Working Holiday Visa

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When working holiday programs (more rarely Work - & - Travel called program) is bilateral agreements on Summer stays for young people. Every two states conclude such a contract in order to enable the nationals of the other state to stay for a longer period (usually one year), during which it is possible to finance this through work & travel through additional jobs. Germany has such agreements with Australia , New Zealand , Canada , Japan , South Korea , Hong Kong and Taiwan . There is also a limited program in Singapore , but it is not based on reciprocity.

The WH visa issued for this purpose generally allows temporary work, although other special conditions must also be observed for the issue. As a rule, WH visas are only granted once in a lifetime and only up to a maximum age of the applicant of 30 years (or 35 years in Canada). As a rule, they can only be issued in advance by the embassy or consulate of the country to be visited in the country of which the applicant's nationality is held. This means, for example, that a German who is planning a working holiday in Japan must apply to the Japanese embassy in Germany or the responsible consulate in good time for a visa before going there. Equivalent to this, a Japanese citizen could only get his WH visa for Germany in advance in Japan from the German diplomatic mission; this is now possible in Germany at any immigration office after entering the country. This option is currently only available to nationals of Australia, New Zealand and Japan. However, if you apply for a residence permit after you have entered the country, you will always have to pay a fee.

In some cases, such as B. Japan, the WH visa is a replacement for non-existing au pair programs in the affected countries. The search for a possible job is the responsibility of each individual visa holder.

terms and conditions

In general, the following applies to the issue of a WH visa for Germany:

  • Nationality of a country with which Germany has a WH Agreement
  • Meeting the age limit
  • valid passport that is valid for at least three months longer than the end of the intended stay
  • Fully completed visa application for Germany (no Schengen visa)
  • Current, biometric passport photo (35 × 45 mm)
  • Copy of the return ticket
  • Proof of health insurance
  • Proof of sufficient financial means for the stay
  • The work permit is only valid for Germany, staying in the Schengen area for up to 90 days (as a tourist) is possible.

There may also be annual quotas (e.g. for Germans in Canada or Taiwanese and Hong Kongers in Germany) or deviations. More precise and current conditions can therefore be found on the websites of the respective responsible diplomatic missions in Germany.

Although there is often talk of an unlimited work opportunity during the working holiday year, there are regulations that one may not work for the same employer for longer than three or six months or that the work permit is limited in time in certain countries. At least for Australians, the work permit is unlimited within the 12 months. An extension of the visa is usually not possible. An exception is Australia, where it is possible to extend the visa by 12 months. However, this only happens if it can be proven that the visa holder has pursued certain activities primarily in the agricultural sector for at least three months. With the second WH visa, employment is also limited to one of the previous employers and to six months. An extension of the residence permit or a conversion is left to the discretion of the responsible immigration authority. As a rule, the visa holder is not entitled to this. A second visa can be applied for in Canada, but it must be from one of the three available categories.

Similar programs

In addition to the possibility of completing internships abroad as well as au pair and demi pair programs in many countries , there are volunteer work programs in over 20 countries on four continents, e.g. B. Teach and Travel in u. a. China or Thailand and voluntary farm work, where board and lodging are provided (see " WWOOF ").

Furthermore, stays in some South American countries, e.g. B. be carried out with volunteering under a tourist visa.

Web links

Working Holiday for Germans

Working Holiday Info Center. In: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea. Retrieved March 29, 2013 .

Working Holiday in Germany

Working Holiday Info Center. In: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea. Retrieved March 29, 2013 (Korean).
Working Holiday for Taiwanese (Republic of China). In: German Representation Taipei. Retrieved March 29, 2013 (Chinese (Taiwan)). Working Holiday for participants from Hong Kong. (PDF; 105 kB) In: German Consulate Hong Kong. Retrieved October 7, 2012 .

Working holiday for Austrians

Austria currently has working holiday agreements with New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. A working holiday stay is only possible for people between the ages of 18 and 30. A WH visa for New Zealand is valid for one year from the date of issue, also for the Republic of Korea. The Chinese Taipei visa is valid for six months from the date of issue; the Hong Kong visa is three months. If a Working Holiday stay has already been completed, a further Working Holiday stay can only be applied for in another country. According to statements by the Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs ( Sebastian Kurz ), negotiations are currently underway with Canada and Australia, which, however, have not yet been successfully concluded due to different ideas about the content of the Working Holiday Agreement.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c What is the “Working Holiday” program? In: Foreign Office. Retrieved March 29, 2013 .
  2. ↑ a b c Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417). In: Australian Immigration Service. Retrieved on March 29, 2013 (English): "If you hold a second Working Holiday visa, you may return to work for a further six months for an employer with whom you worked on your first Working Holiday visa."
  3. ^ A b Working Holiday, traveling and working in Canada. In: Department of Foreign Affairs of Canada. Accessed on March 29, 2013 (Strictly speaking, this is the so-called Youth Mobility Agreement. As a German citizen, you can take part in the IEC program twice, but only in different categories (WH, Young Professional or Co-op )).
  4. ↑ Working Holiday for Japanese. In: German Embassy Tokyo. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013 ; Retrieved October 7, 2012 (Japanese).
  5. ↑ a b Working Holiday in Taiwan. In: Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved on March 29, 2013 (English): “Working holiday makers (...) should not work for the same employer for more than 3 months. In addition, holders of working holiday visas should not work for the entire one year of their visit. "
  6. ↑ Work Holiday Program in Singapore. In: Ministry of Manpower Singapore. Retrieved March 29, 2013 .
  7. ↑ Residence permit for participation in the Working Holiday or Youth Mobility program. In: Immigration Office Berlin. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 29, 2013 : "Fees 50 to 110 €"
  8. ↑ What should the health insurance cover? In: German Institute Taipei . Archived from the original on June 13, 2013 ; accessed on March 29, 2013 : "Among other things: doctor and hospital costs including necessary operations with unlimited coverage, pain relieving dental treatments, pregnancy, repatriation"
  9. ↑ Working Holiday FAQ - Schengen area. In: German Institute Taipei. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013 ; accessed on March 29, 2013 : “With a WHV you can travel as a tourist to other Schengen countries for 90 days (short-term stay) within a six-month period. The work permit is only valid for Germany. "
  10. ↑ Annual quota. In: Embassy of Canada. Accessed on March 29, 2013 : “Working Holiday Quota: 4200 (already fully exhausted on February 28, 2013); Young professionals contingent: 400 (March 29, 2013 places still available); International Co-op contingent: 400 (March 29, 2013 still places available) "
  11. ↑ a b Information on the WH visa. In: German Institute Taipei. Archived from the original on March 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 29, 2013 : "For the program period October 11, 2011 to October 10, 2012 a quota of 200 visas was set."
  12. ↑ Information on the WH visa. (PDF; 105 kB) In: German Consulate in Hong Kong. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013 ; Retrieved on March 29, 2013 : "For the period of July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2012 the quota has been increased to 150 Working Holiday Visa which can be issued. The places are available on a first come first served principle. "
  13. ↑ Information for Australians. In: German Embassy Canberra. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012 ; Retrieved on October 8, 2012 : "There is no time limit for the employment as long as the maximum total stay of 12 months is respected."
  14. ↑ Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) - General Requirements. In: Australian Immigration Service. Retrieved on May 9, 2013 (English): “You may apply either while you still hold a first Working Holiday visa or at a later date. You must: have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday (417) visa (there is no requirement to do further specified work on the second visa) (...) not have previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday (462) visa "
  15. ^ Teach and Travel in China. Retrieved October 7, 2012 .
  16. ↑ Travel to Teach in Thailand. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012 ; Retrieved October 7, 2012 .
  17. ↑ Other work & travel countries. Accessed on March 29, 2013 : “The Working Holiday Visa is not available for all countries. That's why we want to show you exciting working holidays for which you, as a working holiday maker, do NOT need a working holiday visa. "
  18. ^ Federal Minister Sebastian Kurz. meinparlament.at, accessed on June 5, 2015 .
  19. ^ Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. bmeia.gv.at, accessed on June 5, 2015 .
  20. ^ Federal Minister Sebastian Kurz on Australia. meinparlament.at, accessed on June 10, 2015 .
  21. ^ Federal Minister Sebastian Kurz on Canada. meinparlament.at, accessed on June 10, 2015 .