[Leachie]

Hey,

Before i make this post i thought i'd let you know this is primarily my dads account but i'm the ever amazing 18 year old son who wants to leave this god foresaken country in search of sun, sea and muchas siestas (hmm, maybe this isn't emigratespanol.org) ;)

Since our EOI got deselected late last year it then expired and the dream on moving away has been put on hold. At the moment i'm in my final year at college doing my A-Levels awaiting that university placement. Originally, I was going to finish this year then move away in September up to Sheffield to commence my studies in International Business. However, i'm in two minds! My course allows me to spend 4 months studying in September 2008-December 2008 in Brisbane, Bloomsburg PA or Lakehead Canada and then 36 weeks during 2009/2010 working abroad wherever I can get a placement. Whilst this would be great i'm not sure if I want to complete my hard A-Level studies and move straight into a degree. (do i not deserve a rest?!)

I honestly do not want to live in the UK and my original plan was to get my degree and then leave for Australia or Auckland (i'm very much a city bug living in a hi-rise on 5th Ave) however a part of me wants to visit the places now and have some fun before diving back into studies.

My plan was to land in Sydney and stay there for a while, then move on to Melbourne, Perth, come back across to Brisbane and then fly over to Auckland. Spending about 6 months in the two countries overall. Probably through December - July.

Firstly, would you consider this a wise move? My parents want me to do it so i can not only see some of the world but also gain some perspective on the £21,000 debt i'm about to embark on! (I also think there's some sort of push for me to try to get settled here also, perhaps a hidden agenda).

Also, do you have any tips/advice on the WHV? Or better yet do you know of anyone who's doing it at the moment? It's a bit of a scary thought doing it by myself and searching for that accommodation and a job etc.

Thanks for any and all advice haha :laugh

[veronica]

I think you are entitled to one WHV in each country. If it were me or my kid I too would say go for it. Both the NZ and Australian working holiday visa is for a year, although the NZ one is for two years from some countries, its available to everybody of 30 and under who has no criminal convictions. Just apply to the embassy for one of them, then while in that country apply online to the other one. The reason for this is that once its stamped into your passport you only have a year to activate it. I would also give yourself 6 months or so at least of work and hard saving before you go. If you want to earn that experience then it needs to be self funded for you to fully appreciate it.

And yes owning and running a backpackers hostel and having two grown children who have both done this I do know people who have done/are doing this, there must be at least 20 young adults doing this under our roof at the moment.

[KerryS]

I did this (albeit some years ago...) and it was fantastic! Very simple process to get a visa - both are available online, and as Veronica said, you need to activate them within a year of them being granted.
As a UK citizen you are able to apply for a 12 month Australian WHV, although if you work on in a primary industry (farming etc) for 13 weeks or more then you are entitled to another, which you may or may not run consecutively. You can work for the entire 24 months, although not more than 3 months for any one employer.
You are also able to obtain a 24 month visa for NZ, although you may not work for more than 12 months in the 24 month period. (No limit to how long with one employer though.)
My nephew is about to embark on this himself, he's planning to arrive in NZ sometime later this year. He has spent his first year after A levels working to save and start his travelling. I'm not sure he's ever going to make it to Uni at this rate...

[Leachie]

My nephew is about to embark on this himself, he's planning to arrive in NZ sometime later this year. He has spent his first year after A levels working to save and start his travelling. I'm not sure he's ever going to make it to Uni at this rate...

See, this is something that is making me wonder a lot. There is a danger that I might enjoy Australia and NZ too much and not want to return home to my studies haha. I was planning on working for about 6 months, upping my current work contract and spending the rest away, that'd give me about £4,000, but obviously with the WHV i'd be able to work at the same time so the money wouldn't then be of great of an issue, more of a comforting back up should anything go wrong.