down by one company. However, in order to obtain this type of visa, individuals must express their dedication to work in a skilled occupation.

For a list of jobs which are considered to be eligible skilled occupations, please visit the Australian Government website.

SEE ALSO: Living in Australia: The Best Cities to Live and Work in Oz

In the USA, work visas can only be offered to those who have been given a confirmed specific offer of employment. While the H-1B visa is designed for those working in specialised jobs, the H-2B is for those with a seasonal or temporary role – which will usually expire once the job contract has ended. Before you can apply, a petition must be filed and approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services at the US Embassy or Consulate. In the event that your partner, spouse or children under the age of 21 want to join you for the duration of your stay, they may be eligible for what is called a derivative visa.

Obtaining a residential visa to live in the US is otherwise known as applying for a Green Card. Those from the UK are most likely to receive a green card from their family, since the US immigration law allows US citizens to request for family members to live in the country, but can also be obtained from each individual’s place of employment. Whilst some specialist jobs, including the armed forces, broadcasters and international organisation employees, allow for green cards, entrepreneurs who plan to create and maintain at least 10 permanent full time jobs in the US can apply based on the intent to invest. To find the best way to apply for you, visit the US Department of Homeland Security website.

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In total, there are three travel and work experience options available under the International Experience Canada(IEC). To start, the open work permit is only available to those who don’t have a job offer at the time of application and want to work for different employers as they travel around Canada. However, it is also available to those who are under the international co-op internship category. This allows students who are completing an internship or work placement in Canada as part of their qualification to travel overseas to work in the country.

Luckily, there are a number of immigration visas on offer for those who want to move to Canada on a permanent basis. The skilled work immigration programme is just one of many. Workers must obtain at least 67 points across areas such as education, English and French language ability, work experience and arranged employment in order to receive their permanent residence visa.

Overall, there are three classes of business immigration visa, which are for those who are willing to be investors, aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to maintain a business in Canada and those who are self-employed, but work in desired areas – as explained on the Overseas Emigration website.

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Young people between the age of 18 and 30 are eligible to apply for a working holiday visa, allowing them to travel freely and work in New Zealand for just under the two-year period. However, in order to travel abroad, you must have a return ticket or prove you have enough money spare to pay for one at the end of your trip. Other conditions include having at least 350 New Zealand dollars available for each month of your stay, only being allowed to work for up to a year and only being allowed to train or study for up to six months. However, those who have worked in the horticulture industry for three months or more may apply for a working holiday extension work visa to extend their time.

The Silver Fern Job Search Job Work Visa is specifically for those who are highly skilled and want to live in New Zealand, but need to find a long term skill employment position before applying for residency. This visa will last for up to nine months. The business visitor visa allows business professionals who wish to visit New Zealand for a particular job or event to attend. Once the purpose of the visit is over, the visa will expire. Unfortunately, those who are self-employed don’t qualify for a business visitor visa and will need to apply for an entrepreneur resident visa instead.

If you’re reconsidering relocating abroad no matter whether it is to Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand or elsewhere, and you want to discuss how we can help you with your visa application, get in touch with a member of our friendly expert team today!