vlava98

Hi,

I am 35 from the UK and considering going to NZ next year on a working holiday visa. There is a special Bunac 'IEP work exchange visa' version of this visa that is available to UK citizens up to 35. I believe it's very similar to a normal WHV, but does not as far as i know restrict you to working only 3 months for one particular employer.

I would like to use this visa mainly to work. Let me emphasise: I would love to holiday too but for me a few weeks of travel around the country at the end of my stay would be enough. I have a much bigger holiday planned for afterwards for which I have enough funds already. So I will not be using this visa in its intended sense (holiday and a bit of work), rather it will be work and hopefully a bit of holiday.

My main concern, is it possible to work in NZ on a working holiday visa for 10-12 months, and break even i.e. not leave NZ poorer than when you entered? Ideally I would like to at least make up the cost of the visa+flight to get out there and make a little extra. Has anybody done this?

I know I will only be able to find non-permanent work (max 12 months contract), which will be casual sort of work, and I also emphasise I have no experience or qualifications that would be relevant such as catering or hospitality. I have spent 13 years in universities studying for degrees and PhD's in science/maths but of the kind that's of no use to anyone, and I don't want to use it, I want to do something different like work in a cafe or bar or even a temp office job will do fine. I am not particularly outgoing. I have never had a driving license.

I might be able to do a bit of tuition or teaching in my area of expertise but this would probably not get me any regular work. I have done some private tuition in the UK but I don't have a teaching qualification.

I realise some of you may wonder why I would want to do this, let's say I have what I consider to be good reasons which would take too long to explain. Basically, the idea of travelling in NZ for 12 months doesn't really appeal to me, it is the work aspect that I am interested in - I would like to experience what it's like working there for about 10 months, and then if time/money allows, do a bit of travelling for a few weeks, though as I mentioned that would precede a much bigger holiday elsewhere. I don't have the right sort of qualifications to get a normal work visa.

However, I really don't want to do this if I come away from NZ with less money than when I enter.

In terms of budget, I currently live in the UK on £200/week including everything and I don't go out much. I have looked at rents/wages/exchange rates in NZ and I don't see myself needing more to live there (provided I did not go out all the time).

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Many thanks!

MrsFychan

as you say you would be looking at casual jobs such as cafe/bar work or the odd office temp job if you could get one. I see from the Bunac site that there is a support office in Auckland that will have details of jobs available to you on that visa that is updated weekly. As for gaining the visa I assume you have read the bit about proving you have x amount of funds for the duration of the visa ?

now for making any money of breaking even I have no personal knowledge and have not read anywhere on this so I am guessing it comes down to how much work you get, what it pays and how frugal you are.

Catchafire

Umm.....Whilst I am struggling to make sense of your motivation....its a very long way to do some casual work. You can "make money", you could stay in backapckers hostel, rates can be as low as $15/night. But who wants to do that for 12 months at the age of 35?

You can earn upto $20/hr depending on what you are prepared to do (like working on a mussel barge, or pruning grape vines like a champion).

You also state you do not have qualifications for a working visa.....yet you have also state you have degree(s) and a PHD?

BUNAC visa's are extremely limited, have you already applied? 35 is the cut off age, so better get your skates on.

LauraNotts

It depends a lot where you live and how you want to live. I houseshare right now in Chch in a fairly average house and the rent per week is about $420 for all of us so $140 each that's not including power or internet. My "budget" which is deliberately very generous for day to day stuff and does not include any extras like holidays or big purchases is about $800 a fortnight so roughly your £400 (or was until the dollar started sliding)

That doesn't get me much beyond getting up, going to work, eating and going to bed again. That's all very well and good if that's what you're doing but like others I don't understand why you need to come all the way to NZ to do that. If you don't want to spend a year on holiday here then don't, work in the UK, get more money and come out her for a few weeks instead. Everyone is different but I wouldn't put myself on a shoestring budget thousands of miles from home. I'd want to actually experience the culture and country I was visiting and that takes money if only to get places.

vlava98

Thanks for the replies! Very helpful.

I know my motivations may be hard to understand . Essentially, I am not happy with my career path so far, whilst I have quite a few options with my background, none of them really interest me, and I am looking for something different, trying to figure out how I am going to make a living for the rest of my life. I have no intention of working in casual minimum wage jobs long term, but this sort of experience, of going out to a new country and being forced to find work for 10-12 months, would be a very good stimulus for me I think. I would also like to see NZ, but 2 months of travel at the end is enough, yes I could achieve that by working in the UK for 10 months first, but that sounds really dull and I want a challenge. I think even working in a city in NZ for 10 months and not getting out much, would still be really interesting and allow me to experience the culture. Maybe I am delusional - certainly if somebody expressed the same about coming to the UK I would think they were crazy.

The next Bunac visa application round opens at the end of the year, so I am thinking of applying then. It would be my last chance, as I turn 36 next year. I am told they are not particularly oversubscribed i.e. if I apply in the first few days after it opens, I should get it. I know they mention a support office in Auckland but I doubt it'll be that much use beyond what I can already find myself.

Yes I have degrees and PhD but I do not want to work in my area, I have tried taking the points test on the NZ gov site and I don't think I have enough for immigration as a skilled migrant or whatever.

But I guess with all budget questions, it is hard to say because it depends - everyone has their own comfort level. For most people, their budget needs increase with age, but for me currently it is going the opposite direction or at least I like to think so .

desmondo84

What's your PhD in?

Sounds as though you need some fun for a year - yeah give it a blast. Some of the boarding schools here employ overseas tutors which would get you free accomodation although at 35 you might be a bit old for that but a good education would put you in a good position. If you don't minding renting a room in a shared house you should be okay if you can find a job. YOu'll have blast. But could you mix it with a winter in Oz?

vlava98

Thanks . It's in physics. Do you happen to have any links for the boarding school tutor vacancies as I can't seem to find much? I was going to see a bit of OZ too but later on - I am too old for their working holiday scheme.

JaneRiley

35 is not old! Being old is not a reason not to do anything either. If you have your health then keep on trucking! Come on people you are starting to sound a bit jaded. Give it a go Dr Physics and see what happens.

MrsFychan

it could be for the visa he wants to apply for if he doesn't get his skates on.

JaneRiley

Haha!! True!

vlava98

Yeah unfortunately as far as working holiday visas are concerned 35 is positively ancient But thanks for the encouragement, I may well give this one a go.

Andy.W

Currently my wife and myself are on a wh visa in auckland and we both work in hospitality, my wife earns $17 ph and I earn $16 ph and we both work about 40hrs per week, our rent is $370 ow but we do live in a one bed apartment on queen street so it's very central, on our wages so far we manage to eat out 3 times per week, usually one expensive meal one fast food meal and then a steak at the bluestone room as the third, we have also just been on holiday to queenstown for 4 days with a days skiing in there aswell!! All paid for with our earnings from nz.
Now I know there is 2 of us but you can get a private room in one of the city centre hostels for appox $180 pw all bills included and if you don't want to eat out 3 times a week I would guess it would be possible to probably save $200 dollars per week?
I'm not sure if this would be enough for you or not but I would definately give nz a try, we are currently loving it here, there's so many more options than the uk, only problem we have found so far is as stated in another thread the lack of good fish and chips!!