The working holiday visa is a term given to a permit for travel that allows for a traveller to engage in employment whilst in another country. A great number of working holiday visas are given out under exchange agreements between countries to support and encourage cultural exchange and travel between the respective countries’ citizens.
There are, however, various restrictions to the working holiday visa. The traveller with this type of visa is expected to be in possession of enough funds to use as he or she seeks employment in the visiting country. The working traveller is further limited on the employment types that he or she can hold and also the period that the travelling employment seeker can hold employment in the country.
Finally, the working holiday visa has an age restriction. The working holiday visa is intended to be used by young travellers. The usual age bracket is 18 to 30 years of age. This is a stimulating opportunity for young people to go out and experience living and working in a foreign country whilst evading the costly expenses that go with finding job sponsorship well in advance or participating in expensive exchange programmes between universities.
The pioneer participating countries to use the opportunities that the working holiday visa presented were Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zeeland. Moreover, in Japan, a working Holiday Maker Alumni association has been created and it offers seminars to orientate the Japanese holiday-working goer.
The countries that offer a working holiday visa are Argentina, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Norway, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Turkey, and South Korea.