travel log: May 2020

Are you like me, who got fascinated by New Zealand because of the anchor milk packaging and wanted to see that in person? Or you are tired of seeing the same environment and want to breathe fresh air? Maybe, you just like to forget your past and create wonderful new memories on a greener pasture and find the hobbits?

There are different visa options that you can apply for if you want to come to New Zealand. You can visit New Zealand Immigration site to find the right visa for you. If you want to take the same direction as I did, I will explain on this page the famous Working Holiday Visa of New Zealand.

WHAT IS WORKING HOLIDAY VISA?

Working Holiday visa is the best option if you would like to enjoy New Zealand longer whether you would like to travel, study or work for a year with a tight budget. If you are not from the Philippines there are different working holiday scheme agreements per country, find out what’s for you.

CONDITION OF THIS VISA

The visa holder can stay in the country for 12 months but need to take note of the following:

You can work in New Zealand for up to 12 months but not for the same employer for more than 3 months
You can study or train for up to 6 months in any 12-month period
You can’t bring kids or partner with you. They need to apply for their own visa

STEPS TO APPLY

1. Verify if you are qualified to apply

2. Check if you can provide the requirements

3. Register to New Zealand Immigration site

4. Lodge an online application

5. Submit the requirements within the given time frame

WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO APPLY

Age 18-30 years old
Have a tertiary qualification (at least 3 years full-time study)
In a good health condition
Must be of good character
Doesn’t have an earlier approved application of Working Holiday Visa (even if you didn’t use it)

REQUIREMENTS NEEDED

Passport	must be valid for at least 15 months after you first arrive in New Zealand
Proof that you are in a good health condition	Since Philippines has high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), you need to have a chest x-ray and/or a medical examination as proof of your good health.
Police certificate	must be less than 6 months old when you submit your visa application
Have at least NZ $4,200 to live on	Proof may include: bank statements credit card statements bank drafts
Certificate of tertiary qualification	Must be certified copy
IELTS with an average of at least 4.5 over the 4 components of the test. OR A tertiary qualification from an institution where all the tuition was in English.	English language test results must be no more than 2 years old.
Travel Insurance Certificate	Must be fully insured including cover for hospitalization. (can get once application approved)

REGISTER TO NEW ZEALAND IMMIGRATION

The visa application is only open every February with 100 slots. The specific date will be posted in Philippines Working Holiday visa page so you need to set a reminder if you don’t want to miss that out. Since it is online and has a quota, having a good internet connection and quick typing skills are needed if you want to be one of the lucky 100 applicants. I will create another page for tips on how to fill the form so you can possibly get a chance. For now, get your passport and register to New Zealand Immigration site.

These are the fields that you need to provide to register:

FEE AND PROCESSING

You need to prepare $280 NZD to process your application. It is non-refundable if your application is declined. You can get the result within 30 days.

To understand more about the process, time frames and costs involved in applying for this visa, visit this page.

Let us wake up together to see the first sunrise on the world here on middle earth and find #JoyInNewZealand 😊