Frequently Asked Questions

Which country/ies can I work in?

There are a number of countries with reciprocal working holiday arrangements. Just visit our Work around the world visa info page. This will give you an overview of which countries you could visit for a working holiday.

Can I apply for more than one working holiday visa?

Yes, you can. But you can only apply for one per country.

For example, if your country has working holiday visa arrangements with say, Canada, the UK, Japan and Italy you could spend one year in Canada, then two years in the UK, then one year in Japan before one year in Italy. All up you could spend four years abroad.

What type of work is available?

The type of work available depends on the country you choose to live, work and play. Traditional traveller jobs include those in hospitality (bar work, chef, waiting), fruit and vegetable picking, teaching English, child care and working in ski fields.

Today, most working holiday destinations allow you to work in your current profession. For instance, in the UK there are hundreds of recruitment agencies specialising in placing accountants, secretaries, chefs, plumbers, architects, etc. in positions. In Canada, ski employers run recruitment days where they employ all their staff for the ski season. We have contact details of specialist recruitment agencies in all of our books.

How do I find work while travelling?

Working holiday makers find work via a number of ways, including through newspapers and magazines, travel brochures, the Internet, fellow travellers, hostels, government-run employment service and the most popular option, recruitment agencies.

Arm yourself with an updated CV and references as most employers will require these. Also be prepared to have your skills tested, (ie. software packages, spelling, etc.) before you are offered a position.

All of our travel guides have chapters devoted to how to find work and include many contact details.

Can I organise work before I arrive?

This will depend on which visa you are entering a particular country with. There are organisations offering programs such as au pairing or being a camp counselor in America. These programs help you obtain your visa and organise a job for you.

It is different for those going on working holidays. Immigration officials frown upon those who arrive on a working holiday visa with work pre-arranged. This is because working holiday visas are issued on the premise that you are firstly going to holiday and secondly take incidental work to fund further travels.

By pre-arranging work you are showing your intentions of working and this could be a breach of working holiday conditions. However, it is not a crime to have employment contact details.