Working Holiday Visas Guide For United States Citizens

Working Holiday Visa/United States working holiday visa

College holidays are the perfect time to earn money and get diversity in your life. You can find a job in your hometown and happily earn. You can also apply for a working holiday visa and move to another country for work and enjoyment at the same time. The duration for this visa is six months to one year. Our vote is for the second option!

Working Holiday Visas for US citizens can vary from country to country, still, they all offer young and fresh graduates incredible opportunities for legal work in another country. Students gain valuable life & work experience while continuing to explore this world. Before packing your bag you must know the answer to this question: am I qualified to go? In this post, we will cover everything you need to know about working holiday visas.

You can also read Summer Programs For International Students

Table of Contents

Countries Where US Citizens Are Eligible For Working Holiday Visa

Being a European citizen means much more flexibility in choosing a working holiday visa country. People can easily apply because the European Union has set up many opportunities but United States citizens are eligible for just six countries. All these countries have their own policies. As an American citizen, you can apply for a working holiday visa in Singapore, Canada, South Korea, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.

Some of them set visa requirements which may be background travel papers or national background checks. These documents help you to travel safely and effectively.

Is There Any Age Requirement To Apply For A Working Holiday Visa?

Yes each country set up some specific age limit to apply for working holiday visas such as:

Australia

Australian working holiday visa ( subclass 462) is for individuals between 18 to 30 years. This is great for those who are looking for adventure in their mid to late 20s.

Ireland

This country set up an age limit of 18 years students less than 18 years are not eligible to apply for a working holiday visa.

Singapore

Singapore’s working holiday visa program is open for students between the ages of 18 to 25. Singapore receives 2000 applications per year so applying for this visa may be a little bit competitive.

New Zealand

New Zealand offers working holiday visas to US citizens ages 18 to 30. Thanks to New Zealand which offers unlimited visas every year. You just need to meet visa requirements and you will surely get the opportunity to fulfill your dream.

South Korea

South Korea offers working holiday visas to individuals between the ages of 18-30. You have plenty of time to settle abroad.

Working Holiday Visa Application Requirement

Again these requirements are different for each country. It’s better to ask your consultant in detail but a summary of these requirements is here:

Australia

Australian Working Holiday Visa permits candidates to live in Australia for a year only. You are allowed to work for a single employer for six months only.
You cannot find a permanent job in Australia being a working holiday visa holder.
You can’t bring any dependents with you to Australia
You have to prove your financial funds which must be sufficient to support yourself in Australia. The minimum amount of money you have to show in your bank statement must be 5000 Australian dollars

Ireland

Ireland permits you to stay only for one year.
Applicants must be currently enrolled in full-time higher education institutes- Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Masters or Doctorate. In another case, he/she must have graduated from a higher education institution within twelve months before applying.
Besides the visa application fee, students must have a plane ticket for leaving Ireland + a bank balance of 1500 to 3000 euros to support themselves in Ireland. This money is a surety that you will not be stuck in the country due to lack of money.

Singapore

Singapore allows you to stay only for six months.
The applicant should be enrolled in educational institutes at the time of application or must be graduated.

New Zealand

New Zealand allows you to stay for one year but cannot do a permanent job. You are allowed to study for up to six months there.
Applicants are not permitted to bring any dependents whether a child or parents with them on a working holiday visa.
Applicants have to show at least NZ $4,200 in bank statements. This is proof of enough money for living expenses and proves you have return ticket prices.

South Korea

South Korea allows you to stay up to 18 months
Applicant should be enrolled or recently graduated from the university
Bringing dependents with you is not allowed
Applicants should have sufficient funds about KRW 3,000,000 to support themself in Korea and return airfare.

Canada

It depends upon your nationality but you can stay in Canada for 12 to 24 months.
Applicants should not be currently doing any job in Canada. Should have aimed to work at multiple places.
Students aged between 18 to 35 can apply for this visa.

Language Requirements

All those students who have the aim to go to New Zealand, Ireland, or Australia must have to show proof of English proficiency. This means either you will show citizenship of an English-speaking country or any certificate with a high score in an internationally approved English test. If you are a native of an English-speaking country you can go abroad on working holiday visas. So pass the test and show your good result!

Can I apply If I Don’t Have A College Degree?

All those six countries where US citizens can apply on working holiday visas require that the applicant must be currently enrolled or have completed graduation from higher education institutes at the time of applying.

Income You Can Earn With A Working Holiday Visa

The money you can earn with a working holiday visa depends on the type of work you are doing and in which country. Aside from the financial requirements that a country sets for the visa process, you must have some extra money on hand for travel and emergencies.

Often jobs for working holiday visas are seasonal or for short duration because you can not do permanent jobs. These jobs are not high-paying. Countries like Australia have high minimum wages like AUD 18.29 and in New Zealand, it’s about NZD 15.75. Although it’s not much higher but more than the minimum wage in the United States. On exchange rates, it will give you much more to live off. The cost of living in both these countries is high so you have to stick to a fixed budget. To manage this expense you have to do multiple jobs at a time.
The minimum wage in Ireland is about 9.25 EURO. The high cost of living in European countries will be challenging for you but it’s okay if you work hard enough.
In Singapore there is no legally mentioned minimum wage but the cost of living there is extremely high. So plan for a high-salary job before you go to Singapore.
Recently South Korean minimum wage has increased to 7,530 won but teaching fields can bring you high-paying opportunities.
Playing the right cards is an easy way to get high-paid opportunities in even the service industry or seasonal employment. Working in a relevant field you could make serious cash even if it’s an office temp position.

Conclusion

It’s not compulsory going on a working holiday visa could bring you enough money and rolling cash. The point is to stay in a different culture and find an opportunity to learn and earn while at the same time getting experience and life adventures. Not necessarily starting your own business to earn a private jet but experiencing different places brings life experiences.